Kegerator Tap Cleaning

[BrewMasterBrad]

I had the ball lock nipple in my spare parts.

I love it when Tim talks like that.

[JonGoku]

I had the ball lock nipple in my spare parts.

I love it when Tim talks like that.

+1 ROFL

[backyard brewer]

I had the ball lock nipple in my spare parts.

That explains the expression on your face in the photo of Brad's brew day....

[BrewMasterBrad]

I had the ball lock nipple in my spare parts.

That explains the expression on your face in the photo of Brad's brew day....

[maltbarley]

Guys, stop staring at my ball lock nipples!

[Marotte Brewery]

In other words, you're tank gauge will not just steadily drop as you use up the CO2. It'll read full until you're really out and then drop to empty in a matter of beers.

Yep. Happened to me yesterday. Ran out of Gas. Went to a great place in Anaheim (near the Bruery) that filled 5# for $13.60 .

Mobile Industrial Welding Supply http://www.mobileindustrialweldingsupply.com

[lexuschris]

Being new to kegging, trying to follow all the suggestions here.

Brad, are you saying that you use the beverage out port of the keg to rack from the fermenter directly into the keg, thus filling it from the bottom of the keg? That would be cool!

Also, as I pour off my keg, I am getting a lot of yeast sediment. (I don't use a secondary fermentor or clarifying agent). I saw one post on a board recommending cutting 3/4" off the bottom of the tube inside the keg. Is anyone modifying their kegs that way? Other ways to avoid yeast sediment on your pint pours?

Thanks all!
--LexusChris

[Rezzin]

Also, as I pour off my keg, I am getting a lot of yeast sediment. (I don't use a secondary fermentor or clarifying agent). I saw one post on a board recommending cutting 3/4" off the bottom of the tube inside the keg. Is anyone modifying their kegs that way? Other ways to avoid yeast sediment on your pint pours?

What I like to do is just let the keg carb at whatever PSI I choose for a week or two in the kegerator before tapping. This gives the beer plenty of time to carb and for the yeast to settle. The first couple of pints are cloudy and then it's nothing but clear beer from then on. I wouldn't cut the dip tube - I really don't see a need for it. You could try gelatin also.

[BrewMasterBrad]

Being new to kegging, trying to follow all the suggestions here.

Brad, are you saying that you use the beverage out port of the keg to rack from the fermenter directly into the keg, thus filling it from the bottom of the keg? That would be cool!

Also, as I pour off my keg, I am getting a lot of yeast sediment. (I don't use a secondary fermentor or clarifying agent). I saw one post on a board recommending cutting 3/4" off the bottom of the tube inside the keg. Is anyone modifying their kegs that way? Other ways to avoid yeast sediment on your pint pours?

Thanks all!
--LexusChris

Chris, I have two kegs that I have shortened the dip tubes in that I use as bright tanks. When a beer is done fermenting, I rack into the bright tanks. I have a SS racking cane with a length of tubing and a ball lock beverage out QD on the end. This allows me to do a closed transfer into my CO2 flushed bright tanks. I put the bright tanks in my storage chest freezer at 32F for a few days then I dissolve 1 tsp. of gelatin in two cups of boiled water. I pour one cup of the hot gelatin solution into each bright tank, pressurize and swirl. After a few days, I rack from the bright tanks into serving kegs using a jumper tube that has ball lock fittings on each end. I now have clear beer that I can carbonate, or just let it lager for a while until I need it. This procedure works great for me, even if it is a little labor intensive. I take my beers to parties all the time and it is nice to be able to throw a couple kegs in the truck and be able to serve clear beer from the first pint when I get to the party. If it was just me drinking my beer, I would let time and temperature do it's thing like Rezzin says, but I serve my beers all over town, often to people that I have never met, so presentation is important to me.

[Rezzin]

Ok, here's a good need to cut the tube

[JonGoku]

I hear bending the dip tube also works to the same effect as cutting a bit off the end. You might be able to try this and if your not so happy with it, bend it back or chop it off a little. If you have the means and intent to port your beer around like the P, I'd try his method though.

Cheers!

[BrewMasterBrad]

I would be wary of bending the dip tube unless you have the proper tube bending hardware. You risk tweaking the tube beyond repair.

[backyard brewer]

I would be wary of bending the dip tube unless you have the proper tube bending hardware. You risk tweaking the tube beyond repair.

Absolutely !!

SS is VERY hard to bend and no where near as forgiving as copper. i tried to bend some tubing with a set of spring benders I have and mangled it. I had an inexpensive die bender that worked OK for copper and it destroyed the SS. Not only that, but you have to have a bender made for the specific OD tubing you're bending. The bender I just bought for 3/8" tubing was $80 and only bends 3/8" tubing...

Cutting is a much better choice if you're going to shorten it. I can see where having the opening not be parallel to the sediment would reduce the amount of sediment pulled up, perhaps cutting the end at an angle wouldn't be a bad idea. Course, then you'd have to use a cut-off wheel and couldn't use a tubing cutter.

[JonGoku]

X xxxx xxxxxxx xxx xxx xxxx xxxx xxxxx xx xxx xxxx xxxxxx xx xxxxxxx x xxx xxx xxx xxx. Xxx xxxxx xx xxxx xx xxx xxxx xxx xx xxxx xxx xx xxxxx xxxx xx, xxxx xx xxxx xx xxxx xx xxx x xxxxx. If you have the means and intent to port you're beer around like the P, I'd try his method though.

Cheers!

There, I fixed it

[dhempy]

If you have the means and intent to port you're beer around like the P, I'd try his method though.

There, I fixed it

In this case ... "your" would be correct.

Dan