Kegging question

[Goinbroke2]

I've search and read until my eyes bled....quick question, do you put the beer in the keg and let it lager for a few months and then add co2 or do you keg it, add co2 and then let it lager?

Thanks

 

[spittybug]

If it is done fermenting and not creating its own CO2 you will want to make sure it has a blanket of CO2 on it to prevent oxidization. If I misunderstood and you are asking whether to carb it all the way up or not, I wouldn't do so, I would do that after lagering.

 

[dannyishoppy]

Agree with spittybug. Don't carb until after lagering, however, be sure to connect to CO2 for a minute or so and pull on the pressure relief valve 5-10 times to purge oxygen. Then disconnect CO2 and lager away. Also, Some recommend seating lid by applying 25-30 psi.

 

[Dcpcooks]

You need to hit your final gravity and do a d rest before you move the beer to lager temps. Lager temps are cold, I like to lager at 30, below 40 yeast will drop.

Keep some head pressure on the keg, I usually hit it with 30 lbs for a few min, purge the keg and repeat it a few times. Then you can lager the beer till it's ready.

I almost always cheat and tap it too soon. Don't be me wait a little bit more

 

[Goinbroke2]

Awesome, thanks for the quick responses. I don't have the ability to lower temps so I'll be lagering at however cold my basement can get. The other possibility is out in the garage but two issues would be the temp swings from night to day and the other possibility of it going below freezing temps. I'll assume both issues would be worse then lagering at a steady 45-50 deg?

 

[Yesfan]

I did a 10 gallon dunkel a couple of weeks ago. Fermented at 55F and I set them behind my bar (temps around 70F) for the D-rest this past Friday. I'll probably let them set at that temp til this next Friday, then keg them.

Since it's 10 gallons, I may go ahead carb up/tap the first keg. The second one 'technically' will just be lagering until the first keg kicks, so figure that couldn't hurt.

 

[thestraw0039]

You can't just put it in the kegerator or keezer, hook it up to the CO2 and let it carb while it lagers?

 

[Yooper]

You can't just put it in the kegerator or keezer, hook it up to the CO2 and let it carb while it lagers?

Sure, you absolutely can do do that. That's what I do, and I think every other brewer I know does.

 

[Goinbroke2]

......well poo.....lager then co2, no, co2 and then lager....guys, that doesn't help.
I'm going to add co2 and let it sit as long as I can to lager.

Is it still considered lagered if it's only been a few hours until you start drinking it? Lol! Just kidding. (Smells awesome in the keg though)

 

[Rockn_M]

Once it's done fermenting move into a keg, hook up to co2 and get the beer cold. Wait for a few weeks to carb up the enjoy!

 

[Goinbroke2]

Well I added co2 and my homemade setup has a slow leak. Put 12 lbs in and while I come up with a solution I'll see how long it takes to bleed down.

Dang it, one thing or another...

 

[Goinbroke2]

From about one o'clock to eleven (10hrs) it went from 12 lbs to about 5. I just put it at 35 so we'll see how it is by morning.
Got some ideas to fix it.

 

[Morrey]

Your basic question is.....can I carb my beer at the same time I am lagering the beer and cold conditioning it?

Heck yes, that's the way to do it!

 

[Yooper]

From about one o'clock to eleven (10hrs) it went from 12 lbs to about 5. I just put it at 35 so we'll see how it is by morning.
Got some ideas to fix it.

Your regulator is losing pressure? You have it at 35 psi? I'm so confused as to what you are saying.

 

[Goinbroke2]

Lol, yes Yooper, I'm losing pressure. The regulator has a bolt in it instead of a wheel turn adjust the pressure. I got it like this from a guy who was making beer in trade for some work I did for him. It's set to 35 psi.

I have a 57l beer keg with a sanke connection. I got a 2" SS cap and triclover clamp/nitrile gasket. I drilled two holes in the cap and using food grade rod welded in two 1/4" tubes. Obviously one pressure in and one product out. When I clamp the SS cap down I have some leakage around the cap. Working on a better seal.

Thanks for the direct answer morrey.

 

[Goinbroke2]

"instead of a wheel turn adjust the pressure" Man I hate autocorrect!

That's supposed to read "instead of a wheel to adjust the pressure"

I mention the regulator as its permanently set to 35psi with a bolt. There is no leak at that point. My leak is at the cap/keg.

 

[C38368]

......well poo.....lager then co2, no, co2 and then lager....guys, that doesn't help.
I'm going to add co2 and let it sit as long as I can to lager.

This is one of those things that you can file under "Do What Works For You," I think.

Me, I have the ability to chill (and serve) only two kegs at once. I try to keep at least three kegs of finished beer, however, so I can always have two on tap.

That means that I can't effective lager the on-deck brew(s), but I do pressurize the keg enough to at least start getting some carbonation into it. Ideally, I'd put it under just enough pressure to seat the lid and let it lager while I wait to blow a tap, then carb it up, but we do only what we can.

 

[Goinbroke2]

Well thanks for all the help everyone. Checked tonight and in the last 17hrs it dropped about 3lbs so. When it does eventually bleed down I'll pull the cap and seal it permanently.

