Primary to Keg CO2 technique?

Hi - I'm bypassing the secondary on my current batch for the first time and going straight to keg after 2 weeks or so in the primary. From searching the forums, it sounds like I want to rack to the keg and then fill with CO2 and purge a 2-3 times to eliminate the air.

Question is - how do I leave it? Do I finish with a final shot of CO2 to make sure the keg is sealed again? If I do, what PSI should be used? Or, do I leave it with just the blanket of CO2 on top with no pressure?

Any pros/cons to adding additional sugar at this point? I won't be, but curious if others had tried.

And, depending on style, it sounds like I should plan on about 2-3 weeks in the keg before hooking it up. Does that sound right?

Cheers!

I'm sure others will chime in but I'd let it go 3 weeks in the primary, maybe longer if it is a bigger beer. Fill the keg with CO2 before you rack. CO2 is heavier than air so as you fill keg the oxygen will be pushed out. When you close it up, just give it enough CO2 to seal it.

At this point it is ready for storage or carbonation.

arturo7 said:

I'm sure others will chime in but I'd let it go 3 weeks in the primary, maybe longer if it is a bigger beer. Fill the keg with CO2 before you rack. CO2 is heavier than air so as you fill keg the oxygen will be pushed out. When you close it up, just give it enough CO2 to seal it.

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+1, leave it alone for 3 week. I never purge my kegs before filling, The beer does that as it's filling the cornie. Just be sure to purge after putting the lid on to clear the headspace. I set the regulator to 30 psi hook it up, seal the lid, then give several "blasts" by pulling the pressure release.

Then depending on the style let it age. I never prime with sugar, but it's an option.

I push my beer with CO2 from carboy to keg using the more beer setup(Carboy cap and racking cane) then hit it with 30lbs and good to go.

Pretty much what you've already read, I use an Auto Siphon to siphon from the carboy into a clean, sanitized corney. I use starsan and I siphon right onto the foam.

When the keg's full, I install the lid, and run up the pressure to 25-30 pounds or so. I have pinlock kegs, so I don't have a pressure relief to pull, I have to use a screwdriver to depress the "gas in" poppit valve. Make sure you don't fill above the bottom of the gas in dip tube, or all you'll get out is liquid when you purge the keg (on pinlocks).

If there's no room in the keezer, then I keep the keg pressurized by hitting it with CO2 several times a day for two or three days, and then wait for a spot in the keezer.

It's all good!

How long until you'll be drinking that keg? If it's longer than three weeks, why not carb in the keg?

Add your priming sugar/dme and keg it up. Sometimes I purge the O2, but most times I don't. I just walk the keg back the hall to the keezer and hit it with my 30# hose from my reg. (instead of a plug on the "out" of the last secondary reg I have a 5' hose with a gas disconnect. It's a 30psi hose for carbing and sealing the keg. This way I don't have to disconnect a keg in use to seal a lid.)

B

I purge my keg briefly with CO2 (a few pennies of CO2 is cheap oxidation insurance), rack, top off with CO2, close up, pressurize, shake the keg a bit, stick it in the fridge (still hooked up to the CO2 -- at long-time storage pressure) and come back in a week. Voila, happy beer!


TL