About to keg for the first time

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Brett3rThanU

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First off, I read the FAQ and have done quite a bit of searching, but I can't seem to get all of my questions answered. What I really need is a complete dummy's guide to kegging. Anyone have one?

When I rack the beer into the keg, how much head space should I leave?

"To purge oxygen out of the air space in the keg, pull up on the pressure relief valve while the gas is hooked up. Now the keg is ready for carbonation!"
So I let some co2 into the keg and then pull the pressure release valve, but do I pull it and let all the air pressure out, or only a little?

I plan to force carb at 30psi for 24 hours then back it down to serving pressure (12 psi), but I don't plan to shake the keg for 100 seconds like I read, that ok? I read the beer absorbs co2 a lot easier at colder temps so should I put the keg in the fridge for 24 hours before cranking it to 30psi to get the beer cooled down first?
 
Fill the keg up to the "line" under the rubber top. You can go a bit more, but make sure the short "in" diptube isn't covered at the bottom.

To purge, I give it a blast of co2 at 30 psi until it stops. Turn off the gas, and purge it. And do that twice more before filling one last time.

I usually keg my beer at fermentation temperature, give it a blast of co2 as described, and then set it in the kegerator. To hurry it, I set it at 30 psi for 36 hours, then purge it and reset to 12 psi for two days. By then it's starting to carb up.

I don't move the keg once it's in the kegerator, and let it sit for about four days. Then I pour about 3 ounces- it's a sludgy yucky pour- and dump it. After that it should be nice clear beer that is carbed up.
 
Yooper said:
Fill the keg up to the "line" under the rubber top. You can go a bit more, but make sure the short "in" diptube isn't covered at the bottom.

To purge, I give it a blast of co2 at 30 psi until it stops. Turn off the gas, and purge it. And do that twice more before filling one last time.

I usually keg my beer at fermentation temperature, give it a blast of co2 as described, and then set it in the kegerator. To hurry it, I set it at 30 psi for 36 hours, then purge it and reset to 12 psi for two days. By then it's starting to carb up.

I don't move the keg once it's in the kegerator, and let it sit for about four days. Then I pour about 3 ounces- it's a sludgy yucky pour- and dump it. After that it should be nice clear beer that is carbed up.
Click to expand...

Pretty much exactly what I do. I saw CraigTube do a slightly different beginning purge - he turned on the gas at 30 psi and let it start flooding the head space for a few seconds and then used the pressure release valve in short quick bursts about 5 times over 15 seconds. After that, I guess the assumption is that co2 has pushed out the oxygen in the head space and you can set it to whatever you want and go from there.
 
I usually do a somewhat modified method (if I'm not in a hurry to get the beer). Instead of doing a secondary or super long primary (e.g over 2 weeks), I will rack from the primary to a sanitized keg, then do the co2/vent/co2/vent/co2 trick at 20psi or so. Then I will let the keg sit (at fermentation temperature) for another week (or whatever) to futher condition. Then I will do a cold crash of the keg (with enough pressure to ensure it stays sealed), followed by drawing off the crap from the bottom and whatever number of days necessary to carbonate it to serving pressure.
 
So reading this I read the below quote:

"NOTE - once your beer is carbonated you must always shut off the gas to your
keg. If not, the beer will over-carbonate"

I don't understand this. While I do the 30psi blast for 36 hours don't I have to leave everything open so as the beer absorbs the c02 more goes into the keg? Then when I turn it down to serving pressure (12psi), don't I leave everything open so the keg stays under the correct pressure?
 
If you leave your beer on the gas at the proper serving pressure to achieve the carbonation you want based on the temp, then you will NEVER over carb your beer. It will equalize to that pressure and keep it constant at the carb level you set it at.
 
Ok how do u go from 20 to 12 by simply releasing the valve? I am afraid to do this once the beer is carbed because i would think it would foam up considerably, just like opening a beer can that you just shook up.
 
20 to 12 psi? Shut off the gas to the keg while it's at 20 psi. drop the pressure on the regulator. purge the gas in the keg, turn the gas back on to the keg. Then adjust the regulator until it reads 12.
 
dfess1 said:
20 to 12 psi? Shut off the gas to the keg while it's at 20 psi. drop the pressure on the regulator. purge the gas in the keg, turn the gas back on to the keg. Then adjust the regulator until it reads 12.
Click to expand...

Purge all the gas in the keg?
 
It shouldn't, I have never had an issue as I'm switching pressures for different things often. If you're concerned, just switch the pressure and let it sit for an hour or two before trying.
 
I work in the brite beer cellars at North America's largest brewery. Keeping kegs at 12psi is the perfect balance to maintain the desired level of carbonation. Anything less than that will cause your beer to degas, and more will slightly elevate your carbonation levels. But nothing too terrible where the typical beer drinker will notice.

Has anyone had bad experiences with only filling a keg halfway (purging O2 of course)? Does the beer take longer to carb up, or does it over carb quickly?
 

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