I clean all bits of the keg every time. Disassemble everything and wash with dish detergent. Reassemble, add a few liters of starsan, purge the keg with some co2 and there it sits until use (1/2 bar pressure). (Drain the starsan before adding the beer!)
When I filled kegs using gravity drain I would first purge the receiving keg. To do this fill it to the tippy top with sanitizer, then push the sanitizer out with co2. When you remove the top to fill it there will likely be some mixing of gasses near the top, but the co2 will generally remain in the keg. When you fill the keg make sure your filling hose goes to the bottom of the keg so the beer will push the co2 out as it fills, and there will be no splashing. Once filled put the lid on and burp it a few times (pressurize, pull the relief valve, repeat) to purge any remaining o2 (in theory). I followed this process for a couple of years, never had a single oxidized batch.
Yup keg her up under 12psi it'll have a healthy amount of carbonation when you get back.
Yes, but... My kegs don't have a filter on the dip tube. That might clog, yes.Thanks @Craigerrr , that's more or less whatI had in mind
I got a piece of pipe that fits on the spigot and is long enough to reach the bottom of the keg
@Donoroto
I'm trying to visualise: so you would have everything connected but make sure gas can escape.
Then attach piece of pipe to the liquid side. I can see it working except that you now fill via the beer dip line which is only 4 mm internal diameter (I think, can't check as they are both in use) and has a filter at the end.
Won't this take forever?
And will the filter not clog from the inside, esp when spunding (beer not totally fermented yet, so could have bits of yeast etc)?
If doable, I need to find a piece of pipe to fit the spigot or auto-syphon and a disconnect.
If the filter is on the liquid line, and the spunding valve is in the gas line, makes no difference.I can easily remove the fliter, but that may not be too clever when spunding?
Anyway, I'll try all methods and see what works best (for me).
In another thread I saw a keg being filled while "pouring" CO2 at the same time.
I can try that as well, but only once I know I can get a re-supply of CO2
Thanks again for all the help
Well, if it is even a little bit active, the yeast will consume the oxygen quickly. If you treat it like a bottle (a really big bottle) for carbonation, or at least partial carbonation, your transfer method is almost irrelevant.
Ain't gonna try as I already know you are right.
Thanks, I hate the disposable part of those small co2 cartridges, but maybe that is the best route to go. I would only use them for serving , so they would like last quite a while...
Found a mini regulator that will work, sent Barb details on the regulator, co2, and a 2.5 gallon keg. Happy Birthday to me!
When you're doing this with the oxebar kegs make sure the container you're pushing the sanitiser into is higher than the keg. If not you'll end up getting a siphon going and the walls of the keg will start to collapse as there's not enough CO2 coming in to keep it inflated.
