Help using my keezer and kegs to lager

[mcfire12]

Hi guys, I'm an extract guy who's done about 5 brews now, figured i'd try a lager this time around, my all grain buddies have done a few and have made a lager chamber. I don't really want to build one right now. I built a keezer and it's currently setting empty and unplugged due to not having time to brew lately. So anyway, I ordered some stuff to brew my first lager, an attempt at something like sam adams .

My plan is to brew and dump into my primary bucket for 2 weeks or so, then bring it to 62* for 2-3 days. The next step is what I have some questions on. I really don't want to attempt to lift my big glass carboy in or out of the keezer.

Can I rack out of my primary bucket into a keg and follow the steps on dropping the temp a few degrees every day till it's at lagering temp?

Does it need to be under gas at this point to seal the keg?

I'm sure i'll have some junk that settles after a few weeks. I hate having a cloudy beer, is there a good way to rack it to a final keg when it's ready without stirring up the junk on the bottom? Or will you simply just ditch the first few pints out of the keg? That sounds like a bummer.

Still pretty new at all of this, any advice is appreciated! Definitely my first lager

 

[rekoob]

I think it will be difficult to get a syphon going and keeping it going with the two vessels at the same height. Get someone to help you put it in and take it out.

After you fill your keg, you should purge with gas to get all the O2 out and then pressurize the keg to keep it closed. After that you don't need to keep CO2 on it but then it's not going to carbonate.

 

[chickypad]

I always go straight from primary and lager in the keg. If I have the extra gas line available I go ahead and hook it to gas at the same time, if not I seal with a burst of CO2 then hit it again when it's fully chilled, seems to work fine. If you want to move it to a serving keg afterwards that's fine, make a jumper line from liquid to liquid side. I never usually don't bother with any of my kegs though, as long as you don't move the keg around every thing after the first pint or so is clear.

 

[mcfire12]

Well that's all good news. So I can just rack right into the keg and go ahead and start the lager process. So what kind of psi are you putting it under while doing that? I'll have all my gas lines available as there is nothing in the keezer at the moment. I still have a hard time believing you only get a pint or 2 of crud out of it then it's clear.

 

[chickypad]

I do set and forget so I just set it to the equilibrium pressure and leave it (for most of my beers that's 14 psi, my keezer is at 41-42, for about 2.5-2.6 vols). I go straight to keg for all my beers, they are usually clear going in though with whirfloc, good healthy fermentation, +/- a cold crash. In effect they are all getting "lagered" in the keg. There will be a light layer of yeast in the bottom of the keg after it kicks but as I said as long as I don't move them around it's really just the first pint that is gunky.

 

[1MadScientist]

You can put a spunding valve on that keg during lagering and possibly it will self carbonate or partially carbonate too.

MS