Opening & Cleaning sab keg

[JohnDoe Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close JohnDoe]

How do one open a SAB keg. It's an empty one. Do I need special tools? Thinking of kegging my beer in it one day. How do I properly clean it?

[Guest Close AtronSeige]

I have not tried this, but I think SAB has proprietary kegs/connectors to stop people from doing exactly that.

Luckily, you are not the only one who ever thought of this. Contact Bevan from Draughtcraft.co.za. He might help you with a replacement connector that can be used by us normal people.

Cheers

[StevenD (Slainthe) Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close StevenD (Slainthe)]

A mate of mine who modified my keg as a boil kettle for me said he had to cut the top off first, otherwise you will battle to open it as it requires a special tool.

[JohnDoe Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close JohnDoe]

Ok, so you need a special connector to be able to use it then for personal brewing. Is this common practice for us in SA or is it better to go with those corny kegs?

[Rory. Member Find all posts View Profile Close Rory.]

On the tri-lobe type kegs its actually not too difficult to remove the spear/shaft/coupler. You need a pappa bear monkey wrench and an angle grinder. Is this what you want to do?

[JohnDoe Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close JohnDoe]

A mate of mine who modified my keg as a boil kettle for me said he had to cut the top off first, otherwise you will battle to open it as it requires a special tool.

No, I want to use it to keg my beer. Not as a kettle.

[reece.stevensking Member Find all posts View Profile Close reece.stevensking]

Ok very easy. First you need to decompress the keg. Then take a pair of pliers and grip the center spear then lift and turn clockwise. The srear will fall in the keg. Then unscrew.

[reece.stevensking Member Find all posts View Profile Close reece.stevensking]

[JohnDoe Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close JohnDoe]

My goodness. Dont the pliers damage them spear with all gripping?

[reece.stevensking Member Find all posts View Profile Close reece.stevensking]

It is easy to turn but yes I did use a old rag for scratching. Just remember it is stainless.

[reece.stevensking Member Find all posts View Profile Close reece.stevensking]

Hope that helps. And Bevan is the man for the couplings.

[Dewald Posthumus Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Dewald Posthumus]

Is it really that easy?

And thereafter? How do you clean the keg and keg your beer?

[reece.stevensking Member Find all posts View Profile Close reece.stevensking]

I'm using the 30l kegs for beer. So the hansa and stella and grolsch. I used the 50l for kettle. Cleaning is a mission. I'm building a washer for the kegs and my glass carboys. I will post a video on YouTube on the opening of the keg.

[Rory. Member Find all posts View Profile Close Rory.]

I have an alternative method. Let me just try find the pics and I'll post them.

[Rory. Member Find all posts View Profile Close Rory.]

.....apologies, been advised to remove this post....