Ball lock
Ball Lock for Mini Beer Kegs: A Professional Guide
If you are a homebrewer who wants to enjoy your beer on tap, you might be interested in using mini beer kegs with ball lock fittings. Ball lock fittings are a type of quick disconnect that allow you to easily attach and detach your gas and liquid lines from your keg. They are commonly used on corny kegs, which are repurposed soda kegs that homebrewers use to store and serve their beer.
However, corny kegs are not the only option for kegging your homebrew. Mini beer kegs are another alternative that have some advantages over corny kegs. Mini beer kegs are smaller and more portable, making them ideal for parties, picnics, camping trips, or any occasion where you want to share your beer with friends. They also take up less space in your fridge or kegerator, and can be easily stacked or stored on their side.
Mini beer kegs come in different sizes and shapes, but they usually have a capacity of 1.3 to 2 gallons (5 to 8 liters). They are made of stainless steel and have a threaded opening on top that can fit different types of dispensing devices. One of these devices is the ball lock lid, which is a special lid that has ball lock posts for gas in and liquid out. The ball lock lid allows you to use standard ball lock disconnects and tubing to connect your mini keg to your CO2 tank and faucet.
The ball lock lid has several benefits over other dispensing devices for mini kegs. First, it gives you more control over the carbonation level and serving pressure of your beer. You can use a CO2 regulator to adjust the pressure according to your preference and style of beer. You can also force carbonate your beer faster by shaking the keg or using higher pressure settings. Second, it lets you use any type of faucet or tap that you like, such as a picnic tap, a shank and faucet combo, or even a flow control faucet. Third, it makes cleaning and sanitizing easier, as you can use the same equipment and procedures that you use for corny kegs.
To use a ball lock lid on your mini keg, you need to make sure that the lid is compatible with your keg. Some mini kegs have an inner threaded opening that can fit the ball lock lid directly, while others have an outer threaded opening that requires an adapter. You also need to make sure that the ball lock lid has a relief valve that can release excess pressure from the keg. The relief valve is essential for safety and preventing overcarbonation.
Once you have the right ball lock lid for your mini keg, you can follow these steps to fill, carbonate, and serve your beer:
1. Clean and sanitize your mini keg, ball lock lid, tubing, disconnects, faucet, and any other equipment that will come in contact with your beer.
2. Fill your mini keg with your finished beer using a siphon or a transfer pump. Leave some headspace in the keg for CO2.
3. Seal the keg with the ball lock lid and make sure it is tight.
4. Connect your gas line to the gas in post on the lid and set your CO2 regulator to the desired pressure. You can use a carbonation chart to find the optimal pressure for your temperature and carbonation level.
5. Connect your liquid line to the liquid out post on the lid and attach your faucet or tap.
6. If you want to force carbonate your beer faster, you can shake the keg gently while applying CO2 pressure, or increase the pressure temporarily and then lower it back to serving pressure.
7. Enjoy your beer on tap!
To maintain the quality of your beer, you should store your mini keg in a cool and dark place, and keep it under CO2 pressure at all times. You should also clean and sanitize your equipment after each use.
Ball lock lids are a great way to turn your mini beer kegs into mini corny kegs. They give you more flexibility and convenience in dispensing your homebrew. They are also easy to use and affordable. If you want to upgrade your mini keg system with ball lock fittings, you can find them online or at your local homebrew supply store.
- Contact : Christine Wong
- Tel/Wechat/Whatsapp : +86 13054501345
- Email: keg@sskeg.com