first brew questions

So I've spent some time searching and can't find the exact answers to the questions I am needing answers to - so here is my first post!

I've brewed with friends in the past but working on my first Red Ale all by my lonesome -

Few Questions:

1. I am going to be kegging so I have a few questions in regards to that -

a. Can I use a keg as a secondary fermenter? if so what do I do about the airlock? Do i just close the keg and do it that way or will that not work

b. Should I essentially leave it in the carboy until it gets the proper s.g.?

c. I am a little uncertain of the process of going from the carboy to the keg ( i have a racking cane - but do I just siphon into the keg - what about the stuff at the bottom and the stuff at the top of the car boy? -

d. what is the process of force carbonation (i assume i don't need to use the priming sugar you would use for bottling?)

thanks for the help

Welcome aboard !

Here is a handy link that'll cover a lot of questions:

http://www.howtobrew.com/sitemap.html

I dont know anything about kegging....but here are some quick answers:

b) Yes...kind of...usually 1 week in primary fermentor, 2 weeks in secondary (depending on yeast/style/temp)..but this works for most beers.

c) The foam on top (krausen) will sink after a while (1-3 weeks) so it should not be an issue...you will then syphon off all the beer, and leave the bottom sediment behind..you will lose a bit of beer, but no worries.

Someone will let you know about kegging questions - or do a search on this for for "kegging"

Cheers.


Cheers.

Dont use an airlock, fill your keg pop about 10psi on it and every 3 days or so let some pressure off.

Leave in the carboy until its fermenting very slow
week and a half should be plenty if your fermenting at 68 ~70F

Dont worry about the stuff at the top of your carboy, leave the stuff at the bottom behind or pitch another brew on top of it....

Yes just siphon right into the keg, you can rig a jumper hose but its not a necessity it just helps keep oxygen off your beer.

Well, you can use priming sugar for the keg, but its not needed it just puts your beer through another fermenting process......

Leave your beer in the keg for 3 weeks or so it should be done by then, dont forget to relieve some of the pressure for a week or two. This also lets you know your keg is not leaking.

There is allot of info on force carbonation....Just do a quick search....
Good luck

Dark_Ale said:

Dont use an airlock, fill your keg pop about 10psi on it and every 3 days or so let some pressure off.

Leave in the carboy until its fermenting very slow
week and a half should be plenty if your fermenting at 68 ~70F

Dont worry about the stuff at the top of your carboy, leave the stuff at the bottom behind or pitch another brew on top of it....

Yes just siphon right into the keg, you can rig a jumper hose but its not a necessity it just helps keep oxygen off your beer.

Well, you can use priming sugar for the keg, but its not needed it just puts your beer through another fermenting process......

Leave your beer in the keg for 3 weeks or so it should be done by then, dont forget to relieve some of the pressure for a week or two. This also lets you know your keg is not leaking.

There is allot of info on force carbonation....Just do a quick search....
Good luck

Click to expand...

so do I let it sit in the keg for 3 weeks as a secondary fermentation and then rerack into another keg for the actually brew drinking?

Well you have a few choices.......Some just cut a little bit off of the pick up tube, so that when the yeast settles to the bottom you dont suck out a whole bunch of yeast in your brew.

What I like to do is transfer to another keg with a jumper hose, and dryhop. You can purge out all the oxygen, and just push the beer over with co2.

Hope this helps

If you have all th estuff why not rack to a secondary fo rth etwo weeks then keg? You r results will be better and you wont have to worry about all the yeast that is going to drop out. If you must I would suggest leaving it in primary for over the week maybe go 10 to 12 days than go to the keg and start to drop the temp.
the rule of thum is 1 week in primary 2 weeks in secondary 3 weeks in bottle or keg to contition.
Its all good RDWHAHB
JJ

jaybird said:

If you have all th estuff why not rack to a secondary fo rth etwo weeks then keg? You r results will be better and you wont have to worry about all the yeast that is going to drop out. If you must I would suggest leaving it in primary for over the week maybe go 10 to 12 days than go to the keg and start to drop the temp.
the rule of thum is 1 week in primary 2 weeks in secondary 3 weeks in bottle or keg to contition.
Its all good RDWHAHB
JJ

Click to expand...

I didn't buy a 2nd carboy yet - I am trying to figure out if I can use one of my 2kegs as a secondary fermenter though - one of you touched on putting it in there under 10psi - but not sure if that is the final keg you were talking about it being in or if I would then rerack into another keg?

It's fine to secondary in a keg. I do it all the time. Some of my brews I either just keep in primary a bit longer, and then condition in the keg and some I do a "true" secondary, allowing additional trub and sediment to drop out of my beer. In those cases I'd suggest you then transfer to another keg after the secondary period.

Use a hose from liquid out (secondary keg) to liquid in ("final" keg) and pressurize your secondary keg.
Release the safety valve in your final keg and transfer your beer.
Stop the transfer as soon as you see trub in your line (gotta be fast).