Mini Keg Draft System Instructions

The Mini Keg Draft System contains:

Mini-kegs offer an economical, easy and convenient alternative to bottles. Mini-kegs are portable, so you can enjoy fresh, cool draught beer for picnics and parties.

Warning As with any compressed gas, keep away from children. Never clog or block the small hole at the end of the CO2 bulb housing. It is a safety feature to release excessive pressure.

Never use incompatible CO2 chargers, because they may not pierce correctly and could be dangerous. There are non-food-grade CO2 chargers for other uses, but they are not safe to use with Mini-kegs. Our 16 gram CO2 bulbs are necessary for the Mini-keg system. If an 8 gram CO2 bulb is used, you must use the approved adapter. Other objects will block the pressure release hole in the back of the CO2 holder and cause an explosion.

Never try to screw out a CO2 bulb that is not totally empty. A CO2 bulb containing pressure will shoot out the CO2 holder causing injury. To screw out a CO2 bulb, simply loosen the bulb with only 1 or 2 turns then you will hear gas flowing out through the hole in the back of the holder. When the gas flow stops, it's then safe to unscrew and remove the bulb.

Never use the tap as a handle to carry your Mini-kegs.

Five-liter mini-kegs are made of electrolytically treated tin-plate with a gold lacquering protection on the interior surface. The special coating protects the freshness and imparts no off-taste to the beer.

Think of the mini-keg as a large bottle—it cannot be force carbonated—it must be primed with a fermentable sugar and left for several weeks to carbonate. The CO2 capsule is used only to force out the beer, not carbonate it. Best results if consumed within a few days of tapping. Extended time will require the use of more CO2 cartridges.

Cleaning

New kegs. Discard the plastic tab in the keg opening and sanitize as you would a bottle. Do not use chlorine as it will pit the metal.

Once beer is consumed, remove tap and bung and immediately rinse keg thoroughly with warm water. Shake well to drain. The center piece of the bung is reusable once you shake it out of the can. Simply retrieve the 2 pieces of the bung, clean and allow to air dry along with the keg. Don't re-bung the can until the next fill. Regularly check the interior for rust or residue. Replace your kegs if anything forms inside, they are damaged, or don't hold CO2 pressure (usually 5 to 10 fills).

Priming

Use 1/3 cup of corn sugar to prime a five-gallon batch of beer, or use 1 tablespoon per five liters of beer. You may adjust the amount of corn sugar for more carbonation, but do not use more than 1/2 cup of corn sugar for a five-gallon batch of beer. Prior to putting beer in the Mini-keg with corn sugar, make sure the fermentation is finished. Test the beer first with a hydrometer. Fermenting beer or too much priming sugar will cause excess pressure in the Mini-keg, causing it to bulge or explode. Deformed or damaged kegs should never be used.

Filling

To fill, simply siphon beer into the Mini-keg, leaving about one inch of head space. Seal the kegs by pressing the two- piece rubber bung into the top hole. Store in a dry place at least as warm as the beer's fermenting temperature, avoiding any sunlight. The larger volume requires more time to condition than beer in a 12 or 22-ounce bottle-don't tap too soon! We recommend four weeks conditioning.

Dispensing

Refrigerate your kegged beer prior to serving. Keeping beer at cool and constant temperature will minimize fluctuations in carbonation level. Don't insert a CO2 bulb until needed. Screw the plastic downtube snugly onto the tap base. The threads are plastic and will break if over tightened. To tap, firmly grasp the downtube with your left hand while holding the tap with your right. Guide and push the tube through the bung with your left hand, while also gently pushing downward with your right hand on the tap. The plastic downtube will break if you grasp the tap with both hands and plunge it downward. Push completely into the mini keg and clip to the can's edges.

Beer can be drawn with natural pressure for the first .5-2 glass(es). When beer flow stops, set regulator at shut-off position (the narrow point. Insert a CO2 bulb into the tap, screwing down the bulb housing. You should hear the pin pierce the CO2 bulb. Do not over tighten the CO2 housing. The CO2 tap is equipped with a regulator to control the amount of CO2 pressure. If you experience excess amounts of foam in the beer, you should reduce the CO2. When pushing the dispensing lever, one should push it down all the way. A half opened dispensing valve will cause excessive amounts of foam. When storing a tapped beer for more than a few hours, turn the regulator to charge the can momentarily, but then turn the regulator to off when not in use to minimize gas leakage. Do not turn off the CO2 and drain the keg; this will create a vacuum and damage the Mini-keg.

If your beer is over-carbonated for whatever reason but the keg is not bulging, do not apply CO2; internal pressure is sufficient to dispense the beer.

-- KarlEngebretson - 16 Feb 2007