Keg Index

Bulk containers ________________________________________________________ 3

Objective_______________________________________________________________________________ 3

Reasons for using bulk containers ___________________________________________________________ 3

Keg sizes ______________________________________________________________________________ 5

Advantages and disadvantages of bulk containers ______________________________________________ 6

Keg unloading _________________________________________________________ 7

Objective_______________________________________________________________________________ 7

Keg unloading _________________________________________________________ 8

Objective_______________________________________________________________________________ 8

Keg external washing ___________________________________________________ 9

Objective_______________________________________________________________________________ 9

Flash pasteurisation ___________________________________________________ 11

Objective______________________________________________________________________________ 11

Step 1: detergent and acid cleaning _________________________________________________________ 13

Step 2: sterilisation ______________________________________________________________________ 14

Transfer, keg internal washing, and filling _________________________________ 15

Objective______________________________________________________________________________ 15

Keg washing and filling phases ____________________________________________________________ 18

Cleaning ______________________________________________________________________________ 18

Step 1 ________________________________________________________________________________ 18

Step 2 ________________________________________________________________________________ 18

Step 3 ________________________________________________________________________________ 18

Step 4 ________________________________________________________________________________ 19

Step 5 ________________________________________________________________________________ 19

Acid Cleaning __________________________________________________________________________ 20

Step 1 ________________________________________________________________________________ 20

Step 2 ________________________________________________________________________________ 20

Step 3 ________________________________________________________________________________ 20

Step 4 ________________________________________________________________________________ 20

Filling ________________________________________________________________________________ 21

Step 1 ________________________________________________________________________________ 21
Step 2 ________________________________________________________________________________ 21

Step 3 ________________________________________________________________________________ 21

Step 4 ________________________________________________________________________________ 21

Step 5 ________________________________________________________________________________ 22

Step 6 ________________________________________________________________________________ 22

Rotary keg internal washing and filling ___________________________________ 23

Objective______________________________________________________________________________ 23

The extractor tube (spear) ______________________________________________ 33

Objective______________________________________________________________________________ 33

Keg filling _____________________________________________________________________________ 35

Dispensing ____________________________________________________________________________ 36

Cleaning ______________________________________________________________________________ 37

Keg weighing and final inspection _______________________________________ 37

Objective______________________________________________________________________________ 37

Keg palletisation ______________________________________________________ 41

Objective______________________________________________________________________________ 41

Keg line safety ________________________________________________________ 42

Objective______________________________________________________________________________ 42

Index of terms ________________________________________________________ 46

Questions ____________________________________________________________ 48
Bulk containers

Objective
Explain the reasons for using kegs

Compare the differences between a keg and a cask

Describe different sizes of keg

List the disadvantages as well as the advantages of kegs

Describe different types of kegs

Reasons for using bulk containers

Kegs are a type of bulk container used widely in the brewing industry to deliver beer to the
customer and then on to the consumer.

In the case of kegs the customer will be a pub/bar or club that purchases the beer from the
brewery. The consumer will be a purchaser who buys the beer from the pub/bar or club.

Bulk containers allow large volumes of product to be easily handled, occupying a minimum
space. Properly operated, high quality standards can be consistently maintained.

Bulk containers minimise transport costs and handling. All the cost of sealing, labelling,
packing and wrapping lots of bottles or cans is avoided by using a keg.

The illustration shows that we can place 16 kegs on one pallet. This gives us 800 Litres of
beer on a pallet.

Page 3 of 59
Compared to a pallet of kegs, a pallet of 500ml bottles, as shown here, holds only 550L of
beer, and includes an additional weight of 400kgs more than the pallet of 16 kegs. (Each
bottle is nearly 400grammes when empty and the pallet has 1100 bottles)

The lighter load and greater volume gives the keg and advantage in delivery cost and
space utilisation.

The two major types of bulk container used in the beer industry are kegs and casks. Kegs
utilise an extractor tube (also called a spear), a device that allows counter pressure
simultaneously into the container whilst the beer is leaving it.

A “Keg” generally refers to a container holding more than 25L of filtered and pasteurised
beer ready for consumption.

A “Cask” refers to containers holding beer containing traditional draught beer. Yeast
produces secondary fermentation in the cask, the product is known as a cask-conditioned
beer.

Casks may be of wood, stainless steel or aluminium. Kegs are always made of stainless
steel or aluminium.

The illustration shows a keg, where the extractor tube is inserted into the end of the
container.

A keggy refers to a container of 25L or less, identical to a keg but of a smaller size. Keggy
sizes can be as small as 10 Litres.

