Kegging-how long do you wait to drink it?

[DiggerinOregon]

I've tried carbing for two weeks and found no difference(to me) in the outcome. I usually do my primary for 3-4 weeks. I also have found that if I need to "age" my beers in the keg, it's because I missed a flavor profile in my recipe, and I'm hoping it mellows out.

 

[DiggerinOregon]

I would like to qualify that I usually make lighter in gravity and color beers.

 

[slunkmonky]

I use a 20oz paintball tank and it lasts a lot longer than you'd think. Carb and serve at least a half dozen kegs for $3.75 per refil. Actually probably closer to 6-8 kegs.

I think I'll be a 1-3 day carb guy so I can just have my carboys loaded up with beers on-deck and then I'll probably find a paintball cylinder to serve so I'm just paying refill fees and not a huge 16 gram cost. 5lb at home, 20 oz sitting at work.

 

[BansheeRider]

It depends on the beer and how many kegs I have hooked up already.

Usually, for a quicker beer I put it in the kegerator at 30 psi for 36 hours, then purge and reset to 12 psi with the other kegs and start drinking it then. That's best for IPAs and APAs. For my stout, it's in the kegerator for at least a week and then I start drinking.

Do you fill the keg to 30 psi then disconnect it from the gas for 24 hours? Or do you leave it hooked to co2 the whole time?

 

[tre9er]

Do you fill the keg to 30 psi then disconnect it from the gas for 24 hours? Or do you leave it hooked to co2 the whole time?

I leave it on

 

[BansheeRider]

I leave it on

The reason why I asked is because I watched a youtube video on force carbing and the guy used a slightly different method. He chilled the keg for 12hours, filled the keg to 30 psi while rocking the keg on the floor, purged a few seconds, then pulled the gas off. After a day (24 hours) he lowered to serving preasure and tested. The beer was perfectly carbonated.

I ordered all my kegging equipment today along with a kegerator conversion kit. My first keg will most likely be forced carbed because I can't wait to try it. I am trying to learn the best method for this.

 

[tre9er]

My beer is cold crashed before kegging so it's chilled going in. I put on gas, shake for a minute, leave in fridge on gas for about24 hours, then turn down to serving, bleed and try

 

[rkorn74]

That is essentially my method. After primary, I prep a keg and purge the air with a couple of vents. I will put in my kegerator for 24 without a bottle on it. Next I pul it out and put 30 psi on the keg while rocking it back and forth for 10 to 15 minutes, then vent. After that I adjust to serving pressure and drink when the keg in front is empty. Usually that's not too long after, as my friends have become fond of my hobby.

 

[evancold]

I cold crash for a week before kegging. When kegging I will set it to 30psi and shake the hell out of it for 5 minutes. I leave it at 30psi for 48 hours, then reduce it to 12-14psi and start drinking after 48 hours. I am too impatient to wait weeks to drink my beer after being kegged. Even if I already have 40 gallons on tap I still want to try the "new" one lol. Works great for me and the beer is always carbed very well.

 

[BansheeRider]

I cold crash for a week before kegging. When kegging I will set it to 30psi and shake the hell out of it for 5 minutes. I leave it at 30psi for 48 hours, then reduce it to 12-14psi and start drinking after 48 hours. I am too impatient to wait weeks to drink my beer after being kegged. Even if I already have 40 gallons on tap I still want to try the "new" one lol. Works great for me and the beer is always carbed very well.

Do you disconnect the gas during the 48 hours?

 

[evancold]

Do you disconnect the gas during the 48 hours?

yes i do, however i will put the gas back on to pump it back up to 30 after 24 hours.

 

[m00se]

I kegged a pale ale on Saturday. Set the psi to 14 in a 42 degree fridge. Gave it a nice shake monday for 3 min. Poured some decent pints last night that were carbonated enough to drink, but not fully carbed. Moving forward this is going to be my go to method.

 

[jflongo]

I have a keg condition question. If you keg your beer, and then set the keg aside for a week. Do you first put some CO2 in it, to get rid of oxygen?

 

[b-boy]

I always age in the keg for at least a month or two. I keg, purge, seal with 30PSI, then let it sit. When it's ready to serve I force carb at 30PSI at room temp for 24-hours. I pop it in the kegerator and hook up at serving pressure for a week - then serve.

Bigger beers will sit longer. I've got one that's been conditioning for about 6 months. I take a taste every now and then to see how it's doing.

 

[tshinefield]

I have a keg condition question. If you keg your beer, and then set the keg aside for a week. Do you first put some CO2 in it, to get rid of oxygen?

Yes!

 

[tre9er]

I kegged a 7 day old pale ale last night, yes, 7 days old. Proper pitch rates, well oxygenated, carefully controlled ferm temps (including a ramp-up after FG was stable, which only took 4-5 days). Tastes excellent, not "green" at all, of course, pales and IPAs are usually best fresh anyway, but no off-flavors.

I put it on 30psi, vented a bit, then shook in 15 second intervals, twice. This might be the fastest beer I've had, but I always let the beer tell me when it's done, and this one was done. There's no reason to leave it in the keg longer, plus I'm almost out of beer in kegs anway.

 

[thadius856]

Yeesh. Some of you guys that carb for 2-3 weeks, I'm really amazed you have that kind of patience.

I specifically picked the model freezer I did for force carbing. 4 kegs on the floor connected to taps, 5th one on the hump force carbing.

