Here is a quick guide I put together after dismantling a keg. I found an old beat up keg dumped in a ditch and figured I could recycle it. There are plenty of internet guides that tell you how to dismantle a US style sanke keg but a European keg is different and does not use a spring clip. I did find this guide but it did not show pictures of the procedure itself and I was even unsure as to what sort of basin wrench he was talking about. Also it turns out that my keg was a little different to whatever EU keg he had.
I took the pictures and did the guide after the event so there might be the odd step missed, however the important info is below and anything missed will be figured out very easily as the hard part is releasing the safety ring and everything else is just a bit of adjusting, pulling and twisting.


These are the tools you will need. A hammer, screwdriver (any kind), Pliers and a wonder bar. Note that the model of wonder bar I used is the one I linked to so is 1- 55-515. See image above for barcode and details to identify it. Now I originally went to the hardware store looking for a basin wrench with prongs like the other guide indicates but they only had the other kind with a swivel head and closing claw type grip. I figured the wonder bar would work just as well as it measured about the same width as the diameter of the opening on the keg.

This is the opening you will see on a keg. The locking mechanism needs to be turned anti clockwise and then unscrewed out. First thing to do is to take your screwdriver and push down on the metal bit in the middle to de-pressurise any gas that is in there. I advise aiming it away from you because if there is beer in there it will spray out so rather than hit you in the eye, aim it at something you do not mind getting stale beer on.

As it turns out the wonder bar was about a millimetre too big on either side and this turned out to be a good thing for getting grip. Take your hammer and hammer the wonder bar in to the corners of the grooves until it eats in. Do each side one at a time until you are able to place it straight on and hammer it down. You do not need to go far in, just until you have a grip and then turn anti clockwise. Just a point to note, this image shows the mechanism sitting in the neck but I did not screw it back in to save time so your keg will have the locking mechanism flush with the top of the neck.

Unscrew the retaining ring which exposes the rest of the keg mechanism below.

This picture I took after I had the keg dismantled to show you better. Get your pliers and pull on the metal pressure valve. At the same time you might need to push your screwdriver in to the black rubber surround to help release it. With a bit of manoeuvring and turning you will get it out in a minute or so. There is a little catch and this is what you are trying to release while pulling it out.

This is what you end up pulling out. There is a spring underneath the rubber piece so be careful in case it gets you in the eye as this will probably come out before the metal tube gets pulled out. This tube could be useful for something so keep it handy for a while as it might be useful in a future brewery project.
All in all, this was much easier than I thought once I had the right tools for the job.

This is what you end up with. A keg with an opening similar in size, though a little bigger than a glass carboy. The next part of the project is to be able to seal that up and I have two options I can think of. One is to use a large rubber bung which should work and the other is to use a carboy cap. The only problem is the carboy cap is too small to make the opening due to a lip that sticks out over the neck so I will have to use an angle grinder and take off the lip and the carboy cap should fit over the neck.
I took the pictures and did the guide after the event so there might be the odd step missed, however the important info is below and anything missed will be figured out very easily as the hard part is releasing the safety ring and everything else is just a bit of adjusting, pulling and twisting.
These are the tools you will need. A hammer, screwdriver (any kind), Pliers and a wonder bar. Note that the model of wonder bar I used is the one I linked to so is 1- 55-515. See image above for barcode and details to identify it. Now I originally went to the hardware store looking for a basin wrench with prongs like the other guide indicates but they only had the other kind with a swivel head and closing claw type grip. I figured the wonder bar would work just as well as it measured about the same width as the diameter of the opening on the keg.
This is the opening you will see on a keg. The locking mechanism needs to be turned anti clockwise and then unscrewed out. First thing to do is to take your screwdriver and push down on the metal bit in the middle to de-pressurise any gas that is in there. I advise aiming it away from you because if there is beer in there it will spray out so rather than hit you in the eye, aim it at something you do not mind getting stale beer on.
As it turns out the wonder bar was about a millimetre too big on either side and this turned out to be a good thing for getting grip. Take your hammer and hammer the wonder bar in to the corners of the grooves until it eats in. Do each side one at a time until you are able to place it straight on and hammer it down. You do not need to go far in, just until you have a grip and then turn anti clockwise. Just a point to note, this image shows the mechanism sitting in the neck but I did not screw it back in to save time so your keg will have the locking mechanism flush with the top of the neck.
Unscrew the retaining ring which exposes the rest of the keg mechanism below.
This picture I took after I had the keg dismantled to show you better. Get your pliers and pull on the metal pressure valve. At the same time you might need to push your screwdriver in to the black rubber surround to help release it. With a bit of manoeuvring and turning you will get it out in a minute or so. There is a little catch and this is what you are trying to release while pulling it out.
This is what you end up pulling out. There is a spring underneath the rubber piece so be careful in case it gets you in the eye as this will probably come out before the metal tube gets pulled out. This tube could be useful for something so keep it handy for a while as it might be useful in a future brewery project.
All in all, this was much easier than I thought once I had the right tools for the job.
This is what you end up with. A keg with an opening similar in size, though a little bigger than a glass carboy. The next part of the project is to be able to seal that up and I have two options I can think of. One is to use a large rubber bung which should work and the other is to use a carboy cap. The only problem is the carboy cap is too small to make the opening due to a lip that sticks out over the neck so I will have to use an angle grinder and take off the lip and the carboy cap should fit over the neck.
Why not just cover the opening with a piece of tinfoil? The beer will be producing co2, so you just need to make sure nothing can drift into it from outside.
ReplyDeleteHello
ReplyDeleteI just got a keg 2day and it has the same top. So now i no how to open it i was going to fill with home brew after fermention was done and reuse it because i have the fitting for the tap that suits the keg but my question is can all the parts that you have taken out not be put back in and repressurised.
Thanks for the post its a great help.
I don't see why not as long as you don't damage the keg. I had no qualms about tearing chunks out of it since I was not going to re-use it as a keg.
ReplyDeleteI suppose an update is in order on the post. I cut off the lip on the neck of the keg and my carboy cap fits perfectly.
Thanks for the reply ill try not damage anything and c how it works with water first for and leaks ill let you know how i get on.
ReplyDeleteCheers
Hello
ReplyDeleteJust taught id let ya no the keg works great for the home brew also the type of coupler you need for that type of keg is a U type coupler just in case any 1 is going to use it for the same as me. Thanks for help on how to open the keg.
Cool and glad I could help.
ReplyDeleteUnscrew the retaining ring which exposes the rest of the keg mechanism is nice shoots shown in your blog.This blog is helpful for everyone.Really you post nice blog.
ReplyDeleteGreat Article it its really informative and innovative keep us posted with new updates. its was really valuable. thanks a lot. https://yolongbrewtech.com/blog/
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