Kit instructions clarification with kegging

[Chiror0b]

I'm going to do a last minute Kolsch tomorrow, a kit sourced from Northern Brewer.

This isn't my first kit, but I've always wondered.... I don't bottle at all, just straight to the keg. The instructions typically say 1-2 weeks primary, 1-2 weeks secondary, 2 weeks bottle conditioning (or 3 months in the case of the belgian quad).


If I'm kegging, can I assume that final step is just to get the bottles to carb properly? Therefore I can crank the C02 to 35-40, shake and drink quick or set to serving pressure and drink in 3-5 days instead?

OR, is that additional 2 weeks more to allow the beer to age and not be "green"? (and then I'd still need whatever time to carb)

My keezer is almost done, so I'd really like to pop out a few quick just to get all the taps going. Can anything go from primary straight to keg, drinkable in 1-2 weeks?

 

[friarsmith]

Yes, the two week bottle conditioning recommendation is mainly to allow time for bottling sugar to work. The Kolsch style really benefits from 3-6 weeks or more of cold conditioning/lagering in the keg.

Wheat beers & Wits are great quick-turnaround beers and really are best when very fresh. My usual process for these beers is:

*7 days or so for primary

*Rack to keg and add either DME or Corn Sugar solution-- about 2/3 of the sugar you'd usually use for bottling as keg priming is more efficient

*Let keg sit in the same area as you fermented 4-5 days to carbonate like one BIG bottle

*Refrigerate a few days then enjoy. You'll probably only need to push enough CO2 to maintain head pressure in the keg. With all the unflocc'd yeast and addition of bottling sugar, these beers can get, shall we say, spritzy

 

[JONNYROTTEN]

Kit directions are outdated.Skip the secondary unless adding fruit,oak ETC.
Every beer style is different but for my IPA,pale ale,Irish red(most of my brews) I primary for 2 weeks at most,straight to keg,force carb and drink.It'll condition while I'm drinking it in the keg.