Do you kegs travel? Do you filter? Yes? No?

[akthor]

I have looked and there seems to be no definitive answer. My kegs will travel sometimes for as long as 8 hrs in a car before we get where will will drink it. Should I filter or no?

I plan 4 weeks in primary, then into keg, two weeks "set it and forget it" force carb, then pour off a couple pints till clear then transfer to clean keg and store.

Should I add filtering in there somewhere?

Anyone else done it? Done both? Guide me o' masters

 

[kmk1012]

Your beer will be as cloudy as it gets after even a short trip. I've never filtered, what I do is fill as many bottles with my DIY counter pressure filler. Presto, easier to serve, set up, and crystal clear beer. The only way to have my kegs travel is to take them wherever I'm going and setting them up two to three days early-minimum.

 

[akthor]

I'm kegging cuz I hate, HATE, HAAAAATE bottling! So not an option.

 

[kmk1012]

i hope you like a good cloudy hefe or something similar, I hate bottling as much as the next guy but, it is my only option for now. Maybe do one more transfer after your secondary to remove every last bit of sediment or filter it. i gotta admit that it is a really cool feeling to come walking into a party carrying a keg of homebrew!! Goodluck.

 

[TomSD]

Growlers is an option too...

 

[KingBrianI]

Your plan to transfer to a new keg will work. I've done that several times. A little gelatin added to the first keg will make it work even better. No need to filter. Just put it in the first keg, chill it, add the gelatin, wait a couple weeks, pour off the first couple of pints until clear, then transfer to a new keg. It works great.

 

[PVH]

I often bring my beers to gatherings and I haven't had a problem with cloudiness. I typically have very little sediment, probably due to 3-4 weeks min. in primary and force carbing. If it's a new keg, I just need to draw off the first pint before taking the keg to wherever it's going.

 

[SweetSounds]

Your plan to transfer to a new keg will work. I've done that several times. A little gelatin added to the first keg will make it work even better. No need to filter. Just put it in the first keg, chill it, add the gelatin, wait a couple weeks, pour off the first couple of pints until clear, then transfer to a new keg. It works great.

Pour off?!? Shame!

I secondary in cornys - All you have to do is leave it alone. Then after it's old enough, transfer to a "Serving" keg with an "Out to Out" jumper.
As long as you don't move the secondary, everything will settle. After you transfer to the serving keg it'll be clear as a bell.

 

[Chad_C]

+1 Transfer with a jumper to a second "serving" keg!

 

[Yooper]

+1 Transfer with a jumper to a second "serving" keg!

Yeah, that's what I do. Have the keg carbed up, cold, and the beer nice and clear. Don't move that first keg!!!! That will stir up the sediment. Pull off 1/2 pint of sludge, then just "jump" the beer to the new keg.

I set up a black QD-beerline-black QD jumper cable. There's about 4 feet of line between the two QDs. Then, hook the QDs to the "out" lines on both kegs, and push the beer from one keg to the other with about 2-3 psi. Pull the pressure relief valve on the receiving keg from time to time. Done!

It sounds hard, but it is extremely simple and takes about 10 minutes. Then you have a sediment free keg that can travel. I do it all the time when I take kegs out to my cottage or to friend's. The key is to make sure the beer in the keg is clear and cold. Clear, so you don't just get more sediment, and cold to reduce foaming.

 

[babalu87]

Yeah, that's what I do. Have the keg carbed up, cold, and the beer nice and clear. Don't move that first keg!!!! That will stir up the sediment. Pull off 1/2 pint of sludge, then just "jump" the beer to the new keg.

I set up a black QD-beerline-black QD jumper cable. There's about 4 feet of line between the two QDs. Then, hook the QDs to the "out" lines on both kegs, and push the beer from one keg to the other with about 2-3 psi. Pull the pressure relief valve on the receiving keg from time to time. Done!

It sounds hard, but it is extremely simple and takes about 10 minutes. Then you have a sediment free keg that can travel. I do it all the time when I take kegs out to my cottage or to friend's. The key is to make sure the beer in the keg is clear and cold. Clear, so you don't just get more sediment, and cold to reduce foaming.

