Soda Kegs

[Maplewalnut]

Has anyone ever used old soda kegs for hot packing. The ones I am looking at are 5 gallon (called cornellius) and have the quick clamp center lid. All stainless and in excellent shape. Its really more a canister than a traditional keg style. They have all been pressure tested to 100psi and all gaskets and O-rings changed.

Thoughts?

Thanks Mike

[Dennis H.]

I interested in hearing some responses also.

I had a chance to pick up a soda keg a few months back. I almost called and said I want until I found out that soda kegs seal by being pressurized.
I found that some people use nitrogen to pressurize the keg once it is filled with syrup.

[Gary R]

There was a fairly lenghty thread on this this past spring. I'm not sure where to find it.

[maplehound]

I use them all the time. If I could find more for what I paid for these ( $5 each) I would buy all I could get my hands on. I haven't yet got into pressurizing them but would like to.( Just lazy I guess) I do have some if not most seal under hot packing but often by mid summer I get a slight amount of mold on the top of some of them, Ussually not alot and I just skim it off and heat the syrup up for bottling without any noticable flavor problems. Pressure sealing them though would be better and shouldn't be to costly.

[Maplewalnut]

Gary,

I remember the old thread you are talking about but thought that discussion was more geared to the traditional beer keg design or even the Yuengling (you can tell I'm from Pa) bung hole kegs. I am more concerned over the 'flip top' seal on these canisters then I would be of a ball valve or bung hole type that you can probably seat a little easier. Worse case I'll give them to a friend to use for his Pocono Mt dandelion wine. We grow great weeds in this rocky soil!

[VT Maple]

I would also be interested to find someone with experience with these soda kegs. I picked up 18 at a lawn sale for $20.00 (not each, total), and I would like to hot pack syrup in them.

[Valley View Sugarhouse]

Beer kegs work great... On the mind and help that is, its always more fun to empty... on a serious note, what would it cost to have a threaded plug welded into each one?? then you could hot pack and seal...

Andy

[maple flats]

I use soda Kegs. I do pressureize them to about 35#, sometimes 40#. It takes very little nitrogen to pressureize a keg that is full of syrup. In a thread this spring I gave a breakdown of what it cost me to get started. Just over $200 for the equipment and a small tank of food grade nitrogen. My nitrogen will last 4 years and then it has an expirationn The price this spring to get a refill was about $20 which should give me another 4 yrs. I do not think I will use enough nitrogen in 4 seasons to use the gas up early. I have about 35 kegs now and am always looking for more. I will however use drums for bulk grade B or C when my production calls for it. I do like the size for re packing during the season and they are very easy to handle. I have had no molding when under pressure. Mine are always hot packed and pressureized as soon as they get down to a temp where i can hold them with my bare hand.

[jrthe3]

i use beer kegs 1/2 and 1/4 the bung and plug cost me a little less then $5 i cut the tap bung out and tig weild it my self if there not much gap and the hole is cut good i use very little filler rod then i prssure test them have only have one leak a little more wield and it was good

[brookledge]

Maplewalnut
As for the soda kegs, if the syrup was put in hot it contracts as it cools to create the vacuum seal. Just like canning vegtables. The soda kegs have quick disconects that only hold pressure in but not vacuum. So as the syrup cools it will suck air in through the quick disconnects. Allowing bacteria in and mold will grow as maplehound said. But if you use an innert gas like nitrogen to pressureize it should allow the syrup to last longer as maple flats does.
I still feel the best way is to hot pack into something that will seal such as a drum or a keg. However I understand the soda keg is a perfect size for small producers. Another option for some is to look for 1/4 kegs(7.5 gallons). Then they can be hot packed and kept for years.
I tend to always keep extra light amber for more than a year or until I know I made enough in the following year to meet my needs. Some years you can make alot of light and then there are the years when you struggle to make any. I have never kept any in a keg longer than 3 years but have heard of others who have and it looks and tastes like it did the day it went in.
Keith

[Maplewalnut]

Brookledge,

Thanks for the post. I had noticed that valve on the ones I got. I think I have a solution. I am going to outfit the valve with a 0.2 micron vent air filter. Any air 'sucked' in will be of pharmaceutical grade and therefore sterile. As long as it seals tight I shouldn't have any mold...assuming I start with a clean vessel.

Mike

[brookledge]

Mike
Give that a try sounds like it might work. Definitely the hot syrup will kill all bacteria present in the soda keg and if the filter only lets sterile air in it just might work
Keith

[maple flats]

That sounds like a super filter. Please give more info about it. My belief was that some bacteria and mold spores were smaller than .2 microns. Do you have info to the contrary?

[WESTVIRGINIAMAPLER]

How long is it going to stay sterile and would it cause problems for longterm(1 to 2 years+)?

[Gary R]

The company I work for manufactures sterilization equipment. Our equipment filter's water and air at .2 micron absolute. These are used to sterilize surgical instrument's. To the best of my knowledge, no bacteria is smaller than .2 micron.

[Maplewalnut]

Gary R: you are correct.

This is the size micron filter that all pharmaceutical companies and regulatory bodies recognize as sterilizing. The filter is hydrophobic which means it will filter air but not liquids. If it gets wet it will clog. No long term reason to worry as the filter would still allow the vessel to breathe without pressure.

Without getting to scientific, About the only bacterium that could get through it is called mycoplasma, not because of its size but because its cell wall is 'squishy' and it tends to morph into different shapes and elongate etc.

Mike

[TommyBoyMartin]

I've made beer and use Corney kegs. They clean easily. You can by a food grade lubricant for the o ring seal.
What about this idea about your contamination concern? Corney keg parts are available at any beer supply shop. I have one locally which I can refer if you PM me. For one Corney Keg, buy two additional nipples. The input and output are a little different. Weld them shut. As you solution is cool, you could swap out with the regular nipples if you want to pressurize and then pump right from the Corney keg. I'll investigate it more.

[jmayerl]

not to sound dumb but how do you get the syrup out of the container with out making a mess? seems that the opening isnt that large.

[TommyBoyMartin]

That is a good question. The Corney Kegs have an input nipple and an output nipple. Input is for the gas pressure (we use co2 for beer. Output is for the liquid. It would be slow going since the lines are small, but it would get the job done.
People were wondering about air infiltration in the Corney Keg filling it with hot liquid. I called my beer guy. The nipples cost $12-$20 new depending if they are Pepsi or Coke. Big difference. I see these come through the scrap yard all the time. With a little work, I could have a hundred in hand in a day. For the air infiltration, they are stainless. Just weld shut the hole. Replace with the regular nipples when you want to pressurize and pour.
Have I made it clear enough. If not, give me a follow-up