I have been given 8 of these kegs (unfortunately empty) and I was wondering if anyone else has re-used these kegs and what hints, tips there are out there for cleaning, filling and conditioning the beer in them?
I have new plugs for them on order. Any experiences out there?
View attachment 15511
I had hoped to find a thread on this very subject
After some bad experiences with my latest venture into plastic kegs L2021/E2022, I decided to give these mini-kegs a try. There are a few youtube tutorials on the subject out there which I have watched through. The trickiest part of the operation is to remove the rubber grommet/bung from the top centre of the 'can'. I saw this demonstrated with a set of pliers and it works but it can stretch the rubber as you tug to loosen it free so I tried using a flat bladed screwdriver in my other hand to prise it out as well. A little fiddly but no major headache. I actually managed to remove one with just the screwdriver and my fingers.
I should add that you first pull up the little red plastic vent tab which comes away relatively easily then press gently in the centre to push out the connecting base of the vent system before trying to remove the bung. To get the tiny base part out you fill the container with water (that you are going to do to clean it anyhow). Sometimes you have to shake it upside down for some time so this little fella drops out into your sink.
After people have reported getting a metallic taste after a few re-uses with various sanitizers/sterilizers etc it seems mild soapy water is the way to go. I have used both to see if I could spot a difference but it is early days.
I was going to purchase an empty set brand new which there is a homebrew company in Ireland sells via online. But then after watching the vids and finding that all the supermarkets in my viccinity have for some reason stopped stocking them, I ordered some (10) filled from two breweries who sell their beer in this format online. One in Norfolk, the other in Suffolk, England (e.g. as seen in your picture).
I asked one of the youtubers in the comments section how durable they are and they kindly got back to answer that the grommets need replacing after a few refills and that they found some on ebay for a couple of £.
Now onto my experiences after refilling the mini-kegs myself.
I have filled 4 so far with no apparent leaks of liquid or gas.
Stored and dispensed as per original instructions on the tin.
The three part grommets are quite easy to fit back together and replaced into position but they do have to be lined up (obviously).
I haven't searched for any replacement grommets yet so can't comment on their wider availibility.
The first and only mini-keg which I have tested for quality so far (3 months after kegging) worked exactly the same as when originally filled with the commercial beer which came in them.
The final pint was slightly cloudy although I maybe shouldn't have tilted so far at the end. See next related point.
Carbonation was slightly more fierce so I have subsequently varied priming with lower amounts and will monitor results.
The trick with these both commercially and self filled is to only open the top vent until it starts to hiss and not as far as it will go. Then immediately after finishing pouring close the vent again. This will preserve your carbonation for up to 5 days although it gradually gets gentler from day 2. If the tap isn't pouring rapidly enough for you then you can open the vent a little more but they do not ordinarily pour very fast anyway which is a minor gripe for some folks I guess.
Oh and crucially my beer tasted great and stayed fizzy to the bottom of the glass!
I hope this helps.