Ageing in Stainless Kegs

[Zak Griffin]

I've had a bit of a look but can't really find what I need to know...

Over the next few weeks I'm going to make a LOT of modified CFW. SWMBO and the Rugrat are off to Adelaide for a fortnight on Easter Monday, so I'm gunna have plenty of time to run the 300L of wash I've got fermenting.

At a rough estimate, (I've got 3 fermenters going, all staggered), I'm going to have the best part of 50L of hearts to age, so I want to do so in a spare keg.

I'm going to remove the spear, sterilise the keg and make a cork out of oak, and hang dominoes into the spirit on copper wire... I assume this is all good so far.

My question is; how do I get the spirit out again? I'm thinking a small ball valve tapped into the bottom of the keg, but I'm not sure if I can get a suitable tap...

Does anyone who ages in kegs have any pics of their setup?

[OzKev]

I have not aged in the kegs, but do have one as low wines. Currently I just use a length of silicone hose and siphon it out.
Silicone hose, awesome stuff to have around the brewery.
https://nationalhomebrew.com.au/beer/brewing-equipment-pots-and-hardware/other-silicon-hose-tubing

Eventually I do plan on fitting a s/s ball valve to it.

Weld in a nipple to the vessel. If you cut a good sized hole you should be able to thread this into the keg and soft solder it into place.
http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/New-Hexagon-Nipple-Male-304-Stainless-Steel-Threaded-Pipe-Fitting-NPT-DN1-2-/190869656358?pt=AU_Business_Industrial_Farming_Agriculture_Farming_Agriculture_Equipment&hash=item2c70b7d326

A stainless ball valve
http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/1-2-Female-Stainless-Steel-NPT-316-Vinyl-handle-WOG1000-Full-Port-Ball-Valve-/390721901584?pt=AU_Business_Industrial_Farming_Agriculture_Farming_Agriculture_Equipment&hash=item5af8d71410

And then a hose tail
http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Stainless-steel-1-2-Male-thread-Pipe-fitting-x-15mm-barb-Hose-Tail-Connector-/130897003417?pt=AU_Business_Industrial_Construction_Building_Materials_Hardware&hash=item1e7a11c399

All up about $15 per keg for a decent valve

[Zak Griffin]

Perfect, cheers Kev. Just wasn't sure about the material used to seal the ball valve. That link says PTFE, so we're good :)

[dogbreath vodka]

I use a length of copper pipe bent into a U shape and siphon it out that way.
My keg sits on a bench so it uses gravity.
Works well for me. :handgestures-thumbupleft:

DBV

[Zak Griffin]

Sometimes it's the simple things :handgestures-thumbupleft:

[kiwikeg]

My keg ageing set up is simply a keg with spear removed sealed with a tri clamp. Syphon to get it out again.
I have some oak bungs made to fit the keg too but I haven't tried them yet.

[Zak Griffin]

There was a discussion a while ago about keeping spirits in sealed kegs, and because the spirit can't breathe it doesn't age properly... Hence the oak bung.

Or something...

[kiwikeg]

IMAG0716.jpg

Yes, that's the theory, but I do thinks opening the keg once in a while and giving it a slosh around achieves the same thing..
These bungs are oak and seal perfectly when hammered in with a rubber mallet.

[dogbreath vodka]

I also used an oak bung in my 23ltr stainless keg.
Toasted it first though. Didn't want any woody taste in the spirit.

Then drilled a hole through it and a copper cap.
Put a stainless wire in it and suspended about 5 oak dominoes in the keg.

DSCN4408 (Copy).JPG

Opened it up in December of last year.... destroyed the bung doing so.
The spirit wets the bung and it is so tight I had to chisel it out. ~x(

So haven't looked at it since..... maybe by December this year it'll be good. :D

DBV