Finished up and wanna keg.

I brewed a Porter about four weeks ago. I went from 1.062 to ~1.015, the recipe called for the OG to be ~1.057 and to finish at ~1.012.

I checked FG a few days now and its constant, The beer tastes good and I ma happy with the flavor so I'm ready to Keg, I placed my carboy primary in the frig at 40F for the last 24 hours to settle it out and clear up the beer.

I have the keg all cleaned up.

I am planning on carbonating the following way. Rack the beer over and pressurize to about 40PSI for two days. Then I'll drop the pressure down to 8PSI and see what its like. My questions are as follows. I'm not going to shake the beer or anything like that.

Will this work? Will I be happy with the results?
Do I keep my keg attached to the [email protected] tank at 40 PSI for the two days? Or pressurize it and then disconnect the keg?
What trouble could I run into?
Do I always keep 8PSI on the keg all of the time? Open valve to the CO2 at 8PSI?
Is there any obvious kegging knowledge that I am overlooking?

 

When I first started kegging, I used to do the high pressure for the first 2-3 days (I think I used to use 30 psi) and then drop it down. But once I forgot that I had it set high for about a week. I dropped down the pressure and bled off the keg, but it was overcarbed, and the pours were a foamy mess. Using some advice I found on posts here I was eventually able to salvage it, but it was a lot of work.

Thanks to that experience I am a firm believer in "set it and forget it" now. not only do I not have to worry about it getting overcarbed, but after sitting in the keg for a few weeks on the CO2, to me the beer tastes much better. I'm guessing that the beer was still a little "green" when I used to try and rush things.

Sure, you don't get to enjoy your homebrew as quickly as you'd like, but that's why you need to brew more often to keep that pipeline full!

 

Will this work? Will I be happy with the results?

yes, decrease pressure after two days, sample, if not carbed to your desire give in another day. I usually carb 3 days at 30 psi
Do I keep my keg attached to the [email protected] tank at 40 PSI for the two days? Or pressurize it and then disconnect the keg?

keep connected
What trouble could I run into?

dwarves
Do I always keep 8PSI on the keg all of the time? Open valve to the CO2 at 8PSI?

Depends on the length of your serving line, you will need to experiment
Is there any obvious kegging knowledge that I am overlooking?

http://www.homebrewtalk.com/wiki/index.php/Kegging

 

I just do the set and forget at 10psi. Works perfect and I have carbed beer in a week.

 

I have tried it both ways. I'll put it at 30 psi for a few days then drop it down to 5-8. but if your not in a big hurry just set it at 8psi and call it good. Should be ready in a week.

 

I think I'll set and forget for this time through.

Is it required to purge the keg of air with CO2 or anything? Any secrets that would make it easier for a first timer?

I'll have my CO2 with my keg in the frig for a few days till I get a hole cut for the CO2 line to the outside of the fridge. And I know to be very careful cutting the hole.

 

I fill my kegs with sanitizer, hook up to gas, run some sanitzer through the whole thing, dump the rest of the sanitizer, fill the keg with the beer using a siphon, cap the keg, hook up gas and turn on, pull relief valve a few time ensuring no O2 is in the keg then , finally, I put the keg on gas in the fridge.

 

Hmmm I didn't flush the O2 out...I don't have a pull relief valve, I disconnect the CO2 line and push in the pin when I get home tonight. How did I miss something that simple......GRrrr

 

RDWHAHB it will be fine, everyone does it a little different

 

OK so I tried some of my porter this weekend. The head is fair but there is really no carbonization bubbling throughout and it seems to die down rather fast. The head disappears and the lacing stays to the sides.

Any ideas or did I do everything right?

 

I've had the keg at about 10psi since the 20th of October.

 

At what temp?

 

I had it at 40 degrees