bjp
New Member
If I brew a beer for kegging, but I'm not ready to hook it up to the kegerator, can I put it in the keg without priming sugar or refrigeration to condition til I'm ready to hook up to CO2/kegerator?
Keg Beer Conditioning
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TRainH2o
Well-Known Member
Yes. After you put the lid on, hit it with enough CO2 to not only purge the oxygen, but also seal the keg. Many times a keg will not properly seal without doing it.
ChandlerBang
Well-Known Member
What is enough? 30psi?
I do 30.
TRainH2o
Well-Known Member
I don't think it's so much about psi. I just hook mine up to the CO2, let it fill up and then give the pressure relief valve a few good pulls until I "feel" that all the oxygen is replaced by CO2. Next I spray the entire top of the keg with Star San and look for bubbles.
zombiesquatplan
New Member
Once you siphon the beer into the keg, add the priming sugar, and force all the oxy out, how long should you let it condition? Also, I have a nitrogen tank and regulator from a guinness jocky box I've used, whats the rule on using nitrogen to fill the keg?
poto101
Active Member
You don't have to use any priming sugar if you don't want to, you can always force carbonate: https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f35/keg-force-carbing-methods-illustrated-73328/
If you want to carbonate naturally in the keg, try one of the methods displayed here: https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f39/keg-conditioning-171194/ usually it takes about 3 weeks to condition.
You want to carbonate in the keg by Force Carbing with CO2, or you can naturally carbonate in the keg, but only use the nitrogen or beer gas for serving, not carbonating.
zombiesquatplan
New Member
Just siphoned my Canadian Ale into a soda keg, hooked it up to CO2 @ 15 psi, pulled the pressure valve a few times, unhooked, rolled it in my lap for a few minutes, hooked it back up to CO2 @ 12 psi. Going to leave it for a week while I get my kegerator built, and see how it went! Thanks for the help.
If you can't do that, then I'm in big trouble.
I never use priming sugar, or refrigerate, but I do what TRainH2o suggested to purge any O2, and to seal the lid. Then I release any pressure just in case I get any extra unwanted carbonation
Nice to see another LonGislander here, and welcome to the forum.
-a.
I'm going to double my saying on co2 flushing and do a co2 pressure check for leaks. (5 psi seems to be more than enough to leak check.) I thought I was keg priming for the past 3 weeks, but apparently my relief valve's threading is messed up so it wasn't completely sealed.
I checked the keg before and the lid snaps tight without the need to do the pressure, but, I'll be sure to check next time in case that valve isn't on right.
Now I have to figure out if I want to add more sugar/syrup to reprime, or just force carb the darn thing so I don't have to open the lid.
I checked the keg before and the lid snaps tight without the need to do the pressure, but, I'll be sure to check next time in case that valve isn't on right.
Now I have to figure out if I want to add more sugar/syrup to reprime, or just force carb the darn thing so I don't have to open the lid.
tippetsnapper
Well-Known Member
Now I have to figure out if I want to add more sugar/syrup to reprime said:
Priming the keg works when you don't have the cold-storage. You can prime and carbonate at room temperature, then refrigerate for serving.
My "cold storage" is outside in a storage room where the furnance and water heater resides. So it's cold, but not freezing in there, so it's useful right now, until summer arrives.
It's mostly wether I want to use the gas from the tank, or just add sugar and let it sit and carbonate so I can use the gas for carbonating water. I still have other beers to finish up, so I wasn't really in any hurry to get this carbonated. Plus, it sounds like both take an approximately equal time to carbonate, so it's just easier for me to use the tank for other things in the meantime.
It's mostly wether I want to use the gas from the tank, or just add sugar and let it sit and carbonate so I can use the gas for carbonating water. I still have other beers to finish up, so I wasn't really in any hurry to get this carbonated. Plus, it sounds like both take an approximately equal time to carbonate, so it's just easier for me to use the tank for other things in the meantime.
THANKYOU very much.
MuddyCreek
Well-Known Member
Ya, just burp the keg (purge oxygen with CO2) and let it sit someplace where the temperature is stable and moderate (40 f. to 70 f.) Then if you are going to force-carb it, put it in the kegerator for a day or two to cool it down, then hook up the CO2 at the prescribed pressure and let it sit for a few days.
Some folks roll the kegs to quick-carb them but honestly I've had really inconsistent results doing that so I just err on the side of patience. It is best to try to force-carb your beer while it's cold though. Goes faster and generally works better.
Cheers!
Some folks roll the kegs to quick-carb them but honestly I've had really inconsistent results doing that so I just err on the side of patience. It is best to try to force-carb your beer while it's cold though. Goes faster and generally works better.
Cheers!
FuzzeWuzze
I Love DIY
Ive had more than a few times where setting my pressure to 5-10PSI resulted in leaks. Then pushing it to 30PSI fully sealed the lid O ring, at which point its ok to lower it back to 10 PSI for storage/carbing outside of the fridge.
I highly recommend you hit your kegs with 30PSI atleast once when sealing, it really shouldnt take that much gas if its a full keg.
shadowpaige64507
Active Member
Here is a dumb question but will the keg if left at room temp still try to ferment or is it completely done once moved to the keg? I switched from bottles to keg for several reasons but one was to avoid the yeast settlement at the bottom of the bottles.
FuzzeWuzze
I Love DIY
You shouldnt be putting your beer in the keg unless its done fermenting, no different than with bottles.
It basically is 'fermenting' when you put corn sugar in it to bottle and or keg when your carbonating, if thats what you meant.
You will still get yeast but at the bottom of the keg its not as big of a deal, once it settles out the first pint or so you pull will be pretty gross and cloudy, just dump it and enjoy the rest of the clear beer in the keg.
And to older posts, you should always seal your keg @30psi. Your not doing it to get the air out, your doing it to put huge pressure on the inside of the lid to force it up and to seal tight. If i just set my lids and set it to 5-10PSI, sometimes it will be leaking out the lid slowly and i dont catch it until i spray some starsan on it.
Golddiggie
Well-Known Member
How much pressure is required to seal the keg can vary a lot between different keg makes and age ranges. I have kegs I picked up brand new that seal with only 10 psi. I have another (older, red lid) that requires 15-20 psi and another [red lid] that won't seal until 20-25 psi is used. What's important is figuring out how much pressure you actually NEED to get the keg to seat the seal. Once that is done, you can use less pressure to purge the keg headspace. I typically do 5-10 purge cycles, at about 10psi, per keg (less when filled higher).
As for amount of yeast you get in the bottom of the keg... That all depends on how you transfer, the yeast you use, and how long you gave it in primary or before transferring to serving keg. Use a highly flocculant yeast strain, and do a good transfer, and you'll get next to nothing in the bottom of the keg.
BTW, you can also use a pressure gauge to see how the pressure is holding in the keg. Star San is good for fast/large leaks, but a slow one will show with the use of a pressure gauge.
nsflatlander
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Not certain if this is the same topic but, what if I want to keg something like a high gravity porter or abbey and want to let it sit for 6 months or more, can I do this in a corny if I've followed the method described of purging the O2 with CO2 and sealing the lid? Or is this not recommended? Thanks.
That's fine so long as you purge it well a few times with CO2. Lots of brewers condition/lager in a corny keg for months.
nsflatlander
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That's what I thought, thank you. I just didn't want to assume since this would be the first time I've done it.
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