Conditioning in Corny keg

I think this is a question about my timing....

I have room to run one corny at a time in my kegerator. When I carb one keg and get it going, I'd like to start another batch of beer so I don't have a time gap waiting when keg one is finished which lasts about one month around here.

So I plan to rack the beer into a sanitized corny and make a solution of priming sugar which I will put in bottom of corny. Rack beer into corny without much agitation except a very light stir with a long sanitized spoon to mix priming sugar. Seal, top off with CO2, purge and check for leaks then put in 68F room to carb naturally. For a pale ale, I figure about two weeks in primary/secondary fermentation then about two weeks to naturally carbonate and finish conditioning in the corny.

If my timing is right, this will keep me with a fresh keg on hand at all times without a long time lag. Does this look like a reasonable approach to producing beer in a reasonable manner? Any suggestions or is this a workable approach? Thanks!!

Perfectly workable. Many of us do just that. Don't worry about mixing the carbing sugar in. It's not like bottling, where you have to make sure the sugar is evenly distributed. Siphoning the beer into the keg will swirl the sugar around plenty. I've done this for years.

The only thing that I would be concerned with is the layer of yeast that settles to the bottom; how many pints must be drawn off before that problem dissipates? I leave the last 1/4" or so of beer in my bottles so I don't get the yeast in the glass; seems to me a similar issue exists with this.

Not saying not to do it, just that I'm wondering how those who carb this way deal with that issue.

That said, I know there's a device out there that draws beer from the top of the keg not the bottom; it floats on top and draws from there, and the flexible tube allows it to follow the beer down as it's drained.

mongoose33 said:

The only thing that I would be concerned with is the layer of yeast that settles to the bottom; how many pints must be drawn off before that problem dissipates? I leave the last 1/4" or so of beer in my bottles so I don't get the yeast in the glass; seems to me a similar issue exists with this.

Not saying not to do it, just that I'm wondering how those who carb this way deal with that issue.

That said, I know there's a device out there that draws beer from the top of the keg not the bottom; it floats on top and draws from there, and the flexible tube allows it to follow the beer down as it's drained.

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mongoose33 do you happen to know where to look for a device that pulls from the top? I realize there will be a thin layer of sediment pulling from the corny at first if I keg carbonate naturally with priming sugar, question is how many pint draws it will take to clear?

Morrey said:

mongoose33 do you happen to know where to look for a device that pulls from the top? I realize there will be a thin layer of sediment pulling from the corny at first if I keg carbonate naturally with priming sugar, question is how many pint draws it will take to clear?

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Less than one pint. Generally, if you let the beer sit and don't move it for a day or two when you put it in the kegerator, the only sediment will come out in the first 3-4 ounces.

There may be more in there, but if you don't move the keg, it won't suck up any sediment that isn't around the dip tube.

Morrey said:

mongoose33 do you happen to know where to look for a device that pulls from the top? I realize there will be a thin layer of sediment pulling from the corny at first if I keg carbonate naturally with priming sugar, question is how many pint draws it will take to clear?

Click to expand...

Here's one of them:

http://www.shop.clearbeerdraughtsystem.com/

The pics showing how it works:

http://www.clearbeerdraughtsystem.com/info.html

A little pricey if you ask me. I recall reading here about a DIY version of the same thing. If I find it I'll post it.

EDITED TO ADD: Here's the thread. There's at least one DIY method there:

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/showthread.php?t=275638&highlight=clear+draught+system

Yooper said:

Less than one pint. Generally, if you let the beer sit and don't move it for a day or two when you put it in the kegerator, the only sediment will come out in the first 3-4 ounces.

There may be more in there, but if you don't move the keg, it won't suck up any sediment that isn't around the dip tube.

Click to expand...

This.

I typically dump the first half glass out of each keg. As long as you don't move the keg around afterwards you get clear beer until it kicks. With my kegerator I occasionally have to move the front keg to change the rear keg when it empties. Same applies after a move though, usually only a half glass of beer wasted before it starts pouring clear again.