Adventures in kegging

[NordeastBrewer77]

So after reading everything I could find on the subject, I decided to buy a kegging system today. A five gal corny keg and a 7.5 lb co2 tank and regulator. I get the basics of force carbing and am ready to take on the task. But I have a few questions that keep getting at me.

1) can I used co2 pressure to run the iodine sanitizer solution through the valves and lines, or is just a soak all I need to do? (I'm worried about the valves getting clean inside)

2) after my beer has reached the desired carbonation level and I put a cap of co2 on appropriate for storing the keg, do I need to leave the co2 hooked up, or is the pressure inside enough to keep the beer carbed?

3) I plan on carbing the beer below 40 degrees F. If after it is carbed and pressurized for storing, can I store it at room temp or do I have to keep it in the fridge?

I know, RDWHAHB...... I just cracked one, but I hate going into things w/o knowing exactly what I'm doing, so if anyone can give me some insight, it'd be much appreciated.

 

[JMan551]

Subbed! Nice questions.

Jer

 

[Run3minman]

I just started doing the same, hoping you get some good answers.

 

[NordeastBrewer77]

I just started doing the same, hoping you get some good answers.

you n me both bro! There's a great sticky by Bobby M in the bottling/kegging section about force carbing, I read the whole thing and got alot of good info, but being as I am, I still wonder about a few things.

 

[Run3minman]

That's what I was just reading Thanks.

 

[Wig]

So after reading everything I could find on the subject, I decided to buy a kegging system today. A five gal corny keg and a 7.5 lb co2 tank and regulator. I get the basics of force carbing and am ready to take on the task. But I have a few questions that keep getting at me.

1) can I used co2 pressure to run the iodine sanitizer solution through the valves and lines, or is just a soak all I need to do? (I'm worried about the valves getting clean inside)

2) after my beer has reached the desired carbonation level and I put a cap of co2 on appropriate for storing the keg, do I need to leave the co2 hooked up, or is the pressure inside enough to keep the beer carbed?

3) I plan on carbing the beer below 40 degrees F. If after it is carbed and pressurized for storing, can I store it at room temp or do I have to keep it in the fridge?

I know, RDWHAHB...... I just cracked one, but I hate going into things w/o knowing exactly what I'm doing, so if anyone can give me some insight, it'd be much appreciated.

1. Yes, you can run it through. I do that with pbw and star san solution. In fact, how else will you clean your lines?
2. Unless you have a leak, it'll stay carbed. if you dispense beer and never hook the gas back up, it'll get less and less carbonated as the pressure above the beer decreases and ags comes out of the beer to equalize the pressure.
3. Temperature affects how much gas can dissolve in a liquid. Colder liquids can hold more dissolved gas. So when you raise the temps the gas wants to come out, but it will have no where to go, so the pressure will increase in the keg, your beer will carbonate more.

 

[LKABrewer]

Once the beer in the keg is carbed to the proper level and the gas is disconnected, it is just like a big bottle. You can raise or lower the temperature all you want, you are not going to get any more/less carbonation than what is already in the keg.

 

[NordeastBrewer77]

1. Yes, you can run it through. I do that with pbw and star san solution. In fact, how else will you clean your lines?
.

Ok, I'm probably obsessing over this, but after running Io-star through the lines, should I then run water through to rinse out the iodine and keep it out of my beer? Or is just letting it dry enough?

 

[malkore]

Well I use star-san, which can be drank when diluted to normal sanitizing solution strength.

So I just run it through, drain it...done.

You ARE obsessing its really not too big a deal.
Also you can disassemble the posts and disconnects to clean them occasionaly

 

[NordeastBrewer77]

You ARE obsessing its really not too big a deal.
Also you can disassemble the posts and disconnects to clean them occasionaly

Cool, that's good to know. I plan on kegging my first beer tomorrow morning before it gets up into the 80s again. My fernentors have AC, I don't. :rockin:

 

[bruin_ale]

3. Temperature affects how much gas can dissolve in a liquid. Colder liquids can hold more dissolved gas. So when you raise the temps the gas wants to come out, but it will have no where to go, so the pressure will increase in the keg, your beer will carbonate more.

This is incorrect. Once it's carbed to a certain level, raising the temp will raise the pressure in the keg (ie. P=VT) but the carbonation level of the beer remains the same. That's why if you carb a beer at room temp you have to set the PSI much higher than carbing at 40F.

 

[BryceL]

If I'm storing my beer in the keg to lager or something like that I will hook it up to the C02 them pull the release valve a few times to purge the oxygen. Once it fills back up I disconnect it and forget about it until its time to crack it open.