Keg Residues

I’ve been homebrewing beer for the last 15 years. I started (like most) with a plastic fermenter / bucket and used hopped extracts with adjunct brewing sugars and then bottling with priming sugar.

Over the last 2 years I’ve migrated fully to kegs and I can say I don’t miss the bottling aspect of homebrewing! The only thing I do find is that beer that is dispensed towards the end of the keg tends to be extremely clear and refined.

So I asked the question, is it possible to draw from the top of the keg rather than the bottom and yet still be able to draw the full amount?

The answer came in the form of a float.

Plastic Fantastic

I am generally not a big fan of plastic items in contact with my food (yes beer is food). However I am a fan of and actively practice harm minimisation. After all we live in a world where economics rather than welfare dictates the nature of materials that come in contact with food. Harsh but true.

I am a big fan of food/surgical/marine grade stainless steel. Namely the 316 grade. It is highly non reactive in corrosive environments and does not leech out any estrogenic compounds. It could be leeching out chromium but hey what can I say; harm minimisation…

Float the idea

Here is a list of requirements I wrote up to help me design and build a device that could allow me to reduce sediment and improve clarity of the beer I was tapping off the keg:

Needs to fit easily through the opening of keg

Has to float in beer with ease

Must connect to the liquid port of the keg

It should be able to be removed for cleaning

No permanent modification to keg

Food safe materials only

Low cost of course 🙂 as I have 8 kegs to modify

So I can see I will require:

A float of some kind A flexible tube that can connect to the liquid port and the float itself A method of stopping any sediment from entering the tube A method of weighing down the end that draws the liquid to ensure its always submerged.

The components

the float

I found this nice float made out of stainless steel. It appears to be used for level sensors in potable drinking water tanks.

The tubeS

Silicone tubing is probably the safest material from a corrosion/leeching perspective for beer (acidic). You will need some 8mm tubing and a small amount of 10mm tubing to hold the filter inside the float.

the filter

A filter like this is very useful in stopping any sediment/trub from being drawn into the liquid port. Its not a superfine mesh so its unlikely to block up. The mesh is made out of stainless steel and can be cleaned up easily. These filters are sold as “wine filters”.

the counterweight

The simplest counter weight I can think of is to use a stainless steel bolt attached to the removable end of the filter. To install the counterweight, drill an 8mm hole in the endcap and install the bolt and nut so that the thread is INSIDE the filter as shown below.

Make sure you use 316 grade and not 304!

Replacement short Diptube

You can choose to cut your dip tube to attach the tubing but I didn’t want to permanently modify my kegs. The replacement diptube is actually used as the gas tube.

The Result

It will take you all but 15 minutes to make this.

Cut the tube to the suitable length for your keg. What you want is for the float to lay flat and the tube is just enough for that to happen. This simulates an empty keg scenario.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

I received some useful feedback from a reader recently so I’ve created this section to help with the build.

The Filter has a removable bottom which aids in fitting the counterweight To allow the filter to stay with the float you will need a 15mm section of 10mm diameter silicone hose fitted over the dip tube hose at the neck of the filter.

Sources for the parts in this project

You can help me out greatly by using the links below to purchase the parts in this project. There is no extra cost to you. In fact I can assure you of the seller’s complicity in successful orders and the pricing is fantastic.

Stainless Steel Float http://ali.pub/229u9j

Food grade Silicone Tube 8mm http://ali.pub/229umy

Food grade Silicone Tube 10mm http://ali.pub/229umy

Filters http://ali.pub/229uvp

Counterweight 316 M8x25mm Bolt http://ali.pub/2gmxjl

Counterweight 316 M8 Nut http://ali.pub/229v60

8mm Keg Diptube Short/Gas http://ali.pub/229vui

UPDATE: Off the shelf solution

I recently found that the Fermentasaurus SS Float assembly is available from Aliexpress.

It will do the job as long as you get a 8mm Keg short dip tube to replace the existing dip tube and just attach this SS float assembly to the supplied tube.

You will need:

Fermentasaurus Gen 1 SS Float + 60cm Silicone tubing: http://ali.pub/31196g

8mm Keg Diptube Short/Gas: http://ali.pub/229vui

Update September 2019

I have come up with a simpler solution for my fellow tight arse aussie brewers.

Check out my latest DIY Keg Floating Dip Tube Mk2