have you tried fermenting and serving from the same keg without transferring?

[hopjuice_71]

How does everyone dry hop using this method? This is what I've done before - hooked it up to a low level of CO2, release pressure, stop CO2, open the lid, turn on CO2, drop in hops quickly, seal lid and purge with CO2. I need to dry hop in the next day or so and wondering if there is a better method.

That is exactly how I do it. Until I can build some kind of hop dropper thingy for a keg I may start adding a bit of Ascorbic Acid at the same time.

 

[moreb33rplz]

For cleaning, dump trub, rinse with hit water, soak with pbw or equivalent, scrub with carboy brush, maybe with dish sponge right under lid lip if necessary. Rinse with hot water. To sterilize use a gallon or so of stars an, close lid, swish around, dump. I also disassemble before pbw soak and soak the keg hardware in separate container of pbw

For dry hops, I open the lid for a second, chuck in a mesh bag of hops, reseal, purge a few times.

 

[mtnagel]

For dry hops, I open the lid for a second, chuck in a mesh bag of hops, reseal, purge a few times.

What's the reason for the bag?

 

[renstyle]

Granted, all experience is anecdotal, but anyways, regarding the issue getting the floating dip tube attached...

Tonight I attached a floating dip tube to a 23L torpedo keg, one that I had just removed from my old 19L corny fermenter keg.

The key is to get the post/silicone warmed up.

I needed to rinse my former 19L fermenter, did so inverted in the sink with the sprayer hose. Once I had warmed things up a bit, the silicone tubing dislodged easily.

Same for the new torpedo keg, warmed it up during its initial DIY-PBW cleaning with the short 3" dip tube already installed. The transplanted silicone tubing attached with no trouble.

Everybody has their own experiences, and this is my own, done just this evening...

 

[VirginiaHops1]

How does everyone dry hop using this method? This is what I've done before - hooked it up to a low level of CO2, release pressure, stop CO2, open the lid, turn on CO2, drop in hops quickly, seal lid and purge with CO2. I need to dry hop in the next day or so and wondering if there is a better method.

If you're trying to do it all in a corny keg(which I guess is the point of this thread), this is probably your best bet. I used to dry hop this way. I think it's probably mostly fine but there certainly is O2 getting into your beer regardless of what you do. If you're noticing any oxidation maybe you can purchase something that has the ability to add on a separate dry hopping chamber. I'm seeing manufacturers now starting to make kegs specifically designed for fermenting with TC ports which is cool. Trying to fill that void in between buckets/carboys/cornys and a full on conical.

 

[NickTheGreat]

What's the reason for the bag?

I'm not the guy you replied to, but I dry hopped in a keg once with loose leaf hops. It was just as bad as you'd imagine, as far as plugging and such were concerned.

So I always use a bag now when dry-hopping in the keg. Some sort of overcompensation for past transgressions.

 

[mtnagel]

I'm not the guy you replied to, but I dry hopped in a keg once with loose leaf hops. It was just as bad as you'd imagine, as far as plugging and such were concerned.

So I always use a bag now when dry-hopping in the keg. Some sort of overcompensation for past transgressions.

Yeah, leaf would be bad, but I've done pellet hops before and they crash out.

 

[Carolina_Matt]

One thing I've suspected over the last couple years of fermenting in kegs: due to the narrow shape and limited surface area, it takes the yeast longer to get going. When I fermented in buckets, I seemed to notice bubbling within 24 hours. When I started fermenting in kegs, it seemed to take closer to 48 hours.

I just started fermenting my first batch in an All Rounder on Saturday, and sure enough it started to bubble within 24 hours.

 

[odie]

One thing I've suspected over the last couple years of fermenting in kegs: due to the narrow shape and limited surface area, it takes the yeast longer to get going. When I fermented in buckets, I seemed to notice bubbling within 24 hours. When I started fermenting in kegs, it seemed to take closer to 48 hours.

I just started fermenting my first batch in an All Rounder on Saturday, and sure enough it started to bubble within 24 hours.

I suspect it might be the lid seal not sealing. I've had some kegs where the big lid o-ring will not seat without a little blast of pressure. So when fermentation first starts, CO2 seeps out the lid. After a couple days when the fermentation is going strong, the CO2 is coming fast enough to seat the o-ring.

Not every keg but on some.

 

[ba-brewer]

Most of my keg lids did not hold a seal with little to no pressure until I replace the lid seal with these. Some would require a 30psi blast before they would even hold 10-12psi serving pressure.
Oversize Keg Lid Sealing 'O' Ring

I still need to fiddle with a keg ever now and then but I get much better seals under low pressure now.

 

[balrog]

Oversize Keg Lid Sealing 'O' Ring

+1

Big fan, especially for some of the used kegs I bought.

 

[theredviper]

Most of my keg lids did not hold a seal with little to no pressure until I replace the lid seal with these. Some would require a 30psi blast before they would even hold 10-12psi serving pressure.
Oversize Keg Lid Sealing 'O' Ring

I still need to fiddle with a keg ever now and then but I get much better seals under low pressure now.

Is there anybody else that sells these? Hard to get them shipped here (Canada), unless there's a supplier I'm missing.

 

[ba-brewer]

@theredviper, if does say it is an exclusive item to williams, but if you do some looking at O-ring venders you might find something local to you. I suppose it is possible they are made custom for them but it could be a standard product.
Looks for a diameter of .310 vs .280

 

[balrog]

@theredviper, if does say it is an exclusive item to williams, but if you do some looking at O-ring venders you might find something local to you. I suppose it is possible they are made custom for them but it could be a standard product.
Looks for a diameter of .310 vs .280

THe only thing I could quickly find was 0.312" width, and you have to order then to custom make 4"OD rings, which, after shipping and tax, would be about $5.40 delivered for 10, in about 3 weeks. Of course, Williams is currently out of stock on theirs, at $4.49+$7.99 shipping.

 

[Off Balance Brewing]

Instead of the thicker orings I've had good luck bending the arms on the lid to pull the lid up more during close. Especially the Chinese repop lids.

For the dry hoping you can buy food safe sous vide magnets and put one in you mesh dry hop bag and one on the outside of the lid. Pull the magnet when you want to drop the hops. No lid to open

 

[renstyle]

Instead of the thicker orings I've had good luck bending the arms on the lid to pull the lid up more during close. Especially the Chinese repop lids.

For the dry hoping you can buy food safe sous vide magnets and put one in you mesh dry hop bag and one on the outside of the lid. Pull the magnet when you want to drop the hops. No lid to open

For both regular fermentation and dry hopping, I've had good luck with ample amounts of keg lube at transfer from the kettle, even with older rings.

Once I transfer, I dose O2 with a wand for a minute. Then seal the ferm-keg. I give it a good 10psi burst from the tank to ensure the lid seals, then let it off gas when setting up in the ferm chamber.

So far it's worked out.

 

[brewbama]

I have a modified version of this. I ferment in a bucket with spigot for part of the fermentation and transfer to a purged keg to finish. …

I do this ^^^

 

[odie]

Instead of the thicker orings I've had good luck bending the arms on the lid to pull the lid up more during close. Especially the Chinese repop lids.

another trick is to place a penny under the arm

 

[moreb33rplz]

I bought only the super cheap $25 kegs from AIH and just replaced all the hardware and orings, and no pressure issues since.

Just kicked my black lager last night, brewed it 11/5/21, fermented, lagered, and served in the keg the whole time. And it was deeeelicious