Page 4 of 59
Keg sizes
There are a range of different keg sizes in use, depending on the country and area.

In Europe the most common combination of keg sizes is the 50L keg and the 30L “half”
keg. The 25L “half” keg is also popular.

Whilst most breweries measure their output in Hectolitres (100litres), many UK and
American breweries still utilise barrels, a barrel being 163.6L (U.K.). It should be noted that
a Barrel is 36 Gallons in the U.K. brewing industry but 25.8 Imperial Gallons (1.173 Hls) in
the American brewing industry !

Above left, 50Litre kegs, and on the right, 30L kegs.

Page 5 of 59
Advantages and disadvantages of bulk containers
Advantages of bulk containers:

Compared to bottles or cans, bulk containers (Kegs) have the following advantages:

· Greater load of Hls per pallet

· Lower packaging cost per Hl

· Less packaging weight to transport

· More consistent quality of product: less process variation occurs on larger

volume

· Less units to handle, easier handling of loads

· Not subject to sunstruck effects

· Tamper free, low pilferage

· Can be used for unpasteurised “draught” beer.

· With special pallets, can provide a more stable load

· At low speeds can be cleaned and filled by relatively cheap filling equipment

Disadvantages of bulk containers:

Compared to bottles or cans, bulk containers (Kegs) have the following disadvantages:

· Cannot view contents

· Too heavy to lift unaided

· No control over dispensing: poor hygiene can cause the consumer to have a
bad image of the product. A hygienic operation of the dispensing system is
difficult to ensure and impacts directly on the product.

· Mostly for on-premises consumption

· Require CO2 cylinder to maintain counter pressure during dispensing

· Difficult to check product quality after keg is filled

· High initial purchase cost of kegs

· Efficient recovery for refilling usually required

· Minor leaks difficult to detect

· Cannot identify product brand if keg label is removed

· Only suitable for short to medium distance deliveries, one-way containers more
efficient over long distances

· Keg sizes not uniform between countries

Page 6 of 59
Keg unloading
Objective
Describe keg reception & unloading

Kegs are received from the warehouse, usually on pallets.

Damage to the upper or lower rings or rubber base etc. of the kegs may cause them to sit
unevenly on the pallet, making automated depalletising difficult.

However, the kegs are empty and therefore not too heavy to depalletise by hand. Hand
depalletising has the advantage of preventing full kegs from being fed into the filling line,
as full kegs are too heavy to lift.

A typical simple installation is shown above. Here a gravity conveyor feeds the keg
washer. The conveyor is positioned at a suitable height for offloading both the top and
bottom layers of the pallet.

High-speed installations use automated depalletisers. The alignment of kegs on the pallets
is important as automated machinery can easily jam or be damaged by poorly aligned
kegs.

Page 7 of 59
Keg unloading
Objective
Describe keg reception & unloading

Kegs are received from the warehouse, usually on pallets.

Damage to the upper or lower rings or rubber base etc. of the kegs may cause them to sit
unevenly on the pallet, making automated depalletising difficult.

However, the kegs are empty and therefore not too heavy to depalletise by hand. Hand
depalletising has the advantage of preventing full kegs from being fed into the filling line,
as full kegs are too heavy to lift.

A typical simple installation is shown above. Here a gravity conveyor feeds the keg
washer. The conveyor is positioned at a suitable height for offloading both the top and
bottom layers of the pallet.

High-speed installations use automated depalletisers. The alignment of kegs on the pallets
is important as automated machinery can easily jam or be damaged by poorly aligned
kegs.

Page 7 of 59
Keg external washing

Objective
Describe external washing of kegs, (wash off dirt, labels or print)

Kegs are washed on the outside before internal cleaning and filling.

A keg washer normally uses a combination of sprays and rotating brushes to clean the
keg, combined with hot caustic or detergent solution.

The keg washer shown above has a single cleaning station, the keg is held from above
whilst it is sprayed and cleaned. A window allows observation of the cleaning process.

The combination of sprays, rotating brushes, caustic soda and washing time ensure
thorough cleaning by applying the key elements of cleaning:

· DETERGENT

· MECHANICAL ACTION

· TEMPERATURE

· TIME

Page 9 of 59
This keg washer has two cleaning stations, and feeds kegs from left to right.

A stopper on the left side holds back the kegs that are waiting to enter the machine.

When a keg enters it is conveyed to beneath the clamp. The keg is then rotated whilst it is
sprayed and brushed with hot caustic.

The second brushing station uses hot water to remove residual caustic.

For effective cleaning, sufficient pressure (high pressure pump) is needed without choked
nozzle. Caustic strength must be correct.

