New to keggin...Here's the plan. (dumb questions)

[Sarrsipius]

sick of bottling so I'm going to keg. I plan to use a 5 gallon corny keg as a secondary as well. Up to this point I've always only done primary and then bottle. I've answered most of my questions by reading other posts but still unclear about a couple of things.

When I'm ready to transfer from my secondary (corny keg) to a serving keg I want to do it with CO2 pressure to avoid O2 exposure. Do I just hook up the CO2 tank and hook up a line with nothing on the output end (no faucet), put that end into the serving keg, and then let the beer run into the serving keg? How much pressure do you use to do that?

Once it's in the serving keg, if I'm not ready to serve it (no free faucet for example), should I store it under pressure or flat? I plan to store it cold so I guess this would be cold conditioning but it's not clear to me if that's done with pressure on the keg or not. If so, how much pressure?

I guess that's it for now.

thanks

 

[Reelale]

When I'm ready to transfer from my secondary (corny keg) to a serving keg I want to do it with CO2 pressure to avoid O2 exposure. Do I just hook up the CO2 tank and hook up a line with nothing on the output end (no faucet), put that end into the serving keg, and then let the beer run into the serving keg? How much pressure do you use to do that?

I just rack into my kegs with an auto siphon. The little bit of time it is exposed to O2 and by purging the keg with CO2 after filling leads to no problems for me. I think if you really want to transfer under pressure, you would pressurize the donor keg, and have the beverage out connected to the beverage out of the receiver keg (with a short jumper of beverage line with a liquid disconnect on both ends). I would think that 5 or so PSI would do the trick as long as you keep purging the reciever keg to maintain a lower pressure there.

Once it's in the serving keg, if I'm not ready to serve it (no free faucet for example), should I store it under pressure or flat? I plan to store it cold so I guess this would be cold conditioning but it's not clear to me if that's done with pressure on the keg or not. If so, how much pressure?

When I need to cold condition, I purge the keg a couple of times then hit it with about 20 PSI just to seal. Although, I think the beer will condition and carb at the same time. I use the set-it and forget it method of carbing, so I'm getting about 2 weeks of cold conditioning on all of my beers when I set the proper PSI based on desired carb levels.

 

[RichBenn]

I just rack into my kegs with an auto siphon. The little bit of time it is exposed to O2 and by purging the keg with CO2 after filling leads to no problems for me.

+1 to this. By not using the CO2 to push, you purge(waste) less into the atomosphere, getting more kegs per CO2 tank = less money and less time wasted traveling to get more CO2.

 

[whale]

I've just done the transfer by hooking up two kegs (out to out) forcing the co2 in to the original keg. The problem I had was that I had no idea how much co2 i need to release from the empty keg.

What happens if
I hook up the kegs (out to out) with the full one up higher ground,
start transfering by co2 force,
wait few minutes,
hook up the gas to gas.

would this become a syphon??
not wasting anymore co2??
co2 in beer should not be comming out??

 

[SweetSounds]

Whale:
No, and yes. you can create a siphon with the conditioning keg above the serving keg. But that has 2 issues (for me)
It disturbs the sediment back into your beer
Because the conditioning keg is sealed, as it drains it will draw a vacuum, and slow (and eventually stop) the transfer. At that point you have to hit it with more CO2, or open the relief valve, introducing oxygen.

I know it's wasting CO2, but I'm lazy, and my beer has been settling in secondary to clarify, among other things.

I don't move the keg, I bring the empty to it.
Hook up the "Out to Out" hose, hit the donor keg with about 5 PSI of CO2, and open the release valve on the empty keg.
It takes about 5 minutes or so to transfer 5 gallons, and it's 5 gallons of clear beer. I check progress by lifting the serving keg, so I don't disturb the crap on the bottom of the conditioning keg. When it's getting close I'll hold the release ring of the QD on the out post of the serving keg, but not lift it. As soon as the conditioning keg gurgles, I pull the QD off of the serving keg. If you get the timing right, you won't pull much sediment at all!
Don't forget to close the relief on the serving keg! Then cool, carb, and drink!

