Keg Charger
Instruction Sheet
9 Adams Road Palmerston NT 0830
Shop 17 Homemaker Village Millner NT
Tel: (08) 8932 7700
Fax: (08) 8932 7622
Website:
Email:
www.ozbrew.com
[email protected]
Co 2 Charger
Congratulations on purchasing your new keg charger. Now you’ll discover just how good your
beer can be. Check to make sure that you have all of the products pictured on this page before
proceeding. If you are missing anything, please contact your supplier where you purchased the
charger immediately.
Step 1 -
Brew your beer in your fermenter as normal. When your brew would normally be
ready for bottling, clean and sterilise your keg and pour your beer from your fermenter into your
keg using a hose or syphon. Try not to splash the beer as it pours into the keg. Any excess beer
can still be put into bottles as normal. Pour 90g of white sugar (less than half a cup) into your keg
and close the lid. Roll your keg around for a couple of minutes to help dissolve the sugar inside
and ensure your keg is 100% sealed. Leave the keg to stand outside of the fridge for 2-4 weeks.
Step 2 - After 2-4 weeks, put your keg in the fridge and let it cool for 1-2 days.
Unscrew the
keg charger cup and insert one of the Co2 bulbs. Screw the cup back up and nip it tight until
the bulb pierces. DO NOT pull the trigger on the keg charger yet or you will waste gas. Screw
the brass end of your keg charger onto the gas disconnect to create a tight fit. Clip your gas
disconnect onto the gas valve located on your keg. NEVER pull the trigger on the keg charger
while it is screwed onto the gas disconnect if it’s not connected to your keg. The gas will have
no where to go and you could damage your charger.
Step 3 -
Clip your liquid disconnect with your tap on to the liquid valve on your keg.
Once again, DO NOT pull the trigger on your keg charger yet as your keg will
already have some dispensing pressure due to the carbonation process it has
been going through for the past 2 - 4 weeks.
You are now ready to pour your first beer! Using your plastic beer tap, pour
your first beer into a glass. You should have enough dispensing
pressure to pour at least 3 or 4 beers without using your keg charger. When
the dispensing pressure gets low, pull the trigger on your keg
charger to re-gas your keg. Change your Co2 bulbs when needed. Each full
18 litre keg uses 3 - 4 Co2 bulbs to completely empty it.
Keg Charger Trigger
Keg Charger Cup
18 Litre Keg
Gas Disconnect
Co2 Bulbs
Liquid
Disconnect
Plastic
Beer Tap
CARBONATING LEVELS FOR KEGS
The amount of sugar you add to your kegs will vary depending on the temperature where your keg
is stored and the size of your keg. Although these keg chargers can be used for various sized
kegs, they are ideally suited for 18 litre post mix styles.
Because beer carbonates at different rates according to temperature, it’s important to know the
precise amount of sugar to put in your keg so that you don’t over or under carbonate your beer
before dispensing. In warmer conditions, beer carbonates very quickly and can tend to be frothy if
too much sugar is added. Cooler climates mean slower carbonation rates and sometimes need
more sugar to gas up the keg completely. Either way, your local homebrew store will be able to
help with more specific information on carbonating your keg according to size and your local conditions.
Below, we have tried to give an accurate guide for carbonating your keg according to certain temperatures. The below amounts are based on using white sugar with a typical 18 litre post mix keg:
Average
Temp (°C)
Amount of sugar to add
to your keg (grams)
32+
30
28
26
24
22
20
18
16
14
85g
90g
95g
100g
105g
110g
115g
120g
125g
130g
(1/2 cup)
Measuring your Sugar
105g -130g of white sugar is usually the right amount of sugar used to carbonate a standard 18 litre
keg if your keg is going to be stored between 14-24°C. In conditions where the temperatures range
between 26 - 32°C, 85g - 100g (up to 1/2 a cup) tends to be a better carbonating amount.
Using cup measurements are only approximate. It’s best to use scales to measure out the exact
gram amount needed for your brew to carbonate properly. Make sure your keg is fully sealed when
leaving it to carbonate otherwise you will be left with flat beer.
Over Carbonating
If you find that you have over carboanted your keg and are pouring out froth when your beer is
already cooled, leave your keg in the fridge, release all of the pressure using your pressure relief
valve, then rock your keg from side to side allowing the beer to absorb the gas. Repeat this process 3-4 times or as often as you can over the next couple of days then allow your beer to settle. Try
pouring again at a low pouring pressure. Repeat the process if the beer is still frothy & remember to
add less sugar next time you carbonate.
Under Carbonating
If you find that your keg is under carbonated, check to make sure that your keg was not leaking gas
by pressurising your keg with your charger & checking each of the seals. Fix any leaks and add
approximately 1/4 of the amount of sugar you added the first time and leave your keg for another
couple of weeks to fully carbonate. Sometimes your keg may need more time to carbonate depending on your brew. We recommend that you leave your kegs for at least 4 weeks to mature
before putting them in the fridge.