NOTE:

If aluminium kegs are being used you must NEVER use caustic as it corrodes aluminium
and gives off hydrogen (an explosive gas) at the same time. You must use a proprietary
detergent suitable for aluminium.

Page 10 of 59
Flash pasteurisation
Objective
Describe purpose of using flash pasteurisation for keg production.

Flash pasteurisation involves heating the

product in the piping up to a set
temperature, holding it there for a specified
time and pressure and then cooling it
down again. This is achieved with a plate
heat exchanger, pumps and piping. A
buffer tank allows continuous operation of
the pasteuriser when the keg filler is
stopping or starting. All flash pasteurisers
thus tend to be quite similar, with the major
differences occurring in the design of the
control systems. A flash pasteuriser used
for pasteurising on a keg line is shown
here, the plate heat exchanger is in the
foreground and the buffer tank is at the
back.

An important practice is to purge the

holding tube during the filling process.

See also Pasteurisation module

The PU is controllable by adjusting the flow rate/temperature. However normally the

control should be left to the automated controls. They are better than humans!

Page 11 of 59
Objective

Describe the sterilisation of the flash pasteuriser.

Thorough sterilisation of the flash pasteuriser and keg filler is key to ensuring that the
product remains free of microbiological contamination.

Sterilisation is often referred to as CIP which stands for CLEANING IN PLACE. Cleaning
in place means that the pasteuriser, filling and cleaning valves are not dismantled or
opened up for cleaning, the cleaning is done with both the pasteuriser and filler
remaining as complete units.

It is a critically important process, and the results cannot be seen because we do not
remove the pasteurising plates or open the filler piping to inspect it. It is thus necessary
to use a cleaning procedure that guarantees the removal of all dirt, bacteria, moulds,
beer residue, scale etc.

In addition it must be remembered that filling valves contain very small passages, and if
these passages are blocked then the filler valves will not operate correctly.

There are several key requirements that must be met if pasteuriser and keg filler
sterilisation is to be completely effective, and they are described below and on the
following pages:

CIP in fact consists of 2 separate processes. The first is cleaning, the second is
sterilisation.

If you have completed the module Washing Fundamentals, you will know that the four key
elements that determine the effectiveness of a cleaning process are:

§ TIME

§ TEMPERATURE

§ CHEMICAL ACTION

§ MECHANICAL ACTION

The elements of time, temperature and chemical action are provided by ensuring that
detergent (usually caustic soda) is circulated at a temperature of 80 degrees Centigrade
for a time of 30 to 40 minutes and that the detergent (in the case of caustic soda) is
between 1% and 2% strength.

The element of mechanical action is derived from the flow of the detergent being fast
enough to provide a scrubbing action through the pipes and tubes. CIP pumps are thus
normally quite powerful pumps.

Page 12 of 59
Step 1: detergent and acid cleaning

The piping control valves will be set to supply the detergent along the CIP line to the
pasteuriser, through the pasteuriser to the buffer tank, then through the keg filler and
back via the return main to the piping panel back to the CIP tank.

It is essential that all CO2 is removed from

the buffer tank before CIP begins. This is
because the CO2 is acidic and will
neutralise the caustic, making it ineffective
for cleaning. The buffer tank must be
purged before CIP, and this can be done
with air or steam.

Alternatively, as shown here the CIP

system may have 3 tanks, one for water,
one for caustic (pasteuriser and keg filler
cleaning) and one for acid for cleaning the
buffer tank

It is a good practice to first check the circulation route with cold water, so that any
leaks can be safely fixed. Once circulation is confirmed, the detergent can be added until
the correct strength is reached, and the steam is opened to the heat exchanger.

The cleaning time STARTS when the liquid returning to the CIP tank is at 80 degrees
Centigrade and the correct detergent strength (1% to 2%).This circulation is then
completed for the necessary 30 minutes minimum.

Some CIP systems then switch over from the detergent tank to a cold water tank, which
is then circulated through the pasteuriser and filler to remove all detergent. We believe
this to be a bad practice due to the stress that sudden cooling can cause to the
pasteuriser plates.

The preferred cooling method is to continue with the circulation via the CIP tank, and to
close the steam to the heat exchanger. Circulation thus continues and the cold water
main should then be opened so that a small amount of water is continuously added to
the CIP tank. At the same time the drain from the CIP system will be opened, to allow the
same flow to drain as is added by the cold water.

This method allows for gradual cooling of the pasteuriser, and gradual dilution of the
detergent.

When the liquid returning to the CIP tank is completely free of detergent and is at
ambient temperature, then flushing with water is complete.

