1st time Kegging

Title says it all. I have a Falconers Flight IPA that I brewed for a camping trip at the end of May. My goal is to have it totally conditioned so I left myself tons of time.
Here is what I've done so far:
Fermented primary for 2wks.
Racked to secondary on 1st dry hop addition. Left for 5 days.
Today I removed the first hop bag and added the 2nd dry hop addition. This beer smells and tastes incredible already.

Now is where I'm unsure. I plan to let this dry hop addition simmer for 7 days before I rack it to the keg. I plan to use the "saturation over time" method and let the keg sit at room temperature (my only means) at 27psi for a week to carbonate. Sound good?
NOW comes the tricky part... I know I have to purge the oxygen from the keg and top it off with co2 when I rack it to the keg either way. But should I carbonate it right away and let it sit carbonated for a month, or should I let it sit uncarbed and carbonate a week or two before I plan to drink it?

That was an earful. Thanks to all who reply. Any help is wonderful.
Cheers!

 

once you get it in the keg and put c02 to it, just open the prv briefly a few times. that purges the oxygen out then you can do your pressurized sitting. You could set the pressure lower (around 12 or so) and it will take longer to carb but would be done by the end of may. it will be fine either way. when do you plan to chill and how do you intend to serve?

 

Good to know. Thank you! I plan to take it to my workplace to chill it down for a couple days prior to leaving. I'll just be placing in an ice bucket and serving with a regular tapper. I plan on making a jockey box in the near future, but probably not before May.

I suppose why I'm asking is because when I've bottled they've tasted so much better after more than a few weeks. I just wasn't sure if it being carbed longer made any of that difference.

 

Rack the brew to your keg and follow the table for your pressure- somewhere around 27 like you said. You should be good to go after a few weeks at that temp.
http://www.kegerators.com/carbonation-table.php
Also- pull off a glass or so before you disturb the tank and take it on your camping trip.
That will clear most of the bottom dregs out before you disturb the keg. Transport it good and cold and with as little 'shaking it up' as possible.


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Thanks for the suggestion about drawing off the first glass or two. Didn't think of that but it makes so much sense. Cheers!


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nah- it's the time since fermentation that makes the most difference, as things settle out of suspension, residual yeast activity changes flavor compounds, stuff that nobody is 100% sure about but that happen over a few weeks after fermentation. pressure can affect flocculation of the yeast, as of course can temperature, so in that sense they may drop a bit more quickly when carbed up, but that's probably a relatively minor contributor to why beer tastes better after a couple weeks. i mean, yeast dropping out is probably a major contributor, pressure affecting the process is probably minor. i saw 'probably' since i am really speculating.

 

So it has been on the gas at 27psi since Wednesday. Once a day I would shake it and hear the co2 cylinder push a little more gas into it. Yesterday when I shook it, it wouldn't push any more gas into it. Does this mean its done? Also, is there a way of testing it? I'll reiterate that it's sitting warm at this point.

Thanks!

 

Chill it. Taste it. Let us know.

27 sounds high. I jack to 20-25 and shake for a few days if trying to force carb fast. After that, I dial down to 7-12 depending on the brew. It seems like more than a week at 20 results in too much carb. I also carb cold starting right after racking to the keg.