Do people simply keg their beer after the primary fermentation?

[Airborneguy]

I generally primary for a month then transfer to a keg. I'll let that condition for another few weeks after that. I then hook it up to CO2 For a day or so at 30 PSI, cool the keg, purge, and hook it up to CO2 at serving pressure. In about 1 week it's ready.

This is my exact process.

 

[limulus]

I usually primary for 10-14 days...some beers take longer. Then I go straight to about 34F and crash cool for another 5-14 days. That just depends on my schedule and my available time. After it crash cools, I keg it. After another week of settling in the keezer my lighter ales are so clear, you would think they were filtered. Two BJCP judges actually used the word brilliant on my results sheet from a Blonde Ale I submitted. I do the same thing if I'm brewing something that requires a secondary. I just crash cool the secondary after I'm finished.

 

[DPBISME]

I generally primary for a month then transfer to a keg. I'll let that condition for another few weeks after that. I then hook it up to CO2 For a day or so at 30 PSI, cool the keg, purge, and hook it up to CO2 at serving pressure. In about 1 week it's ready.

As this gent... depending on the style it can stay 2 to 4 weeks in the Primary and then in to a keg.

Then for beers that need conditioning... this is where it happens.

I do find that my first "pull" from the keg can have some yeast in it so I use a pitcher but after that the beer is clear...

DPB

 

[kombat]

2-3 weeks primary, followed by a week of cold-crashing and gelatin, then into the keg for 2 weeks of carbing.

 

[collinsDPT]

I used to primary 7-10 days, secondary 7-10 days, then bottle.

As of last night I kegged my first batch. Came out of the primary after 3 weeks, straight into keg, into keezer, and is now sitting at 8psi (Denver) at 42*.

 

[mattrennert]

My usual primary length depends on the beer, but generally...

under 1.050 - 10 days
1.050 - 1.065 - 15 days
over 1.065 - 20 days

Rack to Keg

30psi for 24-36 hours
Set to serving pressure - 10psi
Beer is slightly carbed and drinkable by day 5
Gets really good 15-20 days in keg
Usually gone by day 30

Best advice is dont connect a faucet until 2 weeks into carbonating, you'll be too tempted to 'check carbonation' that when the beer hits its stride, its almost gone...

 

[Clonefan94]

I normally let my beers primary for 3 weeks. Rarely do I go under that, but I sometimes will let them sit a little longer. Mainly depends on how soon I need the fermentor and or if I have a keg open. After that time, I usually just put it in the keg, purge with CO2 and let it sit until it goes on tap. This can be anywhere from a week to a month, depending on where I'm at in the pipeline.

 

[mgohring]

I generally primary for a month then transfer to a keg. I'll let that condition for another few weeks after that. I then hook it up to CO2 For a day or so at 30 PSI, cool the keg, purge, and hook it up to CO2 at serving pressure. In about 1 week it's ready.

What's the day of 30 psi at room temp all about? I'm assuming it's at room temp since you mentioned you cool the keg after the day at 30 psi. With CO2 being more soluble at colder temps than warmer, isn't that step kind of pointless? Perhaps there's some benefit that I'm not aware of. Seems you could skip that step, chill the beer to serving temps and go with the "set it and forget it" method and be fairly close in one week's time. Or maybe the beer is closer to being fully carbed with that extra day of 30 psi at the warmer temps. Just curious, that's all.

 

[causeimthesquid]

For the record, the fastest I have ever gone from grain to glass was 3 1/2 days.

I had promised to brew a beer for my brother's college graduation and completely spaced it. He called me Wednesday after work to ask what I had made him. I kind of freaked out for a minute, then realized I could probably bang out a decent Saison.

Brewed an all-grain Saison (1.060 OG with American hops) that night and let it ferment at ~80F. On that Thursday I cranked it up to 95F and let it rock for 24 hours. By Friday afternoon the yeast had dropped out and it was at 1.012. I kegged it and put it in my beer fridge. Saturday morning I put it at 30PSI for 10 minutes while rocking the keg. Then threw the keg in my car and drove the 3 hours to his graduation party. Drove back the next day with an empty keg. I would have liked it a little drier, but it went.