To save CO2 sometimes I'll remove the gas In QD from the conditioning keg during transfer. Then every minute or so I'll put it back on just to boost the pressure to keep pushing. It only takes a few pounds to push the beer.

 

[DKershner]

Whale:
No, and yes. you can create a siphon with the conditioning keg above the serving keg. But that has 2 issues (for me)
It disturbs the sediment back into your beer
Because the conditioning keg is sealed, as it drains it will draw a vacuum, and slow (and eventually stop) the transfer. At that point you have to hit it with more CO2, or open the relief valve, introducing oxygen.

I know it's wasting CO2, but I'm lazy, and my beer has been settling in secondary to clarify, among other things.

I don't move the keg, I bring the empty to it.
Hook up the "Out to Out" hose, hit the donor keg with about 5 PSI of CO2, and open the release valve on the empty keg.
It takes about 5 minutes or so to transfer 5 gallons, and it's 5 gallons of clear beer. I check progress by lifting the serving keg, so I don't disturb the crap on the bottom of the conditioning keg. When it's getting close I'll hold the release ring of the QD on the out post of the serving keg, but not lift it. As soon as the conditioning keg gurgles, I pull the QD off of the serving keg. If you get the timing right, you won't pull much sediment at all!
Don't forget to close the relief on the serving keg! Then cool, carb, and drink!

To save CO2 sometimes I'll remove the gas In QD from the conditioning keg during transfer. Then every minute or so I'll put it back on just to boost the pressure to keep pushing. It only takes a few pounds to push the beer.

I do this procedure exactly, except I put CO2 in the receiving keg before anything. That way it really never touches oxygen.

The amount of of CO2 used to push beer from one keg to another is about 1/50 the amount to carbonate a keg. If you want to save on your CO2 costs, carb with sugar. It's a hell of a lot more effective than siphoning.

 

[Sarrsipius]

Good deal. I believe I fully understand the process I want to use for racking from secondary keg to serving keg. (what you guys describe)

I'm still not 100% clear on whether to put it under pressure when stored (cold or warm). One response was 20PSI but isn't that too high? I mean, wouldn't you end up with too much C02 in your beer? Or does it drop quickly after you charge it (assuming it's not connected to your CO2 tank after putting the pressure on)

I would think you could store it un carbonated and un pressured until you are ready to carb and serve but I'm new to kegging so I'm not sure.

 

[DKershner]

Good deal. I believe I fully understand the process I want to use for racking from secondary keg to serving keg. (what you guys describe)

I'm still not 100% clear on whether to put it under pressure when stored (cold or warm). One response was 20PSI but isn't that too high? I mean, wouldn't you end up with too much C02 in your beer? Or does it drop quickly after you charge it (assuming it's not connected to your CO2 tank after putting the pressure on)

I would think you could store it un carbonated and un pressured until you are ready to carb and serve but I'm new to kegging so I'm not sure.

20psi would be too much if you leave the CO2 hooked up. A shot of 20psi and purging oxygen then disconnecting will hardly carb the beer at all. 20-30psi for storage is usually good.

 

[Runyanka]

why use the corney for a secondary, then rack to another keg? The only reason you should have to transfer to another keg is if you were dry hopping, oaking, using fruit or something out of the ordinary. Otherwise, could you not just cold crash it in the "secondary" keg for 3 days or so, then pull off a pint or two (would be all yeast and trub). Then carb as usual.

 

[DKershner]

why use the corney for a secondary, then rack to another keg? The only reason you should have to transfer to another keg is if you were dry hopping, oaking, using fruit or something out of the ordinary. Otherwise, could you not just cold crash it in the "secondary" keg for 3 days or so, then pull off a pint or two (would be all yeast and trub). Then carb as usual.

Granted I am talking about primary, not secondary, but I find that it can sometimes clog the dip tube with chunks of yeast or what have you. I would rather take the chance all at once and have to fix than to be caught mid dispense.

In a secondary, what you mention would probably work fine. I do not use a secondary.

 

[whale]

I just don't understand why there will be a vacume.

hooking up the gas to gas (in to In) wouldn't that let co2 from the lower tank to higher one???

 

[SweetSounds]

I missed that part.
If you hook out to out, and in to in, there will be no vacuum.