Page 13 of 59
Step 2: sterilisation
After cleaning, the pasteuriser is no longer sterile, only because normal process water
is used to rinse away the detergent, and this water contains bacteria.

Bacteria in tap water are controlled by dosing Chlorine into the water. Process water
used in breweries and soft drinks plants however has all chlorine removed (de-
chlorinated) to ensure that the water has no off-taste. This does mean that there is more
opportunity for bacterial growth in process water.

Additional sterilisation is thus necessary if the pasteuriser will be out of operation for
more than 6 hours, such as on a weekend or overnight.

If the pasteuriser and keg filler are returning straight away to production, additional
sterilisation is not needed as the detergent cleans and sterilises the pasteuriser and keg
filler.

Additional sterilisation is achieved by filling the pasteuriser and keg filler with water that
has been dosed with an approved sterilant.

Oxonia based products (Such as Perosan) are ideal as they are made from diluted
Hydrogen Peroxide. Hydrogen Peroxide is a very volatile chemical, and a very powerful
sterilant. However, it consists ONLY of Hydrogen and Oxygen, and thus breaks down to
leave no chemical residues except for water. Chlorine compounds should NEVER be
used on the pasteuriser and keg filler, as Chlorine corrodes stainless steel and leads to
product off tastes.

Page 14 of 59
Transfer, keg internal washing, and filling

Objective
Identify the key keg washing and filling processes.

Keg internal Washing and Filling Process

Keg filling is carried out by transfer type keg washing and filling machines or by continuous
washing and filling machines.

Transfer keg washing and filling machines are described in this section. Continuous keg
washing and filling (high volume) machines are described in the next section.

Transfer washing and filling machines

Typically a transfer washing and filling machine looks like the example shown here. This
machine has three processing stations in each of the two lanes.

Most transfer type machines have at least three separate stations. This allows for a
relatively long cleaning cycle whilst maintaining a reasonable output rate. A single lane
transfer machine can produce about 60 kegs per hour, this output is doubled when two
lanes are used.

Page 15 of 59
The kegs are transferred from each station by a walking beam lifting device that lifts up the
kegs and moves them to the next station.

At each washing or filling station the keg is held in place by a pneumatic clamping head
that pushes down onto the keg.

As the lifting device is lowered the head is pushed onto the washing or filling head, which
then carries out the washing or filling process.

Here the washing / filling head can be seen more closely. The head fits over the extractor
tube (spear) fitting on the keg, and is able to simultaneously supply fluids and drain the
keg.

Page 16 of 59
The KHS keg filling head is of a simple design and made of stainless steel for hygiene,
with clear passages for good product flow.

Each of the washing and filling heads on a transfer type machine are supplied with the
necessary caustic, water, acid or beer via piping, with control valves to regulate the flow of
liquids.

The control valves regulate the caustic, acid or beer according to signals from a PLC. A
typical washing and filling process is described in the next section:

Page 17 of 59
Keg washing and filling phases
First Processing Head: Processing time approximately one minute.

In a 3 station machine the first processing station is concerned with caustic cleaning of the
keg.

Cleaning

Step 1
The KHS system commences with a keg pressure test. The keg is
pressurised with air, a pressure sensor detects whether the pressure
drops or is constant. If a pressure drop occurs then the keg is leaking
and is rejected.

The air pressure is released which also removes much from the CO2
from the keg. This is important as the CO2 is acidic and will neutralise
the caustic if it remains in the keg.

Step 2
The keg is rinsed with cold water. This dissolves any collapsed foam and rinses away any
residual beer.

Step 3
The water is blown out using sterile air. There should now be no residual liquids in the keg

Page 18 of 59
Step 4
Caustic spraying: Hot Caustic (80°C) is sprayed into the keg via the extractor tube. A
pulsating action (opening and closing the supply valve) creates additional mechanical
action.

Step 5
Caustic soaking: The keg is partially filled with hot caustic which remains in place for a few
seconds to dissolve away any stubborn soiling.

Page 19 of 59
Second Processing Head: Processing time approximately one minute.

In a 3 station machine the first processing station is concerned with acid cleaning and
rinsing of the keg.

Acid Cleaning

Step 1
The residual caustic in the keg is removed with sterile air.

Step 2
A pulsating acid spray is used to sterilise the keg internally.

Step 3
The acid is blown out of the keg with sterile air.

Step 4
The keg is rinsed with clean hot water. This removes any residual acid.

Page 20 of 59
Third Processing Head: Processing time approximately one minute.

In a 3 station machine the third processing station is concerned with steam sterilisation
and then filling of the keg.

Filling

Step 1
Steam is used to blow out any residual water from the hot water rinsing.