 

[n240sxguy]

I primary in a conical fermenter for 14 days, run through a 1 micron filter to my keg, then carb as fast as possible. Grain to glass in about 16 days. It usually gets better after its been in the keg for a week or more.

 

[cheezydemon3]

I primary ALL beers 6 weeks, transfer to keg in keezer, 52psi set and unhook it, 48 hrs later drinking it.

The only thing I rush is carbing, and I see no harm in that.

I disagree that a beer is as good at 1 week as it is at 6, but what do I care what you do?

I STRONGLY feel that a beer will NOT condition cold very well. So kegging cold after 1 week and letting it sit 5 weeks in the keezer is NOT the same as my 6 weeks warm.

 

[Neil1]

I primary in a conical fermenter for 14 days, then in kegs. I use a priming sugar in the keg so the carbing is done like a big bottle.
I save a lot of CO2 this way , the draw back i see are the first few draws on the keg are yeasty. But I do not mind the yeast taste.

 

[McBrewskie]

Yes, me too. I normally go 7-10 days or so in the fermenter, then keg and drink. If I dryhop, I tend to add the hops right to the fermenter for 5 days, and keg on about day 12-15.

If the beer is done, and clear (or clearing), it's not going to get any "doner" sitting in the fermenter.

Yoop, do you let darker beers sit longer before drinking? Or ones that have a large number of flavors? I am starting my fall and winter beers now so they have time to sit.

 

[Yooper]

Yoop, do you let darker beers sit longer before drinking? Or ones that have a large number of flavors? I am starting my fall and winter beers now so they have time to sit.

Yes, I have an oatmeal stout that I let sit at room temperature for about 3-4 weeks before putting in the kegerator. It's the only one I can think of that I keep at room temperature, aside from a Belgian tripel that I wanted to age in the keg.

 

[McBrewskie]

Yes, I have an oatmeal stout that I let sit at room temperature for about 3-4 weeks before putting in the kegerator. It's the only one I can think of that I keep at room temperature, aside from a Belgian tripel that I wanted to age in the keg.

Thanks. Since I started kegging I have been doing the 2 weeks, keg, carb, drink with everything that isn't a lager but I am thinking it might benefit some of these winter beers to let them sit some.

 

[stpug]

In June I finished a robust porter that I brewed back in mid-January (keg conditioned). I had always understood that dark beers need the extra time to blend/mellow/meld/etc. I had sampled it a couple times around the end of January and early February for gravity readings and tasting notes. When I finally tapped it in mid-May, I would NOT say it was necessarily any better than what I was tasting back in Jan/Feb. In fact, some of the late addition hops that were present months before had mostly faded (or blended too well). I am now a firm believer in "Drink it when it tastes good for tomorrow it might not "

 

[cheezydemon3]

I seriously wonder if color has anything to do with it. I think high OG beer needs more time, dark or not. (IPA being the exception)

 

[Paul_Aris]

I usually just leave it in the primary for 3 weeks then rack to keg. I do 10 gallons at a time so 5 gallons usually gets put in the keggerator right away and will begin to carb and chill if I have an open tap, and the other 5 gallon keg will sit in the basement at normal fermentation room temp.

If I dry hop I do it in the keg. I usually stick them in a 1 gallon paint strainer bag and just toss in the keg. Let them float and get good hop aroma with every pour. I must admit you really don't want to age IPA's too long because you begin to loose some hop charater over time.

 

[Setesh]

I seriously wonder if color has anything to do with it. I think high OG beer needs more time, dark or not. (IPA being the exception)

Totally agree that higher ABV needs more time. In my experience the color doesn't seem to make a difference but rather what created the color. A black ale with Carafa III doesn't take any longer than normal, but a stout with similar ABV containing black patent takes longer to mellow.

 

[cheezydemon3]

Totally agree that higher ABV needs more time. In my experience the color doesn't seem to make a difference but rather what created the color. A black ale with Carafa III doesn't take any longer than normal, but a stout with similar ABV containing black patent takes longer to mellow.

