Sodastream CO2 setup for pressurised crash chilling

[Rhodesy]

OK here's another thought. Does it matter if your gas tube is below the liquid when carbonating? If it doesn't, then you can simply attach a gas disconnect to the receiving keg instead of holding the PRV open. When the beer hits the bottom of the dib tube, it will be forced out of the gas connector - even though there will still be CO2 in the headspace. You can stop the transfer at this point, but you will be above the line of the gas in tube by a few mm. Will it matter?

What did we ever do before Google.....I just turned up this after an hours searching (I just didn't like that bit about listening for the foam! )

"Stick a small block of wood under the beer-in side and then put a gas disconnect on the gas-in side with a piece of tubing going into a glass/bottle/bucket. Keep the pressure relief valve closed. When the beer reaches the gas dip tube, beer will come out (duh! ). Stop the beer flow and switch to the second keg.

The reason for the small block of wood is so the beer level isn't above the gas dip tube -- if it is (ie, the keg is overfilled), you can sometimes/often get beer flowing back into the gas line when you hook it up.

Advantages of this way are you get a sample of beer to test and drink and your system truly is closed -- you don't have to open the lid to see where the level is."

.....genius!

As for the hops and gelatin, I was planning just to add both to a star-sanned keg (hops in a bag with dental floss to a post), and then purge with CO2.

EDIT: I overfilled a keg last month and ended up with beer in the gas line. Not fun. Won't be doing that again.

Superb, I am going to try this

[orlando]

As for the hops and gelatin, I was planning just to add both to a star-sanned keg (hops in a bag with dental floss to a post), and then purge with CO2.

Another method I've used.

[orlando]

Get one of these Calor gas style regulators, mentioned earlier in the thread. This one is set up for duties as a cask breather but it could do the same job you want.

Which JG fitting are you using on the gas in side?

Don't know it was made up for me. I will ask.

[Rhodesy]

Get one of these Calor gas style regulators, mentioned earlier in the thread. This one is set up for duties as a cask breather but it could do the same job you want.

Which JG fitting are you using on the gas in side?

Don't know it was made up for me. I will ask.

Thanks! I have one of these lying around doing nothing so would come in handy if going down this route.


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[orlando]

Get one of these Calor gas style regulators, mentioned earlier in the thread. This one is set up for duties as a cask breather but it could do the same job you want.

Which JG fitting are you using on the gas in side?

Don't know it was made up for me. I will ask.

Sorry but he can't remember either they just happened to be in his box of bits.

[donchiquon]

As for the hops and gelatin, I was planning just to add both to a star-sanned keg (hops in a bag with dental floss to a post), and then purge with CO2.

Another method I've used.

Hi Orlando....looks interesting. So is the tube placed inside the keg with the bag hooked in the top of the tube and hanging down inside the keg?

[Rhodesy]

Sorry but he can't remember either they just happened to be in his box of bits.

No problem, thanks for checking


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[donchiquon]

I did the pressure transfer this morning....and what is usually an hours job to keg, do a few bottles, and clean up took about 3 hours!!! If this beer doesn't taste like ambrosia I'm switching back to the usual 5 minute keg fill through the lid!

Things I learned...
1. Once you have the keg purged and ready to connect to the FV it's probably best to connect the black disco first (with the tube that will be connected to the FV) as this will flush it with CO2. Then you can connect to the FV and finally connect the gas out with tube attached.

2. The transfer started fine, but then slowly stopped and air appeared in the tube and the flow ground to a halt. I think this may have been because I put the gas out tube from the keg into a small jug of water so that I could check the flow rate from the bubbles. I had to lay the keg on its side to restart the flow. This happened about 3 times. I tried pulling the tube from the jug thinking that the pressure needed to push bubbles through the water might be enough to stop the flow (I was swearing a lot at this point). Finally things started up again, just as I was getting ready to pull the lid and transfer normally.

3. Pressure transfers take a loooong time. I had to shave twice waiting for the thing to fill. Winter arrived in the valley whilst I was waiting for it to fill. I think it took about an hour at 1.5-1.75 psi. I'm thinking about attaching a bleed valve to the gas out tube so that I can go and do something useful whilst it is filling and it will stop once liquid hits the bleed valve!

4. The "keg wedge" fill method works well. When the beer finally starts crawling up the gas out tube I pulled the disco. I don't think I had quite enough tilt on the keg as I could hear bubbling when I connected the gas to carbonate but I simply connected a petty tap and dumped (sampled!) a quarter pint.

Good luck Matt - hope yours goes well!

[orlando]

As for the hops and gelatin, I was planning just to add both to a star-sanned keg (hops in a bag with dental floss to a post), and then purge with CO2.

Another method I've used.

Hi Orlando....looks interesting. So is the tube placed inside the keg with the bag hooked in the top of the tube and hanging down inside the keg?

Er not quite. This is the dip tube, the clip fixes the hop bag draw string to the bottom, allowing the hop bag to "float" in the beer.

