Couple of questions - first timer here

[popnfrresh]

Completed boil and first stage on a extract kit. Sent to sanke keg I had.

Right now it is sitting in the sanke, connected to the tap with the gas turned off. It is carbbing right now in the keg. Currently at 28 psi at 65 degrees. How long should it stay in the keg carbing? Would it be better in the future to force carb it and not by fermenting?

I followed the kit and used the priming sugar it requested. I read porters should have less carbonation, but 28 psi seems high. Should this be lowered, if so what should it be lowered to?

 

[Pappers_]

You've skipped a really important step, where you let the beer ferment and let the CO2 gases produced escape. We call that primary fermentation.

After primary fermentation is done, you rack the beer off all the trub that has settled at the bottom and then keg or bottle. That is the point where you add the priming sugar, which kicks off a secondary fermentation in your serving container (either a keg or bottles). If you are kegging, you can skip the priming sugar all together and force carb it.

In short, most brewers don't ferment and serve in the same vessel.

Take a quick read through the first and second chapter of www.howtobrew.com for a good introduction and step-by-step instructions. Cheers!

 

[dkennedy]

Describe "first stage", and we'll be able to answer better.

If you're fermenting in a keg, then 28 lbs seems really (read: yeast crippling) high.

If you're carbing a finished beer, then chill it, the CO2 will dissolve into the solution faster.

 

[popnfrresh]

Sorry. Should have included everything.

It was in primary for a week. Stopped bubbling and waited for about 3 days.

Sanitized bottling bucket, and placed priming sugar into bottling bucket. Racked primary into bottling bucket, except for lees. Stirred priming sugar and beer in bottling bucket and racked into sanitized cleaned keg, except for bottom again. Tried to get as little settled yeast as possible both times.

Just trying to carb it now in the keg. Should I lower the temp and/or pressure?

Is there a best way to lower the pressure? I see a pressure release valve on the coupler, but this doesn't lower out of keg. Only way I see, without knowledge is to open valve, close valve and release the pressure, but I would think this would take forever. Is there a better way?

Also, thanks for the quick replies!

 

[b-boy]

You should be fine. If you're carbing with sugar, letting it condition for a few weeks in the high 60s is fine. After a few weeks drop the temp down to the low 40s and a lot of your CO2 will dissolve into solution. Hook up to serving pressure (10-12PSI) and enjoy.

 

[dkennedy]

I didn't consider that you were naturally carbing in the keg (I'm not that patient), b-boy is spot on.

 

[popnfrresh]

Would it be better to force carb in the future or do it this way?

Also, if the keg is pressure at 28 psi now, and hooked to 10-12 psi, should i let it come down to the 10-12 psi and not use any until its down?

 

[b-boy]

Just purge the keg before you hook it up at serving pressure and you'll be fine. When you cool the keg, your pressure will drop.

 

[popnfrresh]

Hopefully last question, for this round at least. If I pull the purge on the coupler, will that release beer out of it, or will it only release co2 in the keg?

 

[Pappers_]

I completely misunderstood your question, sorry.

I like naturally conditioning (carbing with priming sugar) in kegs. There will be a little trub at the bottom, so you may need to toss the first 1/2 pint you pour, after that you're good to go.