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tmanzee

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Just got a new 3 gallon keg and im ready to rack my extra pale ale.
-- I have about 4.5 gallons of beer how much of it should i add to my keg without overfilling im going to bottle the rest?
-- I dont have a kegorator but it does fit in my fridge should I refrigerate while pressurizing or will it be fine to just leave it out till im ready to drink it?
-- After I purge the keg of air should, I just bring it up to about 10psi and leave it for a week or two, or should I (force carbonate it) like 30 psi for a couple hours then lower the psi?

Any tips are helpful.....
 
Just got a new 3 gallon keg and im ready to rack my extra pale ale.
-- I have about 4.5 gallons of beer how much of it should i add to my keg without overfilling im going to bottle the rest? As much as your keg will hold.
-- I dont have a kegorator but it does fit in my fridge should I refrigerate while pressurizing or will it be fine to just leave it out till im ready to drink it? You should put it in your fridge and let it be carbonating while conditioning.
-- After I purge the keg of air should, I just bring it up to about 10psi and leave it for a week or two, or should I (force carbonate it) like 30 psi for a couple hours then lower the psi? The best method is "set and forget"... put your regulator on 10-12 psi and leave it, it will be ready in about a week.

Any tips are helpful.....

Quick step by step.

- Clean, Sanitize keg.
- Purge O2 out of keg.
- Rack beer to keg.
- Seal keg.
- Place keg in fridge.
- Set regulator to desired PSI (10-12 usually).
- Attach gas line.
- Leave alone for at least a week.
- Enjoy beer.
 
1: should put about 3 gallons in it... just below the bottom of the gas dip tube should be about there

2: you will want to chill it to serving temp while you force carbonate it. only leave it at room temp if you plan on naturally carbonating

3:after you purge air i suggest leaving it at your carbonation level for a week or two. People usually end up overcarbing with the high pressure stuff and its a pain to get back down. You will want your beer to age some anyway so its not green. I run my regulator at 15 PSI but whatever your calculations say to get your particular style to the "right" (subjective) carbonation level.
 
Quick step by step.

- Clean, Sanitize keg.
- Purge O2 out of keg.
- Rack beer to keg.
- Seal keg.
- Purge O2 again.
- Place keg in fridge.
- Set regulator to desired PSI (10-12 usually).
- Attach gas line.
- Leave alone for at least a week.
- Enjoy beer.

there i fixed it for you.
 
How do you purge the O2 from the keg prior to putting the beer into it? :confused:

Same as you would with beer in it. Co2 weighs more than oxygen so it will sink to the bottom and push the O2 to the top. So hook the gas up to the keg... vent it... hook it up... vent it... etc.
 
I think the only way you could do that effectively is if you did a closed transfer, which most of us don't. It'd be redundant to purge the oxygen and then open the lid to fill it. You need to fill it, THEN purge the oxygen.
 
It'd be redundant to purge the oxygen and then open the lid to fill it.

I respectfully disagree. Purging the O2 prior to racking creates a "cloud" of Co2 on the bottom of the keg. Opening the keg to rack doesn't allow oxygen in any more than opening the carboy for a gravity reading. You have a cloud of Co2 protecting both. Is is absolutely necessary to always purge the O2 prior to racking, not really, I don't always do it. But it doesn't hurt.
 
maffewl said:
I respectfully disagree. Purging the O2 prior to racking creates a "cloud" of Co2 on the bottom of the keg. Opening the keg to rack doesn't allow oxygen in any more than opening the carboy for a gravity reading. You have a cloud of Co2 protecting both. Is is absolutely necessary to always purge the O2 prior to racking, not really, I don't always do it. But it doesn't hurt.

I would think the amount of time the lid is open to fill the keg would allow the co2 cloud to escape and the oxygen to get in just as well, no? As you put the liquid in, the space that the liquid takes up will push any gas, co2 or oxygen out of the top, so in struggling to see the point of putting co2 In and then letting it all escape out as you fill it. I know it's not a lot, but it seems like a waste of co2.
As for opening the carboy for gravity readings, you are still exposing it to oxygen. It's not as if the co2 remains dormant and just sits there, ya know? Hopefully you'll only have it open for a couple seconds and then close it back up. Otherwise, by your point, air locks would be useless.
If I have come off jerky, I don't mean to. Just trying to plea my case
 
I would think the amount of time the lid is open to fill the keg would allow the co2 cloud to escape and the oxygen to get in just as well, no? As you put the liquid in, the space that the liquid takes up will push any gas, co2 or oxygen out of the top, so in struggling to see the point of putting co2 In and then letting it all escape out as you fill it. I know it's not a lot, but it seems like a waste of co2.
As for opening the carboy for gravity readings, you are still exposing it to oxygen. It's not as if the co2 remains dormant and just sits there, ya know? Hopefully you'll only have it open for a couple seconds and then close it back up. Otherwise, by your point, air locks would be useless.
If I have come off jerky, I don't mean to. Just trying to plea my case

i agree with purging prior to racking, i do it but it is part of my cleaning also. clean sanitize and push the sanitizer out with co2. then i can leave the keg sealed and pressurized until i am ready to fill it. It will still need the O2 bleed off after filling, but it does provide some oxygen protection.
 
Lucky_Chicken said:
i agree with purging prior to racking, i do it but it is part of my cleaning also. clean sanitize and push the sanitizer out with co2. then i can leave the keg sealed and pressurized until i am ready to fill it. It will still need the O2 bleed off after filling, but it does provide some oxygen protection.

Sounds like the best plan to me!
 
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