Buying a Keg Today! Double IPA carb method?

Ok, so I sort of impulsively decided to skip bottling and go straight to kegging. I don't have any equipment yet, except the garage fridge I'm going to convert to a kegerator.

I plan to buy a ball-lock 5gallon keg today, then source the hardware within the next couple of weeks so that the beer's ready to drink once I'm done.

My dilemma: I've read that DIPA's/IPA's should be drank "young". I've dry hopped with loose leafs and am cold crashing now. This means I should force carb to get the best taste profile?

My first batch (dry-hopped Amber Ale) is still carbing in bottles after 2.5 months, so I'm worried that I suck at that method

So force carb or prime with corn sugar?

Thanks in advance! I'm still reading through all the info...

To force carb you need to have the beer on gas at all times, co2 absorbs into solution faster at colder temps, something you have against you.
In your situation i would go with corn sugar just because its easy and like you said once you have the kegerator up and running after a 24 hour chill the keg should be ready to drink.

When they say drink "fresh" IMO means 90 days from packaging date(if it even lasts that long). Ive never had an IPA or DIPA turn or oxidize, let alone any batch.
One thing to rememebr is to ALWAYS flush/purge out oxygen with co2 before racking into the keg.

Also 2 months is a very long time to go without having any carb in the bottles.

Johnnyhitch1 said:

One thing to rememebr is to ALWAYS flush/purge out oxygen with co2 before racking into the keg.

Also 2 months is a very long time to go without having any carb in the bottles.

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Well I guess that rules out kegging it today since I don't have the rest of the setup.

Also, that beer has plenty of CO2, it just isn't absorbed yet? The bubbles just escape and leave me with too much head and flat beer...

PGEduardo said:

Well I guess that rules out kegging it today since I don't have the rest of the setup.

Also, that beer has plenty of CO2, it just isn't absorbed yet? The bubbles just escape and leave me with too much head and flat beer...

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This means its OVERcarbed. When you pop the top and if left, does beer start to foam out? If not, leave it on the counter for 5min after opening and GENTLY pour into a clean CHILLED glass at a 45* angle. SLowly tilt the glass straight towards the end. You should be able to get a good pour this way.
Use less priming sugar or make sure fermentation is finished next time!

You can also burp your bottles. I did this with a batch I way over carbed. I pried on the cap to release pressure a few times and it calmed down the excessive foaming. It still foamed but now I could actually pour the beer without 90% foam.

I think the issue was more that the CO2 wasn't absorbed. After letting it sit the beer still felt flat. It did seem to progress a bit as of one month ago. I'll cold crash again tomorrow and see if it rounded out .

Also, I got a steal on a keezer so I did keg my DIPA. Hopefully that's ready to go when I get home tomorrow...

PGEduardo said:

I think the issue was more that the CO2 wasn't absorbed. After letting it sit the beer still felt flat. It did seem to progress a bit as of one month ago. I'll cold crash again tomorrow and see if it rounded out .

Also, I got a steal on a keezer so I did keg my DIPA. Hopefully that's ready to go when I get home tomorrow...

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You should chill the bottles for a few days before drinking them. This helps to get the CO2 into solution as well as compact the yeast sediment.

^I did keep them in the fridge for up to a week and no help. I put one in the garage near 80F and that seemed to help a bit, so I'm hoping it is just taking awhile. I plan to try the beer again this weekend...