Opening Keg

[WhiteLightning]

OK, bout an hour ago I acquired a 15.5 Gal S.S. SpartenBurg keg from a guy for $40. How do I open this keg? It looks like a needs a key. If i wanted to use it for beer how would I wash it out, fill it up and pressurize it with beer. Or if I decided to make a still out of it, whats the easiest way to make it into a pot still with using one of those 2" closed coil condensers.
Thanks

[CAMEL_Joe]

I think some1 had a link with pictures, try a search
be sure to press on the ball and release the pressure!!!
place a rag over the ball or u will where the beer
use a crude tool (not anything sharp) and press on the ball
to release the "pressure"and beer,
then you have to pry the metal ring gasket out,
there will be 2 slits on the rim, jam an ice pick in 1 of the slits and
pry it out then grab it with some pliers the ring goes around
like 1.5 times so find the top of the ring and pry from the
slit closest to the top, once you get r done the tap assembly
will turn and slide right out

wash it with a pressure washer and some sanitizer

just filler with you beer and slide the tap assembly back
in and put the seal back on then put it in your kegarator
or use a tap

if your going to distill with it I'd cut a hole about a inch or so
smaller than a stainless steel bowl and attach you still to the bowl
that way you can get in there to clean it out when your done

[golden pond]

First bleed the pressure off, take two shirt pocket size screw drivers, there should be a small notch in the neck, find the end of the spiral lock ring, take one screw driver and start peeling it out and follow with other screw driver behind the first to keep it coming out. If you want to use it as a still, Brewhaus sells a SS fitting that clamps to the neck.

[Big J]

Here's a link that shows how to open it and has some good pics:
http://www.physics.arizona.edu/~workman ... Sanke.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" rel="nofollow


Cheers,
J

[absinthe]

use a open ended spanner to open the valve (about 1 17 or MM) it will catch under the lip, and you use the side to push on the valve, and yeah have the keg on the side to do it.

Now the ring that hold the valve in i have had lots o trouble with (i think mine is a different type o keg though me being in Australia n all). But i used a 2 mm drill bit and drilled a small hole in it (at one end) as it is beveled so you cant pull it out easy. With a sharp tool i simple stick it in the hole and pulled the cir-clip in, and out, easy. I can do it in about 5 Min's now

[AllanD]

If you have a fairly sharp corkscrew you can usually use the tip to get at the tapered end of the retaining ring and pry it out enough to get a good grip on it with a screwdriver.

BTW, that retaining ring is not a "snap ring" or a "circlip" and there exsists no special tools for removing them, atleast not that I, a tool-geek of the first order, am aware of, because those rings are specifically designed to be put into things people have no intention of taking apart again...

the proper name of them is "Spiro-Lok"

it is IMPERATIVE that you relieve the pressure from the keg before attempting to remove the ring

and unless you want to take a bath in sour/moldy/stale beer lay the keg on it's side and depress the ball, I can do this with my thumb, but...

BTW, I just love that four bolt "press" the guy built to put the outer spring cage back into the outer valve body.... I do that with my bare hands....
Just press and twist...

And his spear twisting socket? I amy be a tool geek, but I think that guy is an obsessive compulsive tool maker...

I twist out the spear by using a pair of channel-lock pliers like a spanner wrench jaws opened and using the back side of the jaws INSIDE the valve body and twisting against the coupler "pegs"

AllanD

[absinthe]

there is tools for the clips i have seen tools for em, (although way over priced) but this site might help http://home.insightbb.com/~benschoep/keg/sankey.htm" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" rel="nofollow

[AllanD]

I like that second site....

BYW, on disassembling the inner ball valve portion of the "spear"
insert a length of 5/8" rod (or heavy wall tube) and using that as
a drift drive out the ball, seal and spring

I usually use a piece of heavy walled 5/8" diameter stainless steel tubing about 4feet long and slip the "spear over it" then holding this "assembly"
by the spear bang the end of the tube against a piece of wood on the floor
(to protect the floor)

The ball and seal can go flying, but the spring is invariably left stuck on the end of the tube... a rubber band and a quartsized plastic bag can keep the ball and seal from going flying...

However I doubt many here are interested in any details past getting the spear out of the keg...

AllanD