 

[Goinbroke2]

Oh forgot to mention its at 35lbs. Yes I'll drop it to 10 or 12 to drink.

 

[Goinbroke2]

24hr's, no pressure loss! Yay!

If I put it in the garage to lager, will it hurt it if it goes below freezing? Also what about -5 to +5 temps, will the variation hurt the lagering process?

 

[Yooper]

24hr's, no pressure loss! Yay!

If I put it in the garage to lager, will it hurt it if it goes below freezing? Also what about -5 to +5 temps, will the variation hurt the lagering process?

You don't want the beer to freeze. A slight variation in temperature won't matter, as it takes a very long time for 5 gallons of beer to change temperature. I'd insulate it, to avoid the drastic changes.

 

[nasty_rabbit]

I mention the regulator as its permanently set to 35psi with a bolt. There is no leak at that point. My leak is at the cap/keg.

View attachment ImageUploadedByHome Brew1488460612.142859.jpgView attachment ImageUploadedByHome Brew1488460641.974575.jpgView attachment ImageUploadedByHome Brew1488460675.860882.jpg

Adjustment methods vary from one manufacturer to another. Try turning the bolt counter clockwise to see if it in fact will adjust your psi.

 

[Yesfan]

You can't just put it in the kegerator or keezer, hook it up to the CO2 and let it carb while it lagers?

Was that directed to me?

If so, yes I plan on doing what you're asking. For double batches I usually do this:

Keg 1. Burst carb for 2 days, vent, then hit with serving pressure.
Keg 2. Carb at normal serving pressure for minimum 2 wks. If I don't need that gas line for a 4th keg (I have 4 taps), I leave the gas connected until Keg 1 kicks.

This is what I usually do as I have a double regulator. One gauge is at serving pressure that goes to a 4 port manifold connected to 4 kegs. The second gauge only has one line at high pressure that I use to burst carb newly filled kegs.

 

[Goinbroke2]

Thanks for all the great info guys. Forums are such a great wealth of freely given knowledge!

I'll wait until it stops dropping below freezing before I wrap it and put the keg in the garage. Currently it's -14. So, it sits in the basement around 55deg at 14lbs.
C,mon summer! Lol!

 

[Goinbroke2]

Just checked before heading to work, it was 12 lbs so I bumped it back up to 14.

 

[Goinbroke2]

ok...had to "try a taste".
Pulled about 3/4 of a cup and it smelled yeasty..umm..yeastie...yeast like? I could taste yeast! you know what I mean, anyway, other than the yeast it seemed ok, then I read somewhere you have to purge or throw away the first couple cups. Can anyone elaborate on this? I'm guessing because the first bit out is what is sucked off the bottom? That's why my first cup was so yeasty? (maybe it was sediment, yeast and trub or whatever??)

So, can anyone confirm this, is there a certain amount you discard or let settle or whatever when you first tap a keg? I guess also, what do you do with this first bit of beer, do you toss it or let it settle or what?

Thanks

 

[ba-brewer]

First and last pint from a keg usually have some sediment/yeast.

I dump the first pint and start drinking after that. The second pint may still have a bit of yeast/sediment but not too bad. Some times it is less than a full pint you can tell when it starts pouring clearer.

 

[Goinbroke2]

Ok, thanks for the tip. Think I might put it in the lake when the ice goes out. (I live on a lake) I'm thinking a couple months in 33+ water would lager it well.

 

[NSMikeD]

Awesome, thanks for the quick responses. I don't have the ability to lower temps so I'll be lagering at however cold my basement can get. The other possibility is out in the garage but two issues would be the temp swings from night to day and the other possibility of it going below freezing temps. I'll assume both issues would be worse then lagering at a steady 45-50 deg?

Here is an option I read in this site that I am considering: Freeze a few water bottles. Put the keg in a bucket/cooler with some water and put half the frozen water bottles in with the keg. Next day swap the water bottles and repeat. Take a number of temperature readings to see if you need to add more frozen water bottles.

 

[Goinbroke2]

That's a good idea Mike, but very labour intensive. I want to forget about it for a month or two while I work on the dragster or the mustang or the house or.....a million things to burn my time, don't need another! lol!

Of course, when it gets closer to tapping time...I could put it in a large garbage can filled with cold water and drop ice in that. Then the beer would be ice cold coming out...hmmm, you might be on to something...

 

[Goinbroke2]

Aaaaand the issues continue.....
So, I took probably 3-4L of beer and it was still kinda yeasty so I pulled the cap I made and bent the tube because I might of been sucking beer off the bottom. (where all the sediment is) Recharged to 10lb's of co2 or so and let it sit. Couple days go by and while there is less yeast, almost clear, it's dark. And I don't like the flavour, tastes like a dark ale. What the heck???
Not impressed at all. Now I have probably 14 gallons of beer in the basement I'm not fond of. It's been sitting since I made it 28 Jan so it should be "lagered". I even bought lager yeast when I found ale yeast under the cap. "Canadian lager" my butt, tastes more like a regular dark ale.

Not sure where to go from here. Let it lager another 6 months? Try it next summer? I don't know, I'll stick to whisky I guess....