Keg Conditioning

[RAWhiteFSU]

I have read myself stupid on the subject. I can't seem to find consensus on any of the specifics. For ales (I am not set up for lagers) I plan on:

(1) 2 weeks in primary
(2) Rack to corny keg and add priming sugar.
(3) Leave in corny at room temperature for 3+ weeks.
(4) Chill to serving temperature for a week.
(5) Expect first and last beer from the corny to be cloudy.

I understand that there a lot of people that do some variation of this. Is there anything obviously wrong with doing it this way?

 

[Yooper]

I have read myself stupid on the subject. I can't seem to find consensus on any of the specifics. For ales (I am not set up for lagers) I plan on:

(1) 2 weeks in primary
(2) Rack to corny keg and add priming sugar.
(3) Leave in corny at room temperature for 3+ weeks.
(4) Chill to serving temperature for a week.
(5) Expect first and last beer from the corny to be cloudy.

I understand that there a lot of people that do some variation of this. Is there anything obviously wrong with doing it this way?

No, that's about right. Except for (5). The first beer won't be cloudy, if you only pour about 4 ounces and throw it out. Then pour your beer once it's running clear. And of course, don't move the keg once you set it in the kegerator. The last beer won't be cloudy at all- in fact, it'll probably be the most beautiful pour of the entire keg until it sputters (and you turn off the tap).

 

[Scooby_Brew]

I think you got it right, but I would use ~4 weeks in the primary to let the beer mature. Also have in mind to use less priming sugar in the keg then you would use for bottles. I use table sugar, 1/4 to 1/3 cup, depending from the style of beer.

 

[Beer-lord]

I've got a stout in a 2.5 gallon keg....my first kegged brew and I left mine in the primary 3 weeks but I kegged mine with less sugar than the recipe calls for. I find most recipes call for more than my taste.
I also plan on conditioning mine for 3 weeks than 3 days in the fridge then testing it. Only got 1 week in the keg now so it'll be a while before I can enjoy it. Didn't make it in time for St. Patty's Day!

 

[RAWhiteFSU]

Thanks all for the responses.

Except for (5). The first beer won't be cloudy, if you only pour about 4 ounces and throw it out.

Good point.

I would use ~4 weeks in the primary to let the beer mature

My chest freezer has room for one 10-gallon batch and I am trying to brew every two weeks. So, is going to secondary at room temperature for two weeks between (1) and (2) advised?

 

[Scooby_Brew]

My chest freezer has room for one 10-gallon batch and I am trying to brew every two weeks. So, is going to secondary at room temperature for two weeks between (1) and (2) advised?

You can go with secondary or without, it's your call, but I would ferment the beer for about 4 weeks (total), unless you brew something light like a session wheat, then you can go with a 2-week fermentation.

 

[RAWhiteFSU]

You can go with secondary or without, it's your call, but I would ferment the beer for about 4 weeks (total), unless you brew something light like a session wheat, then you can go with a 2-week fermentation.

And I can do ok with a secondary at room temperature? Is that more or less what I am doing with the fermentation from the priming sugar in the corny keg?

 

[Yooper]

You can go with secondary or without, it's your call, but I would ferment the beer for about 4 weeks (total), unless you brew something light like a session wheat, then you can go with a 2-week fermentation.

And I'm of the opposite opinion! A well made beer should never need 4 weeks. The beer should be finished fermenting in about 5 days, with a couple of more days tacked on for clearing up and conditioning, just about any beer can be kegged by day 14.

 

[RAWhiteFSU]

Yooper, I agree. Not out of experience, because I have almost none, but rather because it is what I wanted to hear.

 

[Yooper]

Yooper, I agree. Not out of experience, because I have almost none, but rather because it is what I wanted to hear.

Hahaha! But did you catch the key phrase? It's "a well made beer"! It's imperative to use the proper amount of yeast (consult mrmalty.com's yeast pitching calculator) and ferment the beer at the proper temperature- usually 65-68 degrees for ales. A well made beer will never need anywhere near 4 weeks in the primary!

 

[PVH]

And I'm of the opposite opinion! A well made beer should never need 4 weeks. The beer should be finished fermenting in about 5 days, with a couple of more days tacked on for clearing up and conditioning, just about any beer can be kegged by day 14.

