Kegging My first Cider

Hello All,

I'm kegging my first cider tonight or tomorrow (started the batch 1/26/13) and I'm very excited... For those of you who have kegged cider before, any tips or ticks you'd suggest.

I'd like a little carbonation to the cider, should I push the PSI to 30lbs and leave the CO2 tank on the keg, or can i get the PSI to 30lbs, leave it for an hour and take it of the CO2 until we're ready to drink it?

How long do you think it'll last in the keg? Do i need to pasteurize the corney keg after putting the cider in?

I'd keg the cider, push the PSI to 30lbs to seal the keg, and let it keg condition for a few more weeks/months. When you're ready to drink, pop it in your kegarator, chill it, set your CO2 to serving pressure and let it carb up for a week or so. Should be good to drink after that.

Did you back-sweeten the cider with anything? If not, and the fermentation was complete, you shouldn't have to pasteurize anything.

Thanks for the advice, I put it up to 30 psi, now I'll let it sit for a few weeks. I didn't back-sweeten and fermentation was complete.

I'll let you know how it tastes in March.

Thanks.

Just to let you know, my Cider is properly carbed, and very dry and tasty.

jonurban said:

Just to let you know, my Cider is properly carbed, and very dry and tasty.

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NICE! I plan to do my first Kegging soon, hope I'm successful...

Badger, I see you have a Pear in your secondary, how'd you do it... also how did you get the cedar in your apple cedar cherry?

I keg lots of cider and I always recommend the low and slow method. That is, let it sit at about 40F for six days on 10psi. This gives a little less than 2 volumes of carbonation.

While jacking up the pressure really high to 30psi works, it isn't very consistent. If you can manage to wait a week for the low and slow approach, it will be perfect every single time.

Force carbonating cider is the same as force carbonating beer, so you can use a force carbonation chart to figure out how much pressure to apply given the temperature of your beer.

MrFinstad said:

I keg lots of cider and I always recommend the low and slow method. That is, let it sit at about 40F for six days on 10psi. This gives a little less than 2 volumes of carbonation.

While jacking up the pressure really high to 30psi works, it isn't very consistent. If you can manage to wait a week for the low and slow approach, it will be perfect every single time.

Force carbonating cider is the same as force carbonating beer, so you can use a force carbonation chart to figure out how much pressure to apply given the temperature of your beer.

Click to expand...

Can you explain how to use the chart? If my cider is at 40°F and I want 2.3 volumes it says 10PSI? It does not mention time?
And you said 30psi. I think I need some carbonation schooling here

I heard the slow carb charts are over a 3-5 day period.

Using the Keg Carbonation Chart

The Slow Forced Carbonation Chart Below features a graph that uses pressure vs. temperature. The interior numbers of the chart refer to the Volumes of CO2

that will be present in your beer after carbonating.

Figure out what style of beer you will be force carbonating.
Figure out what temperature your keg will be at while carbonating.
Find where the color (style of beer) and temperature meet on the chart. This should be your desired force carbonation pressure.
Note: Depending on your beer, you may notice that you are able to chose from a range of pressures. This is where you can take the liberty to add in your own personal preference; If you prefer a beer with a little more carbonation, go towards the high end of what the chart is telling you. And on the other hand, if you prefer a less carbonated ale, set your pressure on the lower end.

jonurban said:

I got this from blog.******:

Using the Keg Carbonation Chart

The Slow Forced Carbonation Chart Below features a graph that uses pressure vs. temperature. The interior numbers of the chart refer to the Volumes of CO2

that will be present in your beer after carbonating.

Figure out what style of beer you will be force carbonating.
Figure out what temperature your keg will be at while carbonating.
Find where the color (style of beer) and temperature meet on the chart. This should be your desired force carbonation pressure.
Note: Depending on your beer, you may notice that you are able to chose from a range of pressures. This is where you can take the liberty to add in your own personal preference; If you prefer a beer with a little more carbonation, go towards the high end of what the chart is telling you. And on the other hand, if you prefer a less carbonated ale, set your pressure on the lower end.

Click to expand...

I got that.... I am just stuck on trying to figure out how long to do this for to get the desired effect?
Again, I see the PSI and I see the temperature in degrees Fahrenheit but I do not see a time associated with this process. My question is about time.
At 40°F and 2.3 volumes of CO2 the correct psi says 10.... But how long?

