BrewDey
Well-Known Member
I've been brewing for about 2 years and had stuck to bottling. I was reluctant to realize how simple a keg setup could be, and I suppose I wanted to be a purist. After a few bad bacthes (which may or may not be due to my bottling procedure), I borrowed my buddy's keg/tank to give it a try. The 1st batch was a brown, that I let naturally ferment (for a good month or so) before cooling and tapping. It was a big hit at the tailgate-and was amazingly easy.
But the amazing thing was the Bee Cave IPA that I kegged Saturday night. I decided to give force-carbing a try, so I kegged, dry-hopped, set to 13psi and stuck it all in the fridge. Yesterday I was brewing with my buddy and wanted him to be able to try it-even if it was still flat. To my surprise, there was plenty of foam and it had a great mouthfeel. I can tell that a little more time will help the CO2 dissolve, but this was fantastic beer and the most intense hop-effect I've ever experienced from dry-hopping. This was a mere 36 hours after kegging, and only 23 days since brewing.
To know that I can simplify and shorten the whole process-and factor out potential pitfals (conditioning/ bottle ferm temps, feeding a slight infection via priming, bottle sanitation) has really gotten me fired up about brewing again. I'm amazed that it took me so long to realize how much this method makes sense!
But the amazing thing was the Bee Cave IPA that I kegged Saturday night. I decided to give force-carbing a try, so I kegged, dry-hopped, set to 13psi and stuck it all in the fridge. Yesterday I was brewing with my buddy and wanted him to be able to try it-even if it was still flat. To my surprise, there was plenty of foam and it had a great mouthfeel. I can tell that a little more time will help the CO2 dissolve, but this was fantastic beer and the most intense hop-effect I've ever experienced from dry-hopping. This was a mere 36 hours after kegging, and only 23 days since brewing.
To know that I can simplify and shorten the whole process-and factor out potential pitfals (conditioning/ bottle ferm temps, feeding a slight infection via priming, bottle sanitation) has really gotten me fired up about brewing again. I'm amazed that it took me so long to realize how much this method makes sense!