I Love My Kegs

[studio1]

Yay, got my kegs and setup all ready to go. I could have hours of fun just pumping water through them...

coupla questions though: where can I find a spanner to take off the posts that are star shaped (not hex)?

Do I need to put a small hose clamp on the hose leaving the gas reg?

I've got the hose connectors that you just push the hose into. Can you get the hose out afterwards?

Finally, can I pour beer into my keg, set it to serving pressure then disconnect the gas and wait for it to carbonate or do I need to keep it connected up?

Thanks for the answers.

[James P]

1. Go to Mitre 10 and get either a 21 or 23mm star spanner $10.
I took my keg for a walk to Repco (Ripoff) and Mitre 10. It was well behaved, and meant I got the right one first time!

2. If you have the JG push in conections then no! If you have a barb then yes you should use a clamp.

3. Keep it connected, as the beer aborbs the gas, more gas is needed. No more gas means no more carbonation.

[Ian]

New to kegging but I found that I had no joy with those little crimps they sell you with the kegs which you are suppose to clamp around the tube with pliers to secure it. So I improvised by looping a small length of wire around twice and twisting it with pliers - worked a treat and easy to remove and replace and usually ready to hand. Just a thought.

[James P]

Hi Ian, I concur, I threw them out about an hour after trying to put my keg set together.

I found it best to spend the $2~3 and get hose clamps from Bunnings / Mitre 10, in saying that I also have the John Guest push in connections which are bloody great, just a little more expensive.

[Ian]

When you're sweating to make the thing work you don't worry about a couple of extra bucks though don't you find? Ha. I discovered the wire trick after I screwed up that little crimp just after hours when the hardware store was closed! The next day (Sunday) I accidentally tipped the keg out of the fridge when I opened it and fractured the outlet pipe, dousing myself and everything else in a fine spray of beer! Then too it was great to have an alternative to hose clamps and crimps. But the truth is, you are supposed (as you obviously do James) to plan ahead a bit. Ha again.

[James P]

Planning.... er.... yeah that's it... oh and I faked a sicky to go home and play with my keg set, so had the afternoon of errors to go get supplies!

My experience was as comical as your own Ian! I have had to replace the beer outlet also.... and a radio and thank god I have circuit breakers....

[Ian]

No wonder a pint tasts so good when finally one gets to pour it successfully - hehehe!

[jt]

Pincer pliers will crimp the clamps fine & dandy.

Hoseclamps are ok, but they've got the thread on them which can cut the hose - result is gas loss !

[Greig McGill]

Same result as a day of drinking then...

[James P]

After a days drinking usually increases my gas.....

[Ian]

Less steam and more gas!