I'll echo what Yooper does with one change

My jumper line is about 8 feet long, that way if there is any sediment/sludge/junk at the end of the transfer I can disconnect it from the clean keg before it makes its way in there.
You'd be suprised how fast sediment moves through a beer line on its way to your clean beer

 

[wilserbrewer]

I have found that either a transfer to a second keg via a jumper, or cold crashing the fermenter w/ gelatin will give you a keg that can travel,and still pour clear beer. lately i have been using the gelatin to eliminate anything in the keg to begin with...easier for me I guess.

 

[akthor]

Can you guys explain the geletin process in more detail? Thx

 

[modernlifeisANDY]

I hate bottling as much as the next guy, but bottling from a keg is not nearly as bad as bottling straight up. If you build yourself a BMBF it will be so incredibly easy you'll want to bring a sixer or case to every party. There's also something to be said for bringing some nicely labeled brews to a party (at least I certainly enjoy it.) I can get a 12-pack bottled and labeled in 15 minutes, tops.

 

[abracadabra]

I secondary in a cornie also but, I use a modified cornie as a secondary. The modification is quick and easy.

I take 2 phillips head screwdrivers and insert them into each end of the dip tube, put the tube over my knee then slowly bent the dip tube a little further in the same direction it's already bent. This raises the dip tube about an inch above the bottom of the cornie and gets it out of the dimple that's on the bottom. The dimple is designed to get almost every last drop out of the cornie and I want to leave any sedment in place. (Some people cut an inch off of the end of the dip tube).

The beer is only in the primary for a week moving it to the secondary frees the primary up for more wort. Once I set up the brewery I might brew every weekend or almost every weekend for a couple of months or so and I don't want the primary tied up.

After the beer has matured in the secondary I cold crash it for 3-7 days then transfer it to the serving cornie where it's carbonated. Since the beer is already cold it force carbonates quickly (usually 3-4 days).

I don't use gelatin because I follow the beer purity laws of Germany and the beer is crystal clear even after long road trips.

Usually if I don't plan on traveling I simply serve out of the secondary.

 

[Twofox]

I'll add a question that's somewhat on topic.

Planning on kegging and storing/carbing at room temp. Going to take it to a campout where there will be a jockey box for serving. (about 4 weeks after kegging).

Q: I only have 1 keg, so can I just pour off the sediment before travelling? I fined in secondary with isenglass already.

 

[Yooper]

I'll add a question that's somewhat on topic.

Planning on kegging and storing/carbing at room temp. Going to take it to a campout where there will be a jockey box for serving. (about 4 weeks after kegging).

Q: I only have 1 keg, so can I just pour off the sediment before travelling? I fined in secondary with isenglass already.

You can, and it will get rid of the sediment. But not most/all of it. By pulling off a pint, you'll get the sediment that settled around the diptube. That's always true, and there is still sediment (maybe 1/4 cup or so) on the bottom of the keg. If you move the keg, you'll resuspend all that sediment.

What you can do is take the keg early in the day, and let it sit. That should give the sediment time to resettle. Then pull off a beer and you should be ok after that, as long as the keg isn't moved again. I'd definitely use a secondary on that beer, and keg it later rather than earlier, so that most of the sediment is already gone. The clearer the beer is when it's kegged, the less sediment that will fall out in the keg.

 

[Twofox]

You can, and it will get rid of the sediment. But not most/all of it. By pulling off a pint, you'll get the sediment that settled around the diptube. That's always true, and there is still sediment (maybe 1/4 cup or so) on the bottom of the keg. If you move the keg, you'll resuspend all that sediment.

What you can do is take the keg early in the day, and let it sit. That should give the sediment time to resettle. Then pull off a beer and you should be ok after that, as long as the keg isn't moved again. I'd definitely use a secondary on that beer, and keg it later rather than earlier, so that most of the sediment is already gone. The clearer the beer is when it's kegged, the less sediment that will fall out in the keg.

Ok, I let it sit 2 weeks in secondary already due to time restraints, so looks like I'm ahead of the curve! Thanks.

 

[akthor]

Ok after reading this is what I am gonna try. Primary 4 weeks, transfer to keg (this keg will either have the end cut or I will bend the tube so it's off the bottom) I will be carbing at room temp so like 24psi for 2 weeks. Then I will transfer to another keg and store it until drinking. This sound good?