Keg O Riffic!

[phyllobeddo]

Today was my first time kegging. One of the reasons I quit brewing beer a few years ago was due to bottling. It’s too time consuming and I don’t care for bottle conditioned beer. I simply hate bottling.

I recently got a three gallon corny keg setup from MWS after deciding that I needed to get back into brewing. The five gallons kegs are cheaper, but due to space constraints I went with the three gallon kit.

My Cream Ale had been in the wine fridge for a couple of days already at about 39 degrees. I sanitized the keg with Star San and then pressurized it and ran Star San through the picnic tap. I let the keg drip dry and then transferred the beer to the keg. Then I hooked it all up and turned the dial to about 12 PSI after bleeding air out of the keg. From what I’ve read, it’ll be fully carbed in about two weeks. I’m in no hurry right now, so I went with the set it and forget it method instead of turning it to 30 or 40 PSI for a couple of days. There was a big learning curve for me today, but it beat the heck out of bottling.

Eventually, I would like to get a filtering kit and another keg. I definitely need another keg, definitely!

 

[k1ngl1ves]

It won't be long, and you'll have more than two! Kegging saved my brewing hobby as well. Now I brew 6 gallons, keg 5, and bottle 1(about a 12 pack, give or take) for convenience.

You don't need a filter kit if you use a clearing agent and cold crash. Either use whirlfloc in the boil, or gelatin(recommended) in the keg... or both! Take care when racking.

Don't waste your money on a filter setup. Use it for more kegs or to build a keezer!!!

I built my keezer for about $150. Always good deals on craigslist for chest freezers!

 

[phyllobeddo]

I've definitely gotta get more kegs! Kegging that batch yesterday was such a breeze compared to filling and capping 50 bottles. It was much more enjoyable.

This is the first time that I have tried cold crashing a batch. This batch looks pretty good so far in terms of clarity. I have some whirlfloc tablets, but I forgot to use it on this one! I have not tried gelatin before.

I have a chest freezer in the basement that may or may not work, but I don't think that the wife is going to let me use if for a keezer anyway. smh

 

[bradpoff]

My last batch is absolutely crystal clear. Didn't have time to transfer to the keg before a trip so I just dropped the temp on the chest freezer with the STC 1000 build on it--took it to 33 F. Sat in there for about a week before I could get to it. Mixed up the gelatin, cooled it, poured in the keg, transferred the beer, put it in the frig at ~40, set the CO2 to 30 for a day. Friends were over the next night and I bought beer for the evening figuring mine wouldn't be ready but we decided we wanted to taste it even if undercarbed--it was perfect. Dropped the gas to ~10 and it has been great since.

Normally I cold crash in the keg but I thought why not in the secondary. Worked great.

Did I mention it is absolutely clear!!