Yes. Long primaries solve a lot of problems. If you don't have those problems in the first place, there's no need to let it sit forever. I usually leave the beer in primary for longer than necessary, but only because it's rarely convenient to keg right when it's done.

 

[JesseRC]

And I'm of the opposite opinion! A well made beer should never need 4 weeks. The beer should be finished fermenting in about 5 days, with a couple of more days tacked on for clearing up and conditioning, just about any beer can be kegged by day 14.

Wow, I am so glad you said that. I've had the same feeling for some time now. I always wonder how small breweries do it. I mean they aren't using any magic. I supposed a big part of their turn around time is controlled environments, temp, and filtering. But even that's not impossible to do as a homebrewer.

Well, I took a hiatus from brewing for a year, came back this past October and I'm making great beers that I can readily replicate, my brew days are less stressfull and only last about 5-6 hours. I keep it simple.

I brew all grain, I don't worry about hop filtering, just mashing temps and a strong boil. Everything into the fermenters. Ferment really cool 62 and then warm toward day 5-7, about 68-70. After attenuating fully, cold crash for a week at 31. Then into the keg. Best beers I've ever had. Chill haze, yeah sometimes but otherwise clear.

And, if I have the time in my schedule , the only thing that benefits my beer most (timewise) is longer time cold crashing. If you dont believe me cold crash a light colored beer in a clear carboy. You can clearly see the stratification layers of the clear beer and the cloudy beer.

Thanks to HBT for all the knowledge.

 

[RAWhiteFSU]

Out of curiosity, how long can you leave a beer in a keg after carbonating it with priming sugar?

 

[MyNameIsPaul]

Out of curiosity, how long can you leave a beer in a keg after carbonating it with priming sugar?

If you keep it under pressure with CO2, the answer is indefinitely. It's just a huge bottle. Enjoy!

 

[Scooby_Brew]

And I'm of the opposite opinion! A well made beer should never need 4 weeks. The beer should be finished fermenting in about 5 days, with a couple of more days tacked on for clearing up and conditioning, just about any beer can be kegged by day 14.

I disagree. I like to give my beers conditioning time in the fermenter just to get them crystal clear before I rack'em into a keg. I just don't like a lot of slurry on the bottom of the keg (or a bottle), I like to keep it nice and clear. Also, a month-long fermentation/conditioning makes it easier to keep my beer-suply pipline going

 

[rhamilton]

And I'm of the opposite opinion! A well made beer should never need 4 weeks. The beer should be finished fermenting in about 5 days, with a couple of more days tacked on for clearing up and conditioning, just about any beer can be kegged by day 14.

+1. 1 week in primary, 1 week in secondary, 24hour cold crash with gelatin, prime in the keg with 80 to 90% of bottling sugar by weight, wait two weeks, enjoy. Between the secondary and cold crash -beer is crystal without the two extra weeks in primary

 

[RAWhiteFSU]

If you keep it under pressure with CO2, the answer is indefinitely. It's just a huge bottle. Enjoy!

So you are saying carbonate it with priming sugar and then put it on CO2? On what time line?

1 week in primary, 1 week in secondary, 24hour cold crash with gelatin, prime in the keg with 80 to 90% of bottling sugar by weight, wait two weeks, enjoy.

Cold crash and then prime in the keg? Doesn't cold crashing drop most of the yeast out of suspension making it hard to carbonate with priming sugar?

 

[jdjtexas]

I believe that you pour the beer and priming sugar in the keg on top of a gas layer once it's all closed up ... Purge all oxygen so as to only have a co2 layer and your beer. This is what I have gathered recently simply because I am currently going through the transition as well to kegging. ( still like to bottle though ).

I can't answer the cold crash ? But I would assume a pack of dry yeast afterwards to ensure enough was there to prime the beer would be ok, especially if you secondary a long time

 

[MyNameIsPaul]

I can't answer the cold crash ? But I would assume a pack of dry yeast afterwards to ensure enough was there to prime the beer would be ok, especially if you secondary a long time

Plenty of yeast left to carbonate, no need to add ANOTHER packet of yeast.