Step 2
Steam is applied to a set pressure until the pressure is stabilised. This will be around 2
bar.

Step 3
Steam pressure is monitored to again check for any leaks. If the pressure drops the keg is
rejected as leaking. Maintaining the steam pressure for a set time also sterilises the
interior of the keg.

Step 4
CO2 is used to blow out all of the steam from the keg.

Page 21 of 59
Step 5
Counter pressurisation: CO2 counter pressure is built up to a set pressure in the keg to
ensure that the CO2 in the beer will not escape as foam during filling. Keg filling is typically
conducted at a counter pressure of 1.4 Bar.

Step 6
Keg filling: Beer flows into the keg. Note that whilst the extractor tube was used to inject
caustic, acid etc into the keg, the extractor tube is NOT used to inject the beer. The beer
enters via the gas ports, and the counter pressure leaves via the extractor tube.

The fill level is controlled in one of two ways: Normally the volume of beer flowing into the
keg is measured by a flow meter, and filling stops when the desired amount has entered
the keg. This method relies on the flowmeter being accurate.

An alternative is to fit a sensor in the return line from the extractor tube, which shuts off
filling when beer is present in the extractor tube. This method relies on the extractor tube
length being equal to the correct keg volume when inverted.

Finally the cleaned and filled kegs are discharged from the machine.

Page 22 of 59
Rotary keg internal washing and filling

Objective
Describe the key phases of a high volume keg filling process.

This is carried out on continuous type keg cleaning and filling machines.

Depending on the number of processing heads on the machine, outputs of up to 1000

kegs per hour can be achieved by these large and sophisticated keg lines.

A typical configuration is to have three rotary processing machines in series, carrying

out the following:

First machine: Pre washing

Second machine: Main washing

Third Machine: Filling

Page 23 of 59
The major difference between transfer type processing and continuous processing is
the use of three separate machines in continuous processing. In continuous processing
the machine is rotating whilst the keg is cleaned or filled. On a continuous processing
machine each head carries out an identical sequence.

Page 24 of 59
Keg washing and filling phases

First Processing Machine: Pre-washing

STEP 1

The keg is fed into the machine and clamped in place from above.

STEP 2

The keg is pressurised with air and checked for leaks

STEP 3

Pressure is held in the keg

STEP 4

Air is used to blow out any residual liquid from the keg

STEP 5

The keg is rinsed with water.

STEP 6

The water is blown out of the keg with sterile air.

Page 25 of 59
STEP 7

The keg is rinsed with hot caustic via the extractor tube

STEP 8

The caustic is blown out of the keg with air.

STEP 9

The keg is filled with hot caustic.

STEP 10

The washing/filling head is removed from the keg.

STEP 11

The washing/filling head is blown out with air to remove liquid from the passages

STEP 12

The keg is discharged from the machine.

It should be apparent that the keg is still full of hot caustic ! The keg remains full of
caustic whilst it is conveyed to the next machine. This provides a long soak with hot
caustic soda to remove any stubborn deposits.

Page 26 of 59
Second Processing Machine: Washing

STEP 1

The keg is fed into the machine and clamped in place from above.

STEP 2

The keg is pressurised with air and checked for leaks.

STEP 3

Pressure is held in the keg

STEP 4

Air is used to blow out the caustic in the keg. This is pumped back to the pre-wash
machine.

Page 27 of 59
STEP 5

The keg is rinsed with Acid

STEP 6

The Acid is blown out of the keg with sterile air.

STEP 7

The keg is rinsed with hot water via the extractor tube

STEP 8

The water is blown out of the keg with steam.

STEP 9

The keg is pressurised with steam.

STEP 10

The steam pressure is released.

STEP 11

The keg is re-pressurised with Steam.

STEP 12

The keg is disconnected from the filling head.

STEP 13

Air is used to blow any liquid out of the filling head.

Page 28 of 59
STEP 14

The keg is discharged from the machine

It should be apparent that this time the keg is still full of steam ! The keg remains full of
steam whilst it is conveyed to the next machine. This provides a longer sterilisation time.

Page 29 of 59
Third Processing Machine: Filling

STEP 1

The keg is fed into the machine and clamped in place from above.

STEP 2

The keg is pressure checked

STEP 3

The filling head is rinsed and blown out

STEP 4

The filling head is connected

Page 30 of 59
STEP 5

The keg is depressurised

STEP 6

The keg is filled with CO2 counter pressure

STEP 7

The beer is opened to the keg, but the gas return speed is reduced so that initial filling is
at a slow speed.

