Weighing Scales for closed transfer.

[Slickchilli]

Hi, can anyone recommend some weighing scales that I can use to accurately weigh a Corny Keg whilst closed transferring so I know when to stop filling?

I've found some parcel scales but most, if not all seem to auto-off after a couple of minutes which is no good at all!!

Any help much appreciated.

 

[Buffers brewery]

https://www.argos.co.uk/product/4650669

 

[Petrolhead]

I pressure transfer to the liquid out post and control the flow by connecting a party tap to the gas in post. This allows easy control of the transfer and you will see as soon as the level gets to the gas in post as the beer will be evident in the party tap line.

In fact I have also bottled then from the party tap to use up the last of the beer.

 

[Slickchilli]

What a great suggestion. Thanks, i'll give that a go!!

 

[The-Engineer-That-Brews]

I pressure transfer to the liquid out post and control the flow by connecting a party tap to the gas in post. This allows easy control of the transfer and you will see as soon as the level gets to the gas in post as the beer will be evident in the party tap line.

In fact I have also bottled then from the party tap to use up the last of the beer.

genius

 

[umfana]

This
￡6.00 | duotight Flow Stopper - Automatic Keg Filler
https://a.aliexpress.com/_BORUvf

 

[Chameleon67]

@Petrolhead, that is just genius and saves me money buying a set of scales. Brilliant idea as I'm about to fill my first keg at the weekend. Thank you for that great tip

(Edited for the usual spelling errors whilst supping!)

 

[RoomWithABrew]

I weigh the keg and connectors etc when full of starsan. Write it on the keg.
Then just lift the keg on and off our digital bathroom scales for a reading.
Also if the beers cold you can feel the cold line even on plastic kegs and often see condensation as well.
I confirmed the cold line was beer with my Flir camera.




I have a long piece of tubing to the spundit valve so could see if beer came out of the gas post. I don't use corny kegs though so my gas in is basically flush at the top . I try to keep the keg pressure 2 psi below the fermenter pressure otherwise you can get foam and loss of condition in the transfer. It takes time though normally more than half an hour this way. But the beer is drinkable straightaway.

 

[muppix]

I too was considering some scales to let me know when my keg's getting full during closed transfer, but a much easier solution presented itself: condensation. I typically transfer straight from my ferment fridge after cold-crashing, and since the keg is at room temperature it's easy to see where I'm up to by the line of condensation that slowly travels up the side. If you're using anything other than a Corny keg you may be able to place two fingers on the metal top just beneath the gas-in post so that you can feel the cold liquid before it gets right to the top.

 

[The-Engineer-That-Brews]

I too was considering some scales to let me know when my keg's getting full during closed transfer, but a much easier solution presented itself: condensation. I typically transfer straight from my ferment fridge after cold-crashing, and since the keg is at room temperature it's easy to see where I'm up to by the line of condensation that slowly travels up the side. If you're using anything other than a Corny keg you may be able to place two fingers on the metal top just beneath the gas-in post so that you can feel the cold liquid before it gets right to the top.

Yeah that's a really good idea - similar to how I can tell the liquid level in my mash tun: backs of your fingers are really sensitive to temperature :-)

 

[RoomWithABrew]

setting an alarm to go back and check is also a good idea, the rate seems pretty steady once it gets going and then you can set the next alarm with more confidence.

 

[The-Engineer-That-Brews]

setting an alarm to go back and check is also a good idea, the rate seems pretty steady once it gets going and then you can set the next alarm with more confidence.

After my last brew, I was thinking I must Tee off a bit of clear line just at the bottom tap and tape it to the side of the tun as a sort of sight glass

 

[gyurmaember]

You can connect a pet bottle with a kegland carbonation tee on it to the gas post, and connect the spunding valve to the gas post of the tee. You can use the same bottle to carbonate the remaining beer, and also you can serve from that bottle.

 

[mathorp]

Watching the condensation line works well, particularly in a warm damp room. Just beware of the slight delay. Or you can work on your biceps lifting the keg on and off the bathroom scales.

As Slickchilli noted, most parcel scales auto-off which is a nuisance for this application. MyWeigh Ultraship scales (e.g. Ultraship-35) have an override function. I managed without these scales, but the continuous readout helps me fine tune the feed pressure and the relief valve on the keg.

 

[muppix]

You can connect a pet bottle with a kegland carbonation tee on it to the gas post, and connect the spunding valve to the gas post of the tee. You can use the same bottle to carbonate the remaining beer, and also you can serve from that bottle.

Good call. I've used a spare mini keg in the past, but a PET bottle is probably easier since you don't have to squint at the transfer line to see if you're pushing liquid to the overflow tank. FWIW this method is also useful if you're fermenting under pressure (e.g. Fermzilla) and suddenly find yourself with not enough head-space.