A Couple of Kegging Questions

[grampska]

1) I just moved my first naturally carbed keg into the kegereator tonight and when I pulled the relief valve it was a foam geyser. I followed the priming sugar calculations for kegging which was (if I remember correctly) 2.8oz for 5 gals at 40degs. Should I have released pressure throughout the week?

2) Are there any kegs that are a couple inches shorter than cornies? I guess that would be the height of a sanke. I could fit four kegs instead of 2 inside my kegereator but the back half loses a few inches due to the compressor.

TIA

 

[Hammy71]

I usually pull the relief valve on the kegs after they have chilled. Leave it in your kegerator for a day and then pull the valve. You should have less pressure because the beer will absorb more of the CO2 when cold. Then hook up your gas line. My smaller kegger is the same as yours and I can only get 2 in it. I thought about getting some 3 gallon kegs but they are an arm and a leg compared to 5s....

 

[grampska]

I would have normally waited until it was cooled but I had a corny-lid mismatch and was half-way through prepping a second batch to keg.

Note to self when cleaning more than one keg at a time: Remember which parts go with which keg.

 

[Hammy71]

I would have normally waited until it was cooled but I had a corny-lid mismatch and was half-way through prepping a second batch to keg.

Note to self when cleaning more than one keg at a time: Remember which parts go with which keg.

U ain't lyin! I religiously do one keg at a time for that very reason.

 

[brewingkitty]

me too!

 

[GSM]

Note to self when cleaning more than one keg at a time: Remember which parts go with which keg.

wish i had known this earlier ...... i found out the hard way but now I know.

 

[brewingkitty]

one can't think of everything, now can one??

 

[Naked_Eskimo]

I wasn't aware that you needed to relieve the pressure on the keg after naturally carbing before hitting with CO2

 

[Yooper]

I wasn't aware that you needed to relieve the pressure on the keg after naturally carbing before hitting with CO2

Well, it's probably not strictly necessary. Because when you chill the keg the co2 should be absorbed into the beer, in a perfect scenario you wouldn't have to pull the pressure relief.

I just read that you used nearly 3 ounces of priming sugar, though. That's quite a bit- I usually use 2 ounces. Maybe that extra ounce caused more carbonation? I don't know, but since it was foamy, pulling the co2 relief valve will help equalize the pressure.

 

[remilard]

Pin lock cornies are somewhat shorter and somewhat wider than ball lock.

Some outfit is selling pin locks that have been retrofitted to ball lock, can't remember who though.

 

[Naked_Eskimo]

Well, it's probably not strictly necessary. Because when you chill the keg the co2 should be absorbed into the beer, in a perfect scenario you wouldn't have to pull the pressure relief.

I just read that you used nearly 3 ounces of priming sugar, though. That's quite a bit- I usually use 2 ounces. Maybe that extra ounce caused more carbonation? I don't know, but since it was foamy, pulling the co2 relief valve will help equalize the pressure.

If you pull the CO2 release valve, are you venting just the CO2 in the headspace, or are you de-carbing your brew to some degree?

I just realized I have a keg carbing naturally at the moment and it's going to be waaaaaay overcarbed. Used 2oz priming sugar for a 2.5gallon batch. Forgot about the "fact" that you're only supposed to use 1/3-2/3 of the priming sugar you would if bottling.

I might have a foam geyser myself sometime soon

 

[Yooper]

If you pull the CO2 release valve, are you venting just the CO2 in the headspace, or are you de-carbing your brew to some degree?

I just realized I have a keg carbing naturally at the moment and it's going to be waaaaaay overcarbed. Used 2oz priming sugar for a 2.5gallon batch. Forgot about the "fact" that you're only supposed to use 1/3-2/3 of the priming sugar you would if bottling.

I might have a foam geyser myself sometime soon

Well, if you chill it and purge it, it might be fine.

 

[Naked_Eskimo]

Yoop, what is the science behind using less priming sugar if you're carbing in keg vs bottle at the same temps?

I suspect if I am going to prime naturally, I'll purposely undercarb from now on and let the CO2 gas finish the job.

 

[pkeeler]

What is the point of naturally carbing if you are going to release the CO2 formed? Seems like a complete waste of time and priming sugar. Where did such a silly idea ever get started?

 

[Yooper]

What is the point of naturally carbing if you are going to release the CO2 formed? Seems like a complete waste of time and priming sugar. Where did such a silly idea ever get started?

Because if it's overcarbed, and you hook it up without purging especially if it's warm, beer can back up into your regulator.

Using less sugar in a keg vs. bottles is because of the relative amount of headspace. In bottling, there is headspace in each bottle. In a keg, there is headspace but comparatively less for the volume.

 

[Hammy71]

What is the point of naturally carbing if you are going to release the CO2 formed? Seems like a complete waste of time and priming sugar. Where did such a silly idea ever get started?

Like Yooper said...your protecting you regulator. Venting the 1" of head space in your keg won't 'uncarb' your beer. You'll immediately replace it with the CO2 from your tank. Which...is considerably less CO2 than it would take to force carb the beer.

 

[pkeeler]

Like Yooper said...your protecting you regulator. Venting the 1" of head space in your keg won't 'uncarb' your beer. You'll immediately replace it with the CO2 from your tank. Which...is considerably less CO2 than it would take to force carb the beer.

You could just turn your regulator up and/or use a check valve. But I guess it doesn't matter too much. Just seems like a waste. Sorry, if I'm cranky this morning, it is the rain.