Tips on removing a Sanke spear and valve?

[captain carrot]

I put together this rig to lift my 14 gallon Fermenator from the floor across and down into the chest freezer.



I recently picked up a chainfall hoist at a garage sale for $10 that works a lot smoother that the lever hoist.
Harbor Frieght sells them fairly cheap. You could do the same to lift a sanke with the lifting handles attached.

[Mylo]

I put together this rig to lift my 14 gallon Fermenator from the floor across and down into the chest freezer.



I recently picked up a chainfall hoist at a garage sale for $10 that works a lot smoother that the lever hoist.
Harbor Frieght sells them fairly cheap. You could do the same to lift a sanke with the lifting handles attached.

BTW, Bub hates you. He might have a block and tackle to lift his mashtun, but he certainly isn't flying beer all around his garage on a chain hoist. Nice work.


Mylo

[foomench]

... or rather I well remember when I tried to get it out.

Something is wrong with this picture. Why would one need to get full keg out of the chest freezer? I can think of a much easier solution.

[yellowthere]

... 10 gallon batches. Let's see if I can manage not to break my back as I lift it into my chest freezer.

You may be OK with 10 gallons but I well remember the first time I put a full keg (15.5) into a chest freezer or rather I well remember when I tried to get it out. The geometry is just wrong - you cannot stand anywhere that lets you handle a keg the way you would when that freezer wall is not between you and the keg. What I wound up doing was buying a block and tackle (or rather some pulleys and putting one together) then hangin that from a screw-eye in a ceiling 2 x 12 (this was in the basement). You might want to experiment with water first (or just do the block and tackle thing). Or maybe you are strong enough to dead lift 100 lbs.

Right now My chest freezer is in my kitchen, I don't think the wife will let me add pulleys. I can't believe she's okay with the non-food freezer there.

I just thought of something. I added Casters to my chest freezer when I repainted it, and fixed it up. I believe that everything should have wheels of some kind. I could wheel that thing out to my brew area, gravity feed it directly into the keg, in the chest freezer. After fermentation I could push it out via CO2 pressure. I just need to work out building a dip tube set up, with a CO2 in tube. That is pretty managable. I know there are places online that sell SS setups that are meant to convert a sanke keg into fermenters, but I'm not spending the 80$ on that either. F that, I'm cheap.

[Quin]

Here's a good write up on how to remove without any special tools.

http://www.physics.arizona.edu/~workman ... Sanke.html


Here's the answer to the inevitable question, "How do I install a Sanke spear and valve?"

http://www.homebrewtalk.com/f35/install ... keg-64128/

[11amas]

That is exactly how I remove and re-insert them. The only catch is when the tip of the ring is far from the notch you pry in from. Also, they can be cruddy and hard to pry out. After servicing a unit once it works smoothly from then out.

[Crut]

ive removed and installed thousands of kegs, but I have the tool at work so its easier. I suggest one makes a tool to depress the spring, otherwise when you bend the ring, you F#$%#$ at getting it back in when its totally ebnt out of whack, and using pliers and channel locks will bugger them up something fierce if not careful, then they become a real bitch and tear up your fingers if they get ragged.

personally if I didnt have the tool, id find a way to depress the spring/head assembly and the ring comes out much, much, much easier.
-Crut

[ajdelange]

... or rather I well remember when I tried to get it out.

Something is wrong with this picture. Why would one need to get full keg out of the chest freezer? I can think of a much easier solution.

In this particular case I had filled the keg from 3 corny kegs - it was the only Sankey I owned (found it in the middle of the woods so technically I guess Coors still owns it) and I needed a full keg of beer for a company party.