A good point, and that is an awesome avatar

 

[Setesh]

A good point, and that is an awesome avatar

Thank you

 

[Yooper]

In June I finished a robust porter that I brewed back in mid-January (keg conditioned). I had always understood that dark beers need the extra time to blend/mellow/meld/etc. I had sampled it a couple times around the end of January and early February for gravity readings and tasting notes. When I finally tapped it in mid-May, I would NOT say it was necessarily any better than what I was tasting back in Jan/Feb. In fact, some of the late addition hops that were present months before had mostly faded (or blended too well). I am now a firm believer in "Drink it when it tastes good for tomorrow it might not "

It's not the color- it's the complex flavors. If you make a dark colored beer, but without roasty malts or complex flavors, and a relatively low OG, it won't take any longer than a light colored beer.

But roast malts can give some harshness, and something with a ton of character malts can take a bit longer to come together well.

I have a Belgian tripel that needs age. It's very light colored, but due to the high ABV, it needs longer than a simple pale ale does.

 

[Sjorge3442]

Many of my beers ends up being drank (all five gallons) within 20 days of brewday. I make all sorts of styles and have never really noticed much of a difference. Im a big fan of the Stone Enjoy By Series, so doing this allows me to recreate the same freshness as most of my beers are pale or ipa's so when using a lot of fresh, west coast ipa style hops, i can actually enjoy the fresh bitterness and flavors. If you wait, the flavors fade.

Now when i make a breakfast stout, those primary for a month, secondary for another month and then bottle age for at least 2 months, but we're talking 9.8% alc

 

[reuliss]

I cold crash after aabout 10 days, then add finings to the primary in order to get that beer nice and clear (I let it sit 2-3 days). Then straight to the keg. If I dry hop, I do it after the finings cleared the beer because I don't want the finings to drop out my hop compounds.

 

[JSager89]

I am by no means the most experienced of brewers, but this is something I have played with recently. I will primary as normal (aka whatever is appropriate for the style) and rack to a keg after FG is reached, then cold crash. I've found this especially useful for lagers, where I will allow a d-rest just before FG after kegging to build the initial CO2 pressure, then cold crash. As others have said, the first point or two will be yeasty and such, but as long as it has aged appropriately and isn't disturbed, you won't waste much beer and can be more efficient if you have limited room in your keezer/lager tank.

 

[DemianBinder]

I leave in primary until yeast clears out(7-14 days), then keg . If I dry hop it's in the keg. I try to not drink for 10-14 days while the aroma is developing. Some high abv beers taste better after some aging. Most malty beers do too.

 

[hbtasdfg]

I used to do a secondary the first couple times- then tried without and got good results. The benefit of bottle conditioning right after primary is those bottles are airtight so if your equipment is not in A+ condition you avoid that concern of oxygen leaking over weeks when you don't have active fermentation creating positive pressure to push it out.

 

[Weezy]

A week in the primary (brew one weekend, keg the next weekend), cold crash in the chest freezer, keg, force carbonate, dry hop in the keg with tea balls that I can yank in 4-5 days.

The only beers that I leave in primary for longer are big beers or diacetyl prone yeasts.

 

[Piratwolf]

A week in the primary (brew one weekend, keg the next weekend), cold crash in the chest freezer, keg, force carbonate, dry hop in the keg with tea balls that I can yank in 4-5 days.

The only beers that I leave in primary for longer are big beers or diacetyl prone yeasts.

Pretty much exactly the same.

 

[casesensative]

+1 to this.

In June I finished a robust porter that I brewed back in mid-January (keg conditioned). I had always understood that dark beers need the extra time to blend/mellow/meld/etc. I had sampled it a couple times around the end of January and early February for gravity readings and tasting notes. When I finally tapped it in mid-May, I would NOT say it was necessarily any better than what I was tasting back in Jan/Feb. In fact, some of the late addition hops that were present months before had mostly faded (or blended too well). I am now a firm believer in "Drink it when it tastes good for tomorrow it might not "