Best way to go from carboy to corny keg?

[malc]

I have been patiently lagering my Maple Marzen that we brewed in March. It is currently in a carboy, but I want to put it in a corny keg to free up my carboy for another batch. I am kind of worried about oxidation, so I was wondering if anybody had some tips on the best way to get the beer from one to the other without ruining months of patience. Thanks.

 

[Scut_Monkey]

I would rack it just like any other batch. Just treat the keg like a secondary fermentor. If you are worried about oxidation use the power of the CO2 tank you have for your keg setup. Simply fill the keg with CO2 which is heavier than O2/atmospheric air and therefore the CO2 will displace the oxygen and push it out leaving a keg filled with CO2. Then rack the beer into it. When you are done you could then do the same procedure by putting some more CO2 into the tank but not under pressure like you typically would for serving. Just my thoughts.

 

[HomebrewJeff]

Really, the only thing that you need to be concerned about is splashing. If you can purge the keg with co2 first, that's great, if not, don't worry about it. If you are using a racking cane, just make sure the hose is securely on the cane and that you aren't getting air bubbles.

Run the tube all the way to the bottom of the keg, so that the outlet is below the surface of the beer as it fills, and you'll be fine.

 

[Bokonon]

You can fill the keg through the beer/liquid out dip tube. With the keg purged with co2 and the lid on you've got almost a perfect closed transfer.

 

[malc]

Thanks for the thoughts.

Bokonon, I want to make sure I understand what you are saying. I am thinking that I would hook up my racking cane and hose set up to a quick disconnect to the beer out line, but the beer would actually be flowing in? Is that right? Would I need to slowly release the CO2 from the keg to create some suction to pull the beer from the carboy? If you could clear that up I would be much obliged.

 

[Scut_Monkey]

I don't think you would need to create suction just the siphon from your fermenter. Other than that I think that's what he is saying. Simply treat the outlet like an inlet to rack to the bottom of the keg with little splashing or oxygen exposure.

 

[Bokonon]

Thanks for the thoughts.

Bokonon, I want to make sure I understand what you are saying. I am thinking that I would hook up my racking cane and hose set up to a quick disconnect to the beer out line, but the beer would actually be flowing in? Is that right? Would I need to slowly release the CO2 from the keg to create some suction to pull the beer from the carboy? If you could clear that up I would be much obliged.

Get yourself a carboy cap (orange for 5 and 6 gallon carboys), they have two ports stick your racking cane through the middle one and put the cap on the carboy. You can stick a hose on the cane or what I do is use a picnic tap and line I already have sitting around. The picnic tap fits right into the racking cane. On the end of my hose I have a beer quick disconnect.

I start with sanitizer in the keg and get everything hooked up and push the sanitizer out through the tap and racking cane, then I stick it into the carboy. Makes sure its sanitized right before getting used and also I'm sure all of the sanitizer is out of the keg.

You have to open the pressure release on the keg or put a gas disconnect on to make sure the air inside the keg has someplace to go when the liquid displaces it.

You can blow into the other port of the carboy cap to start a siphon, or use co2 to start it or push it out completely. If your using co2 you need to keep it just a few psi otherwise the cap will pop off (which is a good thing, otherwise the carboy will burst because of too much pressure)

I hope thats clear enough. I keep the lid closed on mine and stick the keg on a scale to see how much is going in.

 

[malc]

Yep, that clears it up. Thanks

 

[jaobrien6]

I'm new to kegging, is oxidation really that much of an issue that I should be concerned with a closed system? In terms of the idea of weighing it to see how much beer goes in, seems a lot easier to just leave the lid off the corny. If you have the corny purged with CO2 first, the O2 interaction should be extremely minimal I'd think.

 

[LooyvilleLarry]

+1. This is nearly the same as I am doing now.