Question about kegging

[boomtown25]

Would it be safe to racking into a keg with no CO2 hooked to it and store it for several weeks at 70 degrees? I have about 10 gallons ready to be bottled and I simply do not want to bottle. I want to keg, but probably cannot purchase my kegging system for several more weeks. I can however, afford a keg or two. I was thinking about just kegging the beer instead of bottling and putting it in the closet for storage until I get the Keezer set up.

 

[Bensiff]

Ideally you want to purge with CO2; however, if you fill the keg up to near the top and seal you will have very little oxygen. Then the beer will off-gas the disolved CO2 and you will be able to burp the valve and slowly purge most of the oxygen. Another option, if you can get the equipment together soon enough would be to naturally carbonate in the keg with sugar. Burp it a few times and it will be sitting there ready to serve...all you need would be an ice bath to toss the keg in, a party tap, and a party to serve it.

 

[Zixxer10R]

Bensiff is right on track here. Since you were planning on bottling and just decided that you don't want to, you should have priming sugar right? If it's gonna be weeks before you can get the keg dispensing equipment then your beer should have already primed itself.
Frankly, you're in a pretty good situation if you can get a couple kegs and a couple ounces of priming sugar. No worries, at least from my POV.

 

[jmhart]

I'd make a priming solution and put that in the keg first. 3 oz of sugar will do it, and rack on top of it.

You'll help yourself out down the line when your impatient and ready to drink your first keg beer. This way, it won't take very long to get to a good carbonation level. On top of that, I'd be more comfortable with long term storage having postive pressure in the keg.


Now, for a bit of unsolicited advice: I'd just go ahead and bottle. I've seen a number of your posts, and I think you'll be better off just bottling. You're gonna want to drink that beer, and chances are it's gonna take you longer to get your keg setup going than you think. Call a buddy up, have him come over, teach him how to bottle, and have him help. Give him a sixer for his trouble.

 

[boomtown25]

I may have had a bit of good luck come my way today. After weeks of checking CL religously, I found a used stainless steel kegerator for $200.00 within driving distance. Only issue I have now is that it only holds one keg and I was gunning to build a Keezer that was going to hold 3 kegs which ultimately would cost around $320 (with the Freezer and setup I priced out. May still just wait until I can get that.

 

[rycov]

I would wait on the set up you really want. as far as legging, you could just leave it in the fermenter until you get set up (provided it's just a few weeks). the only worry I would have about legging right now is that some times the lid doesn't get seated from just closing it.I guess if you primed it it would have out ward pressure, but if it wasn't enough to set the lid properly that pressure may leak out.

 

[Zixxer10R]

rycov, looks like your "k" key is broken.

 

[luke2080]

Yeah wait to get your keezer. You'll kick yourself when you can only fit 1 keg....

 

[rycov]

rycov, looks like your "k" key is broken.

no I meant legging.


I'm on the iPad, damn auto correct. some times it works with me and sometimes against me

 

[Bensiff]

I would agree with what others said about waiting. I have a dual tap kegerator I built and I regularly wish I had a 3 or 4 tap. Even nicer would be something that can hold 6 or so kegs so I can lager and serve in one unit instead of having a lagering fridge in my garage sucking up space and electricity.

 

[Zixxer10R]

no I meant legging.


I'm on the iPad, damn auto correct. some times it works with me and sometimes against me

Dude, my stupid iPhone ALWAYS autocorrects "kegging" for "legging". It bothered me so much that i finally reset my autocorrect database. Stupid auto-correct.

 

[boomtown25]

I didn't realize "legging" was that popular that autocorrect changes it to that! But then again, if you go on www.damnyouautocorrect.com you may end up peeing yourself over that autocorrect can come up with!