5 Gallon EVkeg Operation Manual

Transcription

1 EV 5 Gallon EVkeg Operation Manual 1

2 Liner Removal Before any attempt is made to remove the liner, the keg should be fully depressurized. It will be impossible to rotate the handle by hand if there is even 1 PSI pressure remaining in the keg. Note: Serious harm can result if any tool is used to forcibly remove the handle when the keg is pressurized in any way. 1.1 After the keg has been depressurized, insert a flat head screw driver into the tab on the valve as shown: 1.2 Lift the tab with the screw driver to disengage the lock. 1.3 Rotate the handle counter clockwise a quarter turn by hand only. 2

3 Never use a tool to remove the handle. If the handle does not turn, the lock is still engaged, or there is still pressure in the keg that needs to be bled off. Serious injury could result if the keg is under pressure and the handle is removed by force. 1.4 Disengage the handle from the keg and remove the valve and liner assembly: 3

4 1.5 To remove the liner from the valve, hold the liner in one hand and rotate the valve handle counter clockwise a ¼ turn to the disengage the liner fitment from the valve: 1.6 Drain any residual contents and pull the liner out by hand 4

5 2. Liner Installation The handle assembly should be cleaned before the first use. The liner should be installed to the valve in a clean area away from the brewing process free from any airborne yeast. Clean gloves should worn when handling cleaned beer valve assemblies to ensure no organic contaminants are transferred to the wetted parts. 2.1 Inspect the O ring on the valve to ensure there are no nicks or damage that may affect the seal. Note the bayonet slot in the handle which engages the thread on the liner fitment. 2.2 Remove the cover sticker on the liner fitment. 2.3 Insert the beer spear into the fitment opening 5

6 2.4 While holding the outside of the fitment flange in your fingers to avoid any contact with the internal surfaces of the fitment, pull the fitment up towards the valve handle using the hand position shown below. 2.5 Rotate the handle with your thumbs until you locate the fitment in the bayonet slot opening under the valve handle holding the fitment flange loosely with your fingers as shown above. 2.6 Pull the fitment firmly towards the handle with enough force to overcome the squeeze of the valve o ring. Ensure the fitment evenly around the o ring Note: Do not pull the liner material tight across the fitment flange edge. Although there are no sharp corners on the flange to generate a tear, keeping the liner material loose around the flange edge ensures the material is never creased or stretched. 6

7 2.7 Once the o ring is seated hold the fitment flange loosely in one hand and rotate the handle clockwise to engage the thread with no more than a ¼ turn. Note: Cross threading of the fitment could result if the fitment is not pulled fully evenly over the o ring which may result in a seal leak. To avoid damage to the liner, care must be taken not to hold the liner material against the valve stem while rotating the handle. Conduct a final check to ensure the liner fitment is fully engaged with the handle and has not been cross threaded in any way. You should not be able to see any part of the bayonet thread on the fitment if it is engaged correctly. 7

8 2.8 Push the beer spear tube to the bottom of the liner weld and compress the middle of the liner with your left hand as shown. 2.9 With you right hand compress the top of the liner as shown Warning! Do not wrap the liner around the spear. This may prevent the liner from opening evenly inside the keg which could lead to a liner rupture. 8

9 Warning! Make sure the spear tube is positioned at the base of the liner to avoid folding of the liner during installation as shown This may prevent the liner from opening evenly inside the keg Gently feed the valve and liner assembly into the keg Before closing the valve, ensure the liner is not pinched between the valve handle and the keg opening. 9

10 2.12 Rotate the valve handle clockwise ¼ turn until you hear the locking mechanism snap closed. The handle lifting tab should be located opposite the locked position. 3. Purging Process Prior to filling the keg, most breweries purge the keg with CO2. The EVkeg is operated in the same manner. The purging process is an important step that is used to open the liner prior to filling. 3.1 Set the CO2 purge line regulator to 15 PSI 3.2 During the start of the purge process apply a little back pressure on the valve opening of no more than 1 PSI. This provides enough positive pressure to open the liner inside the keg to ensure the liner is fully supported by the keg walls prior to filling. This can be done by placing your thumb over the outlet at the start of the purge process to create back pressure. 3.3 It is highly recommended that a check of the fitment seal is carried out prior to filling. This can be done by attaching a line with a pressure gage and valve on the purge outlet line. 10

11 Simply closing the downstream valve will pressurize the keg to 15 PSI. Turn off the CO2 supply valve. If there is any seal problem, the keg will lose pressure. This will ensure that a seal leak is detected prior to filling. 4. Filling The EVKeg is filled like any other keg. However, it is advised to maintain a little back pressure as the keg is being filled which will ensure the liner is not allowed to collapse from the support of the keg walls during the filling process. Back pressure is usually applied by brewers during the filling process with the use of an outlet valve to avoid foaming. As little as 1 PSI is all that is necessary to pressurize the liner. 5. Filling for Home Brewers 5.1 Purge your keg with CO2 using your Sankey D coupler. Create a little back pressure by placing your thumb on the top outlet port which will open up the liner inside the keg, or by attaching a line and valve to the outlet as shown on the right. 11

12 5.2 Close the keg valve to maintain the CO2 in the keg. 5.3 If you only have one Sankey D coupler, it is recommended that the keg is filled through the top port as described in the following steps. It is necessary to remove the one way ball lock valve from the top port, and the check valve from the CO2 port which would act as the air bleed port. After the fill is complete, the ball, the ball lock retainer and the CO2 check valve will need to be replaced for serving. Having a dedicated Sankey D coupler for filling purposes allows you to fill the keg through the top port. 5.4 The fill line and air bleed line need to be connected with flat gaskets as shown. Attach the fill line to the top port and the bleed line to the CO2 port as shown. 12

13 5.5 Open the keg valve and begin the gravity fill process through the top port. Again, create a little back pressure during the fill by closing the serving valve attached to the CO2 port to ensure the liner remains fully expanded and supported by the walls of the keg. Note: once the liner is fully supported by the keg walls, the keg can be pressured to it s maximum operating pressure of 45PSI. Do not operate the keg above the 45PSI max pressure The keg is designed to withstand pressures up to 135 PSI which gives the keg a wide safety margin. However, a relief valve has also been installed into the keg spear valve body that will relieve at 55PSI if the keg is accidently over pressurized. 6. Keg Cleaning The EVKeg does not require internal cleaning using keg cleaning equipment. Some superficial external cleaning may be required from time to time to rinse off traces of spilled beer from the filling process. Only the beer spear and handle assembly require cleaning before the first use and before each filling. Several cleaning processes of the spear may be used that can include: 1. Manual cleaning, including the use of a bottle brush for inside the spear 2. The handle assembly can be soaked and finished cleaned in a dishwasher 3. If spare handle assemblies are acquired, handles can be cleaned ahead of time, assembled to the liner and bagged ready for a quick turn round when empty kegs are returned to the brewery. The dirty spears can then be soaked in solution over a long period without the pressure of a quick turn round. Unlike the cleaning of stainless kegs and other plastic kegs that require internal cleaning using keg cleaners, you can guarantee that your keg spear will be clean every time since you have the ability to physically inspect for cleanliness before every fill. 13