So I have a keg of carbonated beer to bring to a Super Bowl party at a friend’s house on 2-2-14. Knowing that the trip there will likely stir up my nice bright lager, I’d like to transfer to a new keg to assure bright beer for serving. Since I have time, I thought I would transfer out post to out post (with the pressure relief valve open on the receiving keg), but the last tine I did it with carbonated beer, it foamed like crazy through the open pressure relief valve. Should I go with it now, lose whatever foam occurs and simply re carb in the new keg to replace the CO2 lost in the transfer, or is there a better way to suggest?
You could use a spunding valve. It hooks up to the gas of the receiving keg allowing the keg to remain pressurized. It’s like counter pressure kegging. Scratch that it is counter pressure kegging.
Times where I have transferred from one keg to another, I’ve done it before carbing.
They can be cheaper if you opt for one without the gauge or put it together yourself.
http://www.williamsbrewing.com/0-60-ADJUSTABLE-PRESSURE-RELIEF-VALVE-P3453.aspx
Get the beer cold, real cold. Reduce pressure on the beer keg, Transfer with only 2 or 3 PSI. Vent the receiving keg PRV periodically, almost counter pressure. Might help to have the receiving keg cold too.
I have transferred many beers that way. Not much problems that I remember.
I use the same process that Jeff does. I chill the beer down to 32 before transferring and have never had any issues with foaming.
Connect gas-to-gas and beverage-to-beverage between the source keg and an equally pressurized destination keg. Elevate the source keg. Pop the relief valve on the destination keg for a moment to get a siphon going. Feel free to walk away. When you return, the contents will have transferred under pressure.
I didn’t invent this technique, but I use it all the time.
Also, keep your jumper as short as possible to reduce any resistance during transfer.
An cool your empty receiving keg as cold as you can get it. Should work well for you:)
Whenever I buy a 1/6 barrel of commercial beer, I end up transferring it to a Corny Keg, as the Sanke keg (and tap) don’t fit in my kegerator. I never bother with extra chilling, or anything special… as long as you treat it like a counter-pressure fill situation it’s pretty simple.
- Pressurize destination keg to 15PSI; vent a couple times to reduce Oxygen exposure.
- Connect liquid-out to liquid out between source and destination keg
- Connect source keg to the gas
- Slowly vent destination Keg.
Beer transfers slowly and easily. By the way; I usually get 1 Corny Keg + 1 Pint out of a 1/6 barrel. Just about perfect.
I ended up using a spunding valve that I had picked up years ago when I thought about krausening. Major said to just have the transferring keg at 12 psi and the receiving keg at 10 psi. I may have allowed a slightly greater differential from moment to moment, but never more than 4 psi…and it worked spectacularly! Thanks, guys!