Stainless keg bulk storage

[Minnesota Tapper]

I would like to try bulk storing some syrup over the course of next summer. I purchased 4 clean sanke style s.s. beer kegs. 15.5 gallon. I see a few threads about people using kegs. I plan on hot packing them and using a 2" triclamp,stainless cap, and the special silicone gasket that is flat on the one side that seals to the keg fitting. The gasket is available from brewing websites. Being a small producer 15 gallons is alot to me. I'm a little worried the kegs would lose seal at some point and I wouldn't know it. Once I put them in my cellar I thought maybe taking the triclamp off and if it lost seal at some point at least then i'd know. Bad idea? How do those using any kind of barrel actually know its still sealed under vacuum? My wife cans food and takes the rings off the mason jars during storage which is where I got the idea to remove the clamp.

[OGDENS SUGAR BUSH]

I use the same setup, i have always left everything intact and the barrels have always been sealed. I fill them at 200 degrees

[maple flats]

Leave the clamp on. The only thing to watch closely is the gasket in subsequent years. They will usually last 8-10 years, but buy some spares just in case. If you can feel the slightest nick on the seal, toss it and use a new one. I bought my spares thru Brewer's Hardware. In 2" they have both the silicone flat face and the standard with a raised portion in the center of the sealing surface. The only ones I've ever used have the raised portion. Never had a seal failure. I fill mine at 185-190F.

[Maple River Sugar]

I am looking at purchasing kegs for storage as well. I thought I saw a thread mentioning kegs which were specific to maple syrup storage, ie. self draining does any one have contact for that type of keg. Are you buying your kegs new?

Thanks

[maple flats]

CDL carries them, however they may not be any different than the ones from a beer keg, as long as you get the tri-clover clamp version. The only difference might just be CDL's mark-up.

[Minnesota Tapper]

I also heard of the maple specific keg style barrel. I dont see whats to gain other than I assume they are overpriced. I bought 4 used beer kegs from a guy that couldn't return them simply because he lost the return slip. I gave him $160 for 4 kegs/62 gallons worth of stainless storage. My first thought of using a beer keg was,"oh that would be nasty". But after vinegar soaking these and many rinses they are as good as new. I'm very happy with how well they cleaned out and I'm very picky about that.

[MikeVT]

So, unreturned beer kegs are illegal to keep. They are the property of the brewery. The deposit on a keg is typically $30 that doesn’t mean you have bought that keg. That is a deposit saying that you will return it to the distribution facility. As you are mentioning the “mark up” is because that is how much a stainless keg costs. So if you are keeping kegs from a small brewery you just stole that money from the brewery owner. Please consider this when using used beer kegs.

[tpathoulas]

Has anyone tried using "Corny Kegs?" I believe home brewers use them to store beer. The ones I'm thinking of hold 5 gallons. As a hobbyist I'm considering using them to transport hot syrup from my shack to my home where I finish. Just looking for opinions on them.
Thanks

[wiam]

The way Corny kegs are made they will not hold a vacuum. So long term not refrigerated storage could be a problem. I use them and store them in a freezer. They would work fine for transporting.

[maple flats]

Years ago I bought and used a bunch of Corny Kegs. Because they are not designed to seal on vacuum, I did an attempt at converting them. I removed the vent and sealed it shut, and I made up cross bars to pull the cover towards the top from above. I mounted a bolt each side of the lid, and had a bolt to lift the center of the lid. Once filled I tightened the bolt to pull the lid upward tight. That worked on some but failed maybe 10% of the time, even though I used a new gasket on each. It would have been far better to weld on a flat SS plate over the opening with a 2" bung hole in it, then after filling, screw the bung plug in using a fresh gasket.