32
Tips on safely removing CO2 valve from Sanke D keg down tube (lemmy.world)
submitted 11 months ago by to c/homebrewing@sopuli.xyz
5 comments fedilink hide all child comments
 

I'm an experienced mead maker with a couple of Micro-Matic Sanke D kegs I bought online over the pandemic. I finally got around to using one, and I'm stuck on the last part of the teardown: removing the CO2 valve from the down tube. I've watched a few YouTube videos and they don't really go into huge detail on this part. I even broke down and called Micro-Matic who basically said that this stuff wasn't designed to be regularly disassembled but instead pressure-cleaned with an expensive keg washer. I'm hoping someone out there has a clever tool or approach they use to handle this situation, even if it's something silly like "I hold it down over this widget with a bump which pushes up the ball and then I spray cleaner down the tube and follow it up with rinse water and I'm not dead yet".

Help?

Exploded imagery of CO2 valve, ball, beer spring, and down tube, part of a Sanke D keg by Micro Matic
you are viewing a single comment's thread
view the rest of the comments
[–] [S] 3 points 11 months ago (1 child)

I just realized that if I had a coupler with the gas check valve removed and a hose attached to the gas fitting, I could use that as a blow-off tube and ferment directly in the kegs. Would that work or am I missing something?

  • permalink
  • fedilink
  • source
  • parent
  • hideshow 1 child comment
    •
  • [–] 4 points 11 months ago

    Technically yes but not super practical. Normally you want to ferment in a larger vessel with a larger starting volume to end up with your desired final volume. For example, 22 liters into a 25 liter fermentor (think 20% extra headspace for primary). The extra head space allows space for kraussen. Then you can rack off the yeast and end up closer to something like a desired 20 liters into a keg. Also since you are making mead fruit is often used that would be difficult in a keg.

    I would recommend ferment in fermentor then rack into keg for conditioning etc. no one wants a pour of your fermentations yeast cake.

  • permalink
  • fedilink
  • source
  • parent