kegging newbie (sanity check)

[pava]

Just filled my first keg and was hoping someone could take a look at my process and let me know if it looks alright (for the sake of my own sanity).

1. Disassembled, cleaned, and reassembled the keg (with new o-rings).
2. Pressure tested the keg and ensured a good seal.
3. Sanitized the keg by putting a half gallon or so of star san in, sealed it up, shook it to ensure coverage, hooked it up to CO2 and pushed some out of the tap.
4. Opened the keg, emptied the star san and proceeded to fill the keg.
5. Hooked up to CO2 and hit it with 20psi, purged, and repeated 3 times to remove O2 from the headspace.
6. Finally I set the psi @ about 11 and am going to do the set and forget method, leaving it for about 2 wks.

So, any glaring issues with my process? I am entirely new to the whole kegging game and have no idea what I am doing (other than gaining knowledge from reading this site of course). I feel like I am a new brewer all over again .

 

[beerloin]

looks good to me

 

[stevo155]

The only thing I'd do since you opened the keg and dumped the remaining Star San is to hit it with a little more CO2 before you start filling it. Also, I always put keg lube on the o-rings.

Minor stuff and probably overkill on my part, but your process look solid.

 

[BendBrewer]

6. Finally I set the psi @ about 11 and am going to do the set and forget method, leaving it for about 2 wks.

Check it after one week. It'll probably be ready to drink than.

 

[Flomaster]

great thread I too have yet to keg my first beer and will use this process.

whats the best way to get from carboy to keg: auto siphon ? use co2 to force it over from carboy..... etc?

-=Jason=-

 

[Special Hops]

great thread I too have yet to keg my first beer and will use this process.

whats the best way to get from carboy to keg: auto siphon ? use co2 to force it over from carboy..... etc?

-=Jason=-

Same way you get it from a carboy into your bottling bucket. Carboys are not designed to hold pressure.

 

[Myrdhyn]

Only thing I do different is a tiny bit of keglube on the posts, and I use 30psi to seat and purge rather than 20psi

To the question about carboy -> keg: autosiphon is what I use. Purge keg with CO2, purge pressure, set carboy on bar, keg on floor, open keg top hose in between to bottom of keg. If you get a bit of a bubble in the hose and are terrified of even the tiniest chance of oxidation, pinch it to slow the flow until the bubble "fills up".

 

[Flomaster]

yeah I did a search after posting and it seems purging with a few seconds of Co2 and then auto-siphoning under that blanket of Co2 is the way to go.

-=Jason=-

 

[pava]

Thanks for all the replies they have definitely helped settle the nerves. I did use keg lube on the posts and all o-rings so I think I am good there too and as far as I can tell I have no leaks (gas or liquid) so hopefully I am good there too, although I have read horror stories of going to try the beer in a week or two and there being no CO2 left in the tank, hopefully that will not be my first experience in kegging.

A follow up question. So I used CO2 to push star san out and then opened the lid, a few have suggested purging again with CO2. Isn't there still a layer of CO2 in the keg. If not when you purge again is it with the lid open or closed? I guess I am still unclear of what could be done that wasn't done with CO2 the first time when there was still star san in the keg. Either way the lid still has to be opened to siphon the beer in.