STEP 8

The gas return speed is unrestricted and the keg is filled at full speed

STEP 9

The gas return speed is again reduced so that filling returns to slow speed. When the
flow meter indicates the correct volume has been filled the filling valve is closed.

STEP 10

The washing/filling head is disconnected.

STEP 11

The washing/filling head is blown out with air to remove liquid from the passages.

STEP 12

The washing/filling head is rinsed with water to remove residual product.

STEP 13

The keg is discharged from the machine.

Page 31 of 59
Page 32 of 59
The extractor tube (spear)
Objective
Describe the function of the extractor tube, safety aspects and cleaning, filling and
dispense action.

The extractor tube is screwed into the

keg and is used to fill, empty and
clean the keg.

The design of the extractor tube is

such that it will not shoot out of the
keg when unscrewed, even if the keg
is pressurised. It is thus sometimes
known as a safety tube. This safety
feature is achieved via a clip in the
base of the housing which prevents
the tube from coming out. A special
tool is needed to release the clip and
remove the tube.

Page 33 of 59
 The extractor tube consists of a
double valve in the housing, which
requires two springs, one for each
valve.

When the keg is being used to

dispense beer, the beer flows up the
tube and the CO2 used to pressurise
the keg enters from around the
outside of the tube. The valve in the
tube itself is thus known as the beer
valve and the outer valve as the CO2
valve. This can be misleading as the
valves are used the opposite way
around when filling the keg!

In the above image the extractor tube is in the open position (It is opened by
the filling head). The springs that operate the valves are now shown in the
illustration. In the centre of the tube a spring operates the beer valve, the
spring is brown and the beer valve red. The beer valve consists of the spring
and the rubber seal.

Around the outside of the tube is

another spring, we have shown it
here in orange. The spring pushes
the tube up against the valve housing,
the CO2 valve (shown in grey) being a
rubber ring that seals the top of the
tube against the housing.

Page 34 of 59
Keg filling
During filling (or cleaning) the keg is
upside down. As shown below, when
the cleaning and filling head is fitted
into the extractor tube housing, both
the beer valve and CO2 valves are
pushed open by tubes of different
diameter within the filling and
cleaning head.

The beer flows into the keg via the

CO2 valve, through the ports and fills
the keg from the bottom up. The CO2
in the keg must escape for the beer to
be able to enter, and this is achieved
via the beer tube. The CO2 flows back
into the filling machine, the rate of
flow of the CO2 determines the rate of
filling.

The correct volume is often achieved

by measuring the amount of beer
entering the keg using a flow meter.
An alternative method is to have a
liquid sensor in the CO2 return line
that detects when beer is flowing
down the tube.

Page 35 of 59
Dispensing
During dispensing the keg is now
upright. The dispensing head is fitted
to the keg, opening the CO2 valve
and beer valve. When the tap (on the
bar counter) is opened, the beer flows
up the tube as it is pushed out of the
keg by the CO2 flowing into the keg.
The CO2 enters the keg via the ports
in the extractor housing.

As the tube reaches to within 12mm

of the keg bottom, very little beer is
left in the keg.

Lack of CO2 pressure will mean that

no beer is pushed out of the keg. The
result at the beer tap is a glass of
foam and no beer, but this does not
always mean that the keg is empty.

Page 36 of 59
Cleaning
During cleaning, caustic (and also hot
water and acid, depending on the
stage of the cleaning cycle) is
pumped into the keg via the beer tube
as shown below. The caustic drains
to the bottom of the keg, and returns
to the machine via the CO2 valve,
thus ensuring that both the keg and
all parts of the valve are thoroughly
cleaned.

Keg weighing and final inspection

Objective
Describe procedure of volume check and last external check

Page 37 of 59
The content volume of a keg is usually
checked by electronic weighing
machine.

In-line keg weighing machines, as

shown here, consist of a conveyor belt
section mounted on a mass balance.

The weighing machine must be

checked daily for the tare (empty)
weight and standard weight.

The weigher must free from

attachment besides the load cells and
the conveyors.

Most machines can weigh the keg

without it stopping, provided the
transfer is smooth and the kegs are
well separated. The correct minimum
mass is usually programmed into the
keg weigher and any keg below that
mass is rejected as underfilled.

Page 38 of 59
This keg scale uses a photocell to stop
the infeed conveyor, and then stops
the keg to be weighed in a central
position to obtain a more accurate
weight.

After weighing the keg is turned up the

correct way.

Because of it’s considerable weight, an

inverter should always be used:

Page 39 of 59
Camera based inspection

On high speed lines an inspection

camera may be used on the full keg
before palletising. In this case signs of
leakage, such as beer foam around the
extractor tube, are the major focus of
inspection.

