first kegging

[hopsalot]

Deciding to take the plunge into kegging, is this a good way to go about it?
"Bulk priming
Dissolve 1/3 cup corn sugar in a cup of water and boil for at least five minutes. Add to an empty, sanitized keg.

To reduce oxidation during transfer, you may wish to purge the air out of the keg. Attach the gas/in line. With the lid off, adjust the regulator to a low pressure (less than 5 PSI) and run CO2 into the open keg for several seconds. CO2 is heavier than air and will displace it.

Siphon beer from the secondary fermenter into the keg.

Attach the lid and pressurize to about 10 PSI to seat the lid.

Keep keg in an area with temperatures equal to or above that of fermentation temperature to finish carbonating. Expect carbonation to be complete after a few weeks."

I have no co2 and dont want to buy a system for my first time, to "seat" the lid cad I just use the hand held co2 chargers?

http://www.nexternal.com/homebrew/images/handheldco2.JPG

 

[Guigsy]

Deciding to take the plunge into kegging, is this a good way to go about it?
"Bulk priming
Dissolve 1/3 cup corn sugar in a cup of water and boil for at least five minutes. Add to an empty, sanitized keg.

To reduce oxidation during transfer, you may wish to purge the air out of the keg. Attach the gas/in line. With the lid off, adjust the regulator to a low pressure (less than 5 PSI) and run CO2 into the open keg for several seconds. CO2 is heavier than air and will displace it.

Siphon beer from the secondary fermenter into the keg.

Attach the lid and pressurize to about 10 PSI to seat the lid.

Keep keg in an area with temperatures equal to or above that of fermentation temperature to finish carbonating. Expect carbonation to be complete after a few weeks."

I have no co2 and dont want to buy a system for my first time, to "seat" the lid cad I just use the hand held co2 chargers?

http://www.nexternal.com/homebrew/images/handheldco2.JPG

Do you have a kegerator? How will the beer chill? If you do, it's worth getting a 5lb tank. Also, priming if kegging is not necessary...not for me anyhow...mine turned out great!

 

[david_42]

to "seat" the lid cad I just use the hand held co2 chargers

It can be a little difficult to get a good seal that way, but it can work. The small charge systems are pricy in the long run and it is really easy to apply too much pressure when the keg is full. Still, once you get a full system, they can be handy for parties & picnics.

 

[BierMuncher]

I never purge an empty keg before filling. Just be gentle with your siphon.

Use a lot of keg lube to make sure you get a good seat without going through a lot of canisters.

 

[abracadabra]

Those little CO2 cartridges are going to cost a small fortune over time. You'd be better off saving the money you'll spend on them and waiting until you can afford a tank IMHO.

Also needing to pressurize a corny to seat it, is way over rated. It's a trick that may or may not work. I've always been dubious of such methods. This past weekend I had one that wouldn't seal at a low serving pressure and sure enough when I add approx. 30 PSI of pressure it sealed but as soon as I dropped the pressure back down to around 5 PSI it started leaking again.

I use cornies as secondary fermenters and they self seal from the build up of CO2. I also serve from the same corny that was my secondary (unless I plan to take the corny on a road trip) this also saves having to transfer 3 times. If for some reason they don't seal I work on them until they do. That work may include new feet on the bale lever, new popettes, new o-rings and or the use of keg lube. Sometimes it just means taking the lid off and rotating it 180*.

 

[Tonedef131]

How long does it usually take after kegging before it is carbonated? A few weeks is pretty vague, I have heard that 2 weeks is usually enough.

 

[Guigsy]

How long does it usually take after kegging before it is carbonated? A few weeks is pretty vague, I have heard that 2 weeks is usually enough.

1 week if you have patience, hook it up to the C02 at 10-15psi and then lower it to 5psi a week later and you should be good. If no patience, turn it up to 35 psi and shake the keg for a few mins and leave it at 30psi for a day and you should be good.

 

[BierMuncher]

How long does it usually take after kegging before it is carbonated? A few weeks is pretty vague, I have heard that 2 weeks is usually enough.

If you're talking about after priming the keg???

For me it's the same philosophy as priming bottles.

21 days (minimum) at 70 degrees (minimum).

 

[Tonedef131]

If you're talking about after priming the keg???

For me it's the same philosophy as priming bottles.

21 days (minimum) at 70 degrees (minimum).

Yes, I should have been more specific. If primed with the 1/3 cup sugar per 5 gallons. You say 3 weeks and 70 degrees, my garage is 65-70 and that is where I have been keeping it. Should I bring it in to the house where it is closer to 70?

 

[BierMuncher]

Yes, I should have been more specific. If primed with the 1/3 cup sugar per 5 gallons. You say 3 weeks and 70 degrees, my garage is 65-70 and that is where I have been keeping it. Should I bring it in to the house where it is closer to 70?

Only speaking from my bottling days...one batch I did was sitting at 66 degrees for over two weeks and...nothing.

Once I got them to 70 degrees, another week and they were perfect. I just stuck with 70 degrees x 21 days thereafter till I started kegging.

Somehow for me, that extra 3-4 degrees is a pretty hard threshold between carbonating and not.

Also, I generally use 1/2 cup for keg priming on the occasions that I prime. Less if it's an English style ale.

 

[hopsalot]

SO having no co2 is ok, just treat it as if it were a big bottle?

 

[BierMuncher]

SO having no co2 is ok, just treat it as if it were a big bottle?

Yes you can treat it like a big bottle...but...

You can't tip a keg to pour it...

You're gonna eventually need some way to push that beer out of the keg.