Kegging Sours

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cardinalsfan

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Any issues I need to be on the lookout for? I figure as long as the kegs, lines and taps get a good cleaning when I kick a keg I shouldn't have any issues right? I'd prolly use the same keg and tap for sours and likely won't have more than one on tap at a time (3 taps total).

Thanks!!
 
I was curious about the same. I currently have 4 sours in carboys, and need to research pros/cons of kegging/bottling. I've seen some threads on each, although I can't repeat the details off the top of my head, I do know there are a few available to search on the forum.
 
I have dedicated pin locks for sour and ball locks for everything else.. no way for me to goof up and use the wrong equipment..

What about for those of us who can't afford this or don't have room or enough taps to do this? I'll have at most 3 taps and will likely have one sour ready to drink at any one time.

Since you've kegged sours, anything you can give us as far as info would be great!!
 
I've heard, and it sounds like good advice, to have dedicated sour kegs and lines. No other beer but the sours go into those kegs or lines to prevent cross contamination. A person could probably do a really thorough cleaning and be okay but why risk it?
 
my take on it is that the kegs should remain separate. I have two dedicated sour kegs. But the lines? Who cares? How sour can it get your beer between the keg and the glass? Just keep them clean like normal.
 
Good point Boomer, and it's good practice to change out lines every 6 months or so anyway right? Or when you notice they start looking like they need changed.
 
I have a 4 tap kegerator and push the same pressure to all 4 kegs, usually keeping it between 10-12 psi. I'll have a sour stout, followed by 3 Flanders Reds to keg. I know these usually have a lower carb level, but do you think there would be much of a downside with carbing at the higher pressure? Would this change the flavor profile a considerable amount?

I've considered bottling, just for this reason, but have read about using yeasts at bottling versus priming sugar for sours (?). I'm leaning towards the high carb levels in the keg, rather than putting these long term experiments at risk for bottling errors.
 
ok, I've done some reading on other forums and blogs and it seems we would be ok to keg sours. Most have dedicated taps or cobra taps and a few have dedicated kegs. Kegs are stainless and can be cleaned and sanitized pretty easily and the bugs can be killed by boiling the poppets, QDs, and other parts. I've even seen a few that say they just pour boiling water into the keg, add all the parts (poppets, o-rings, etc) and let it sit overnight. A cobra tap and line isn't that expensive and seems like a good compromise price-wise.

My berliner weiss is finishing up now and I plan to keg it. I'll update here how it goes but it may be a while.
 
I've heard, and it sounds like good advice, to have dedicated sour kegs and lines. No other beer but the sours go into those kegs or lines to prevent cross contamination. A person could probably do a really thorough cleaning and be okay but why risk it?

I'm sure this is the best route but I don't have space or money for extra kegs to devote to sours. I spent almost everything I had just to get the 3 kegs and equipment I have now. Kegs are stainless steel and should be easy to sanitize with boiling water and PBW or other cleaner.
 
I've boiled before and after a couple times my orings and rubber started to swell and the poppets stopped seating right.. after $10 for new poppets and $5 for new orings I said screw it and dedicated my 4 pin locks (classified $10 each) for sours and funk.. faucet, lines and QD are the equipment I don't inter change because there's no rule on how Brett or bugs can travel (direct path to the inside of your keg) if they survive in the crud that builds up in most lines at the connection points (in ribs of the barbed hose coupler)..
 
I have a 4 tap kegerator and push the same pressure to all 4 kegs, usually keeping it between 10-12 psi. I'll have a sour stout, followed by 3 Flanders Reds to keg. I know these usually have a lower carb level, but do you think there would be much of a downside with carbing at the higher pressure? Would this change the flavor profile a considerable amount?

I've considered bottling, just for this reason, but have read about using yeasts at bottling versus priming sugar for sours (?). I'm leaning towards the high carb levels in the keg, rather than putting these long term experiments at risk for bottling errors.

I think (read: I'm not positive) that you bottle carb sours at a low level to avoid over-carbonation and thus bottle bombs. There is always a chance that the bugs are still working on some complex sugars and that could add to the carbonation levels. So, if your kegging I think it would be fine to carb up as you normally do. You may not hit the style guidelines, but the beer will be fine.
 
inhousebrew said:
I think (read: I'm not positive) that you bottle carb sours at a low level to avoid over-carbonation and thus bottle bombs. There is always a chance that the bugs are still working on some complex sugars and that could add to the carbonation levels. So, if your kegging I think it would be fine to carb up as you normally do. You may not hit the style guidelines, but the beer will be fine.

It's a little opposite for bugs because most are aged upwards to 2 years and all the co2 has come out unlike a batch that is young.. most time prime a little higher for the aged ones..
Edit:Forgot to add.. your correct about force carbing.. big thing is the time factor and waiting..
 
If you reuse a keg you need to take it completely apart to clean it. I use a cobra tap and a separate keg for my sours and stuff a bottling wand to bottle them. I think I'm going to add to my manifold so I also have a dedicated gas line. I got my first accidental sour and I think it's from using the same gas line, I filled the sour close to the top of the keg and some probably backed up into the gas line.
 
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