Keg conditioning?

[Ben]

g'day everyone,

I am new to kegging and im wondering about everyones processes for conditioning. My last brew an APA got the following treatment, in primary around one week, then rack to keg and add sugar to prime, left it about a week then into the fridge where its under 1 bar of CO2. Thats where its at now, I have another in primary, and an IPA planned for this weekend.
whats your thoughts on this process?

cheers,

Ben

[Ben]

yeah its been a dark day up here alright.., I was only out for 45 minutes so most of the gas actually survived, so thats the bright side I guess. next one is going in tomorrow at 40psi cheers Barry.

[Sparky]

Hey Ben that certainly is bad luck.

My comments on this are to suggest

1. Move the fridge inside and out of the weather & prying eyes.
2. Check out the net and look at running a balanced system.

I'm running a balanced system & ok it does take a week or two to get up to full carbonation. But don't worry about that. There are many fantastic beers cask conditioned & not carbonated. Pour a pint & let it warm up a bit and enjoy the flavours that come thru. You'll be surprised at what you'll taste and enjoy some great non mainstream beer.

My reg sits at approx 12 psi (80kPa) and hasn't been tweaked since set up over 2 years ago.

[Darrin Smith]

few questions.

1. do you chill beer before hooking up CO2?
2. do you leave co2 hooked up permantely to keg, ie keg outside fridge with hole in door for tube to kegs?
3. does Co2 pressure to keg vary for keg temp in fridge?
4. everyone has ideas on gasing-whats fail safe and quickest?

 

thanks!

[jt]

1 - no, it goes from fermenter to keg, gets gassed at ambient and popped in the fridge

2 - yes, all the time at dispensing pressure

3 - no, because I've not worried about it because it seems 'ok'

4 - fail safe and quickest ? It's whatever works for you.

[Barry]

1. No. From fermenter to keg, stick in fridge, hook up gas.

 

2. Yes, you got it, gas bottle on top of fridge, line goes in through door (haven't drilled a hole yet but have the fitting to do so).

 

3. Yes. Volume of co2 absorbed is a factor of temp/pressure. So if you keep your beers/fridge colder you will need to adjust your constant (dispensing) pressure. BUT, if you mean "do you need to change the pressure as the beer cools from fermenting temp to serving temp" - no, keep your pressure at your ideal dispensing rate for your final temp.

 

4. I have a new regulator that doesn't do psi, rather kPA or bar. My method is this:

1. fermenter to keg
2. keg in fridge, connect to gas and burp off any oxygen in the head space
3. disconnect any other kegs
4. wind pressure up to 250/300 kPA
5. leave in fridge for 24 hours (I usually keg at night, so when I come home from work the next night)
6. disconnect
7. burp pressure from keg
8. wind down pressure on the regulator to nothing, and release pressure in the line
9. connect gas up to keg(s) again
10. wind up to dispensing pressure
11. pour yourself a beer

[Andre Jaworski]

In that case do you dry hop in the keg? And if so do you have any trouble with blockages?

I'm doing a secondary in a Carboy at the moment for dry hopping but if I can avoid it I will.

 

Cheers

[Barry]

I have trouble with blockages in the keg even when I dry hop in the fermenter - particles always get through. So much of an issue that I actually tend to avoid dry hopping - which sucks as obviously a lot of beers really benefit from it.

 

That is until I recently invested in a couple of these: http://www.craftbrewer.com.au/shop/details.asp?PID=901

 

I got 2 from a shop in AKL and dropped them (full of Centennial) into my latest keg of pale ale for the case swap. Worked a bloody treat!!! No blockage, only tiny particles in the first few pints, then bright clear.

Bloody awesome, my dry hop hesitation factor just disappeared. 

[Darrin Smith]

you could also sieve as it leaves the fermentor. 

[Andre Jaworski]

Brilliant, the missus has got............ had one of them for making tea!

[Darrin Smith]

anyone had issues with CO2 leakage from y connectors?  i immersed mine in water after noticing bottle gauge had dropped a smidge after 2 days.  it had dropped a needles worth on the bar gauge.  there was slight bubbles from y connector.  whats average usuage with one keg?

 

there is no keg conected to the other connector

[Barry]

My 5kg bottle usually lasts me over a year.