First time Kegging

I have an IPA that I am planning on kegging tomorrow. Using this keg for the first time will i need to break it completely down and clean all of it? It is a reconditioned keg.

My next question is do i let the IPA condition in the keg for a couple weeks before I put it in the fridge?

Do I let the brew condition before i hook up the CO2?

DO I put it in the fridge with the CO2 on it right away?

I am sure the answers are to be found by searching the forums but as i have said before i like to get the specific answer to my specific question.

thanks

Reverend

P.S. GO HUSKERS

Once past the secondary and kegged, you can go ahead and hook it up to teh CO2 and put it int he fridge. If you start drinking it it will be green for 3-4 weeks while it finishes conditioning.

Alternately, hit it with 30 pounds of CO2, disconnect and condition it at cellar temps.

Or condition it without CO2 at cellar temps for 3 weeks or so before carbing it. If you do this you'll still want 1-2 weeks of carbed conditioning to bring it to its 'final' flavor.


Short answer to all your questions: yes.

it would seem to me then that I would want to hook it up to Co2 while it conditions to get it carbed as well so there is no lag time after conditioning waiting for it to carb up.

How much of the keg do i need to tear down and sanitize? the whole deal? just the inside of it?


thanks

reverend

There is some contention on that subject, some use differnet processes.

I suggest complete teardown and sanitizing everything: seals, tubes, posts, popits, lid--- everything. Also make sure the socket or wrench you use to put the posts back on are clean and sanitized when you reassemble to avoid contamination of the inside of the posts.

When the keg is empty, I suggest cleaning it as soon as you take it out of the fridge so that nothing grows in it.


But I tend to be one the more fastitious end of the spectrum as far as this stuff goes. Some of my beers sit in the cellar for months--- I prefer to be extra careful about keg sanitation to avoid spoilage.

Hey Korncob,

How do you store your clean kegs?

I store the clean ones with beer in them.

Seriously, I clean them and store them upside down and open. Sometimes I have a keg 'on deck' that I've cleaned, sanitized and put under a little pressure because I plan to fill it in a couple days in order to save a little time on 'brew day'.

Usually the stored kegs only have the posts on finger tight, since I'll be disassembling and sanitizing before use anyway.

If the keg has been reconditioned and all of the o-rings replaced, I'd just rince well, including flush ing the out line & sanitize it. The major concern with kegs is getting crud and off-flavors in the rubber parts. Some soda flavors are really tough to get out, Dr. Pepper being one of the worst.

I store clean kegs with a little sanitizer and about 5 psi in them.

Reverend, I break mine down every time. After spending all that time making great beer, why take the chance and save 15 minutes not breaking them down and cleaning them. I store them empty, with the post loose, so when I am ready to fill them, I put everyting in the sanitizer, then fill them.

As for conditioning your IPA, all my kegged beer is primed with 1/2 cup of corn sugar, then hit with 30 psi to seal the lid and stored for a couple of weeks in the coolest room of my apartment.

There are lots of posts about force carbonating and different methods, but like kornkob says, it will taste like green beer. Which is fine if you are brewing a beer that taste like our American Pilsners, but a great IPA needs some time.

Kegging saves time, but doesn't change the amount of time you need to age beer before it tastes it's best................

david_42 said:

I store clean kegs with a little sanitizer and about 5 psi in them.

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What sanitizer do you leave in there? Thanks.

Here is a great method of cleaning a keg. After I sanitize using Star-San I just allow it to drain, seal up the keg with whatever residual sanitizer remains inside, purge out the air with CO2 and leave it at about 5 psi until I'm ready to use it.

John

As was predictied SWMBO came up with other things for me to do on sunday so here it is monday and i have not kegged yet. Tonight i have informed her, for what its worth, that i will be kegging.

I have a question about lubing the o-rings. The keg O-rings for those of you snickering like me right now.

My LHBS guy says that is not nessasary and that when they get gunky just to get some new ones. i thought it was to help give a tight seal not to eliminate gunk.

If lube is needed will vasoline work or other lubes(K-Y), as long as they are not warming lubes.


thanks

Reverend

Reverend JC said:

If lube is needed will vasoline work or other lubes(K-Y), as long as they are not warming lubes.

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I believe Vasolene is petroleum based, so I would not use that. Most keg lubs are food grade. I don't know much about K-Y or the warming stuff, but if you want your O-Ring warm, then well, er, ah, umm. Never mind.

I lube my o-rings to help with the seal and I thinks it makes them last longer.

As for lube, if it has the remote posibility of touching your beer, it needs to be food grade. Keg lube is cheap, why take the chance with your beer.........

Well, i went to open the bastard up and of course, NO DEEP sockets. Not only that but one is standard and one appears to be metric.

Guess i will try tomorrow

No, both posts are the same size. You just have to use a 12 point socket if you have the strange shaped gas post. If you order replacement posts, they all come the same, but I like the older gas posts, since it's easier to indentify which is gas and which is liquid.

Good Luck