Keg from secondary (going to secondary in kegs soon), then it goes right into the keezer and onto the gas. Seat the lid, burp the headspace 5-6 times at 5 PSI, then crank it up to 3x serving pressure for 24 hours. Comes out pretty damn close to perfect every time. After 24 hours, drop it down to serving pressure and pour off a half glass of trub that goes down the sink. If I need to carb something else, I'll pull it and let it sit at room temp until I have space again.

I shook my first keg because I couldn't wait. It still took longer to carb correctly because I overshot the pressure a bit and had to wait a day for it to bleed back off.

 

[thadius856]

I kegged a 7 day old pale ale last night, yes, 7 days old. Proper pitch rates, well oxygenated, carefully controlled ferm temps (including a ramp-up after FG was stable, which only took 4-5 days). Tastes excellent, not "green" at all, of course, pales and IPAs are usually best fresh anyway, but no off-flavors.

I put it on 30psi, vented a bit, then shook in 15 second intervals, twice. This might be the fastest beer I've had, but I always let the beer tell me when it's done, and this one was done. There's no reason to leave it in the keg longer, plus I'm almost out of beer in kegs anway.

I drank an 8 day old Cream of Three Cops (7 days primary, 1 day force carb) not too long ago. Didn't come out very clear because I didn't use gelatin, but it was still quaffable. Missing a bit of taste that I've come to look for now.

Drank BierMunch's Kona Fire Rock at 9 days (it was a day behind the Cream Ale). Just about right. (Edit: Looked at brewing notes, it was actually 16 days. Apologies.)

I wouldn't push a Barleywine to 8 days or anything crazy. I'm bottling the other 5 gallon half of each batch, and I'll compare again at 1 month, but I doubt I'll find much difference.

 

[DougK]

I'm going to be kegging my first time this weekend. Do you fill the keg straight out of the fermentor or does it go into the bottling bucket first?

 

[thadius856]

Feel free to go straight into the keg. Shove your autosiphon hose right over a liquid quick disconnect. Leave the lid pressure relief valve open and start siphoning away.

Can't think of any benefit to hitting the bottling bucket first.

 

[BansheeRider]

Feel free to go straight into the keg. Shove your autosiphon hose right over a liquid quick disconnect. Leave the lid pressure relief valve open and start siphoning away.

Can't think of any benefit to hitting the bottling bucket first.

You talking about connecting the ball lock valve to the auto siphon?

 

[thadius856]

The hell is a "ball lock valve"? Google isn't helping.

I'm very specially referring to a quick disconnect that goes on the liquid post.

Is that what you meant? If so, then yes, I connect the autosiphon straight to that and siphon straight down the liquid diptube.



See bottom center.

 

[BansheeRider]

The hell is a "ball lock valve"? Google isn't helping.

I'm very specially referring to a quick disconnect that goes on the liquid post.

Is that what you meant? If so, then yes, I connect the autosiphon straight to that and siphon straight down the liquid diptube.



See bottom center.

Just got into kegging a few days ago so sorry for using the wrong terms. Yes that is what I mean.

 

[DougK]

Cool. I will have to pick up yet another liquid disconnect now.

Muchas Gracias

 

[thadius856]

Just got into kegging a few days ago so sorry for using the wrong terms. Yes that is what I mean.

No worries mate. Last time I didn't ask, the guy said "pressure vessel" and I assumed he meant "keg". Turns out its some British Mr. Beer device. Gave a page of bad advice before somebody said something.

 

[DougK]

No worries mate. Last time I didn't ask, the guy said "pressure vessel" and I assumed he meant "keg". Turns out its some British Mr. Beer device. Gave a page of bad advice before somebody said something.

Horribly off topic....


I had a buddy from Britain visiting and we went out to a local bar for some libations. The waitress came over and asked "Can I get you guys sorted out" and he busted out laughing.


I took pity on the poor girl and explained that bit of British slang to her. Boy did she turn red.

 

[b-boy]

I'm going to be kegging my first time this weekend. Do you fill the keg straight out of the fermentor or does it go into the bottling bucket first?

A good practice is to pressurize the keg and purge it a few times before you rack your beer to the keg. This gets the O2 out of the keg. You'll see a layer of 'fog' in the keg. That's your CO2 layer. When you rack you'll have a layer of CO2 between your beer and the air. It will help minimize oxidation.

 

[DougK]

A good practice is to pressurize the keg and purge it a few times before you rack your beer to the keg. This gets the O2 out of the keg. You'll see a layer of 'fog' in the keg. That's your CO2 layer. When you rack you'll have a layer of CO2 between your beer and the air. It will help minimize oxidation.

Makes sense. Thanks.

 

[Kealia]

Feel free to go straight into the keg. Shove your autosiphon hose right over a liquid quick disconnect. Leave the lid pressure relief valve open and start siphoning away.

Good grief why have I never thought about doing this?!?!

I typically remove the lid and just rack to the bottom of the keg with the lid off like I was shown when I started. I think I just changed the way I rack to my kegs.

 

[thadius856]

A good practice is to pressurize the keg and purge it a few times before you rack your beer to the keg. This gets the O2 out of the keg. You'll see a layer of 'fog' in the keg. That's your CO2 layer. When you rack you'll have a layer of CO2 between your beer and the air. It will help minimize oxidation.

If you can see the CO2 'fog', then it'll likely de-stratify while you're siphoning in, allowing some O2 back into the mixture.

Best to leave the lid on, IMO. Fluid coming in will create a slight positive pressure in the keg, pushing the CO2 out slowly and keeping O2 ingress through the relief port minimal.