Am I supposed to force carbonate at say 30 PSI and then turn the CO2 regulator down once it's finished to say 10 PSI to hold the 2.3 volume?

Let's start over.... I will give a scenario and maybe you can tell me how to force carbonate and then set the pressure to where I want:

Say you're putting 3 gallons of cider into a 5 gallon corny keg and your cider is not yet carbonated, Say your temperature is 40°F in the kegerator, now you want 2.3 volumes of CO2
GO!

jonurban said:

I heard the slow carb charts are over a 3-5 day period.

Using the Keg Carbonation Chart

The Slow Forced Carbonation Chart Below features a graph that uses pressure vs. temperature. The interior numbers of the chart refer to the Volumes of CO2

that will be present in your beer after carbonating.

Figure out what style of beer you will be force carbonating.
Figure out what temperature your keg will be at while carbonating.
Find where the color (style of beer) and temperature meet on the chart. This should be your desired force carbonation pressure.
Note: Depending on your beer, you may notice that you are able to chose from a range of pressures. This is where you can take the liberty to add in your own personal preference; If you prefer a beer with a little more carbonation, go towards the high end of what the chart is telling you. And on the other hand, if you prefer a less carbonated ale, set your pressure on the lower end.

Click to expand...

I see you edited.... Thanks... Much easier for me to understand now. (Kind of a visual learner)

What jonurban said is right on. What you're probably wondering is what carbonation level you want for cider. Most draft cider contains around 2 volumes of CO2. For commercial cider makers there's is actually a legal limit of 3.98mg/l, which is just under 2 volumes. If a commercial producer goes above this, they pay 5,000% more tax!

Since you aren't paying any silly taxes, so you can carbonate it however you like. French cider is often more highly carbonated, going as high as 4 volumes of CO2.

Earlier I was a little off when I said I carbonated at 40F and 10 PSI to get just under 2 volumes. What I should have said was I got just over 2 volumes of CO2 as per the chart.

The amount of time it takes the CO2 to dissolve is depends on a few variables. For most ciders at 40F, I get full carbonation within 7 days. If I shake the kegs a little every day, it goes a little faster. If I use a carbonation stone, I can keg it is done within two days.

Here's how to carbonate in the example you gave:
1. Adjust CO2 pressure to 10 PSI
2. Connect the Co2 to the keg and purge the headspace with co2.
3. Leave CO2 connected to keg at 10 psi for a week.
4. Drink your carbonated cider!

P.S. If you balance your draft system with the correct length and diameter of beverage line, you should be able to serve your cider with the regulator set to 10psi.

MrFinstad said:

Here's how to carbonate in the example you gave:
1. Adjust CO2 pressure to 10 PSI
2. Connect the Co2 to the keg and purge the headspace with co2.
3. Leave CO2 connected to keg at 10 psi for a week.
4. Drink your carbonated cider!

P.S. If you balance your draft system with the correct length and diameter of beverage line, you should be able to serve your cider with the regulator set to 10psi.

Click to expand...

NICE! Thanks guys...

MrFinstad said:

For commercial cider makers there's is actually a legal limit of 3.98mg/l, which is just under 2 volumes. If a commercial producer goes above this, they pay 5,000% more tax!

Click to expand...

Wow, I never realized this, what is the tax for? I can't wait to bring that up in conversation!

MrFinstad said:

. If I use a carbonation stone, I can keg it is done within two days.

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What is a carbonating stone and do you put it inside a keg? I thought this was a big stone with a co2 vent that they use in production inside the big bright tank?

I might be able to help. I just started kegging cider myself, and the same question of "how long" to achieve the volume the chart was telling me I would end up at. I think the chart is telling you the "maximum" you will achieve. In other words, perhaps after 1 week you end up with the carbonation the chart tells you. But the chart number is a number you will not exceed, even if left on indefinitely. The minimum time to achieve the chart result is actually the question. The answer seems to always be a week or two.

jonurban said:

Wow, I never realized this, what is the tax for? I can't wait to bring that up in conversation!

Click to expand...

I know if you go over a particular carbonation level in wine, they tax it like champagne...as a luxury item. If you keep it below a specific CO2 level it's just bubbly and is still taxed as a wine. I assume it's the same for cider?