Page 40 of 59
Keg palletisation
Objective
Describe process of keg labelling/sealing & palletising

Before palletising, the keg is usually

labelled or print coded to identify the
brand and production date code, and
has a tamper-proof seal fitted. The
seal indicates to the customer that the
keg has not been tampered with and
the customer can be assured of the
quality and volume of the contents:

The keg seals and brand label are

usually applied by hand.

In new technology, automatic cap

sleever machinery is used.

Palletisation can be carried out

automatically on high-speed lines.

Alternatively, a suction device such

as that shown here can be used to
palletise the kegs.

The device has a counter-weight so

that little force is needed to lift the
keg. It allows the kegs to be palletised
with little effort, and allows the kegs to
be positioned as required by the
operator:

Keg alignment must be correct as automatic machinery cannot correct alignment faults.
Faulty alignment will cause stoppages or at worst damage.

Page 41 of 59
Keg line safety
Objective
Cover safety in the kegging operation

There are numerous hazards associated with the keg operation, and these must avoided
and managed to prevent the risk of injury.

Manual handling

Manual handling of heavy kegs can lead

to torn muscles or damage to the back or
spine. Smaller injuries such as bruised
fingers can occur if proper safety gloves
are not worn.

Plant designs to prevent back injury must

be used. Even slow speed lines should
use conveyors to transport the kegs. To
reduce cost these can be undriven rollers
and the kegs can be pushed along, or as
shown here the roller conveyor uses
gravity to feed the kegs into the machine.

Inverters should be used to turn the kegs

upside down.

Do not put your hand inside the keg

turner while the machinery is operating at
automatic mode. It must isolate the air
and power before removing the keg or
working on the machinery.

Page 42 of 59
 For palletising full kegs a suction device
as shown removes the risk of back
damage in lifting the keg

Chemicals

The washing and filling machines use hot

caustic, steam and acid to clean and
sterilise the kegs. Any leaking pipes or
valves can create a spray of hot caustic
which can burn the skin or cause
blindness if reaching the eyes.

A safety shower should be provided.

Page 43 of 59
The keg plant will have a CIP system
used to sterilise the filling equipment,
flash pasteuriser and buffer tank. Care
must be taken when carrying out CIP,
particularly in handling the chemicals
used for CIP.

Here the operator is wearing the correct

protective equipment for handling
concentrated chemicals.

Page 44 of 59
Moving equipment

Moving equipment can

cause serious injuries and
even death. Injury is
prevented by installing
safety guards and safety
doors. These are
connected to switches that
stop the machine if the
doors are opened.

These devices should not

be tampered with and
should be checked
regularly for correct
operation.

Other safety aspects

Keg stacking

Kegs badly stacked can topple over. This can happen in the warehouse (although
correct palletisation should prevent this). If it occurs in the palletiser/depalletiser the
machine may be badly damaged.

Before correcting this:

· Isolate and lock out the machine

· Obtain experienced and qualified advice and assistance before attempting to

move toppled kegs.

Kegs are HOT after washing. DO NOT TOUCH

Buffer tanks must be thoroughly vented before entering in order to remove all traces of
carbon dioxide.

Cap all the filling and washing valves of each station before the start of the CIP.

NEVER attempt to remove the spear with a keg under pressure.

Page 45 of 59
Index of terms

Barrel An Imperial measure of beer quantity.

Buffer Tank Pressurised tank used to allow the flash pasteuriser to

continue running when the filler has stopped.

Bulk Container Large volume container used to dispense beer to

consumers at a customer’s premises. Require separate
pressurisation and cooling systems, and include kegs,
casks and keggies.

Cask A bulk container of over 25L made of stainless steel or

wood. Used for cask conditioned beer where secondary
fermentation takes place.

Continuous keg filler Machine that washes or fills kegs in a continuous motion
with a rotating machine.

Fermentation The conversion of sugar to alcohol giving off carbon

dioxide as a by product.

Flash pasteurisation Pasteurisation of the product whilst it is being

transferred to the filler or to a holding tank.

Keg A bulk container of over 25L made of stainless steel,

used to dispense filtered (and usually pasteurised) beer.

Keggy A bulk container of under 25L made of stainless steel,

used to dispense filtered (and usually pasteurised) beer.

Pasteurising Coil Length of piping through which the heated product takes
a particular time to flow. The coil is not heated, it is a
storage device.

Plate heat Exchanger Device consisting of many steel plates with flow paths
cut into them, that allow 2 liquids to flow past each other
without mixing but with the maximum possible heat
transfer.