[orlando]

I did the pressure transfer this morning....and what is usually an hours job to keg, do a few bottles, and clean up took about 3 hours!!! If this beer doesn't taste like ambrosia I'm switching back to the usual 5 minute keg fill through the lid!

Things I learned...
1. Once you have the keg purged and ready to connect to the FV it's probably best to connect the black disco first (with the tube that will be connected to the FV) as this will flush it with CO2. Then you can connect to the FV and finally connect the gas out with tube attached.

2. The transfer started fine, but then slowly stopped and air appeared in the tube and the flow ground to a halt. I think this may have been because I put the gas out tube from the keg into a small jug of water so that I could check the flow rate from the bubbles. I had to lay the keg on its side to restart the flow. This happened about 3 times. I tried pulling the tube from the jug thinking that the pressure needed to push bubbles through the water might be enough to stop the flow (I was swearing a lot at this point). Finally things started up again, just as I was getting ready to pull the lid and transfer normally.

3. Pressure transfers take a loooong time. I had to shave twice waiting for the thing to fill. Winter arrived in the valley whilst I was waiting for it to fill. I think it took about an hour at 1.5-1.75 psi. I'm thinking about attaching a bleed valve to the gas out tube so that I can go and do something useful whilst it is filling and it will stop once liquid hits the bleed valve!

4. The "keg wedge" fill method works well. When the beer finally starts crawling up the gas out tube I pulled the disco. I don't think I had quite enough tilt on the keg as I could hear bubbling when I connected the gas to carbonate but I simply connected a petty tap and dumped (sampled!) a quarter pint.

Good luck Matt - hope yours goes well!

Would laying the keg on its side be the answer for the whole transfer and would higher pressure be better if you can achieve it, I'm guessing yes?

[Matt in Birdham]

Wow, OK! I was kind of hoping it would take about as long as normal - might need to put a bit more time aside. Planning to give it a go tomorrow morning. I have been watching a few videos on it and it looked like they were doing it in 10 mins or so (one guy had a timer set up). What sort of pressure were you pushing through it? Your line is thicker than I am planning to use as well.. I will report back

Did you get a condensation line as you filled?

My concern about laying on its side is that the lid won't have much of a seal without pressure. Did you get any leakage?

[donchiquon]

Another method I've used.

Hi Orlando....looks interesting. So is the tube placed inside the keg with the bag hooked in the top of the tube and hanging down inside the keg?

Er not quite. This is the dip tube, the clip fixes the hop bag draw string to the bottom, allowing the hop bag to "float" in the beer.

Whoops! I thought it looked very similar but didn't want to assume. I often keg hop with pellets, so am wondering if the bag would eventually sink and block the tube.

I've also cut some of my dip tubes 1" short so that I can keg hop them and then transfer to another keg bright for parties without that cloud of yeast that always seems to come out at the end. I'd have to think of an alternative to your wire clip.

[donchiquon]

Would laying the keg on its side be the answer for the whole transfer and would higher pressure be better if you can achieve it, I'm guessing yes?

Probably, although then I have the old issue to trying to work out when the keg is full and the keg-wedge method is nice and simple. I'm not entirely sure what caused my airlock issues, but clearly folk have been doing trouble-free pressure transfers for ages so I am happy to accept that I'm doing something wrong somewhere!

Wow, OK! I was kind of hoping it would take about as long as normal - might need to put a bit more time aside. Planning to give it a go tomorrow morning. I have been watching a few videos on it and it looked like they were doing it in 10 mins or so (one guy had a timer set up). What sort of pressure were you pushing through it? Your line is thicker than I am planning to use as well.. I will report back

Did you get a condensation line as you filled?

My concern about laying on its side is that the lid won't have much of a seal without pressure. Did you get any leakage?

I'm sure you'll have more luck. As I say, its a tried and tested method, which makes me the weakest link!!! I'm sure I'll get faster with practice - I'm not really sure what slowed it down so much.

I pushed at 1.5-1.75 having read that this was the optimal pressure in a couple of guides. My line might be thicker, but I guess the disco provides the same resistance(?)....so you'll probably be fine here.

Curiously I didn't get a condensation line, which I normally get. It was easy to tell the fill level however doing a temperature check with fingertips. The full portion remains cold under your finger, whereas the empty portion warms up.

When I laid the keg down to restart it was only 1 litre or so full, and I didn't have it horizontal - so no risk of leaks.

[Rhodesy]

Did you burp the keg at regular intervals? This may help to jump start it if you will?

[orlando]

Whoops! I thought it looked very similar but didn't want to assume. I often keg hop with pellets, so am wondering if the bag would eventually sink and block the tube.

I've also cut some of my dip tubes 1" short so that I can keg hop them and then transfer to another keg bright for parties without that cloud of yeast that always seems to come out at the end. I'd have to think of an alternative to your wire clip.

Haven't tried it with pellets but eventually even leaf hops end up on the bottom, the point is they are contained by the bag. Pellets may not be so well contained so avoid using them stick to leaf. The clip grips very well, has never come off and doesn't impede flow. So much I've sometimes forgotten they were in there until I clean the keg.