Transfer keg filler Machine that washes and fills kegs by transferring them
from one processing station to the next

Bulk In quantity

Secondary fermentation A fermentation in the final container (usually in tank or in

barrel but sometimes in bottle) This adds condition
(sparkle) to the beer.

Extractor tube Inlet/outlet tube to a keg.

Page 46 of 59
Barrel Bulk container of beer (usually traditional draught)

Gallon Imperial measure: 8 pints.

Pressure test Induced pressure deliberately applied to test for leaks

Sterile Free from microbial/micro-organism contamination

Flowmeter A measuring device for liquid volume passed.

Residual liquid Remaining liquid

Page 47 of 59
Questions
Question One:

Which is an advantage of using bulk containers ?

TICK HERE

A Easier to lift

B Better presentation

C More Hls per pallet

D No control over dispensing hygiene

Question Two:

Which is a disadvantage of bulk containers:

TICK HERE

A Easier to lift

B Better presentation

C More Hls per pallet

D No control over dispensing hygiene

Question Three:

How many litres in an Imperial Barrel:

TICK HERE

A 100

B 164

C 115

D 58.7

Page 48 of 59
Question Four:

How many Hls are there on a pallet of 16 x 50L kegs?

TICK HERE

A 16

B .8

C 80

D 8

Question Five:

What are kegs made from:

TICK HERE

A Stainless steel

B Mild steel

C Wood

D Plastic

Question Six:

How can manual depalletising be an advantage on a keg line ?

TICK HERE

A Preventing injury

B Prevents loading of full kegs

C Faster

D Provides job opportunities

Page 49 of 59
Page 50 of 59
Question Seven:

Which of the following may be used by a keg external washer ?

TICK HERE

A Sprays

B Rotating brushes

C Caustic soda

D All of the above

Question Eight:

Which way up is the keg during external washing ?

TICK HERE

A Extractor tube to the top

B The keg is rolled onto it’s side

C Extractor tube to the bottom

D Random orientation

Question Nine:

Which cleaning factor is used the LEAST in external keg washing

TICK HERE

A Soak time

B Detergent

C Temperature

D Mechanical Action

Page 51 of 59
Page 52 of 59
Question Ten:

Which of the following will a camera inspection unit detect ?

TICK HERE

A Incorrect keg size

B Dents to keg

C Missing extractor tube

D All of the above

Question Eleven:

Which additional process is sometimes carried out before keg washing and filling ?

TICK HERE

A Extractor tube removal

B Label removal

C Extractor tube tightening

D All of the above

Question Twelve:

How many processing stations are there normally on a transfer type washing and filling
machine ?

TICK HERE

A 3

B 6

C 1

D None of the above.

Page 53 of 59
Page 54 of 59
Question Thirteen:

Which function is carried out by the first processing station on a transfer type washing and
filling machine ?

TICK HERE

A External washing

B Acid cleaning

C Caustic cleaning

D Filling with beer

Question Fourteen:

Which function is carried out by the second processing station on a transfer type washing
and filling machine ?

TICK HERE

A External washing

B Acid cleaning

C Caustic cleaning

D Filling with beer

Question Fifteen:

Which function is carried out by the third processing station on a transfer type washing and
filling machine ?

TICK HERE

A External washing

B Acid cleaning

C Caustic cleaning

D Filling with beer

Page 55 of 59
Question Sixteen:

In a typical continuous filling system, what is the main function of the first washing/filling
machine ?

TICK HERE

A Filling with beer

B External washing

C Pre washing internally

D Main washing and sterilisation internally

Question Seventeen:

In a typical continuous filling system, what is the main function of the second washing/filling
machine ?

TICK HERE

A Filling with beer

B External washing

C Pre washing internally

D Main washing and sterilisation internally

Question Eighteen:

In a typical continuous filling system, what is the main function of the second washing/filling
machine ?

TICK HERE

A Filling with beer

B External washing

C Pre washing internally

D Main washing and sterilisation internally

Page 56 of 59
Question Nineteen:

How do we check that the keg has the correct fill level ?

TICK HERE

A With a Filtec height inspection system

B By weighing it

C With a camera inspection system

D All of the above

Question Twenty:

How do we check the DO level in the keg ?

TICK HERE

A Using an Orbisphere in line analyser

B By using a caustic air shaker

C By weighing the keg

D We don’t check it

Page 57 of 59
Question Answer
1 C
2 D
3 B
4 D
5 A
6 B
7 D
8 C
9 A
10 D
11 C
12 A
13 C
14 B
15 D
16 C
17 D
18 A
19 B
20 D

Page 58 of 59
Page 59 of 59