Racking to keg tonight, getting CO2 tomorrow...

[TravelingLight]

This is my first beer and I want to make sure this isn't a huge deal. My IPA is finishing dry hop tonight. I have to rack to the keg tonight so I can get the beer off the dry hops. Ideally I would rack it, seal it, and purge the keg with CO2 some and then chill it overnight before force carbing it tomorrow. Here's my issue: I don't have my tank filled yet. I was going to get it filled today but work got in the way and they close at 5 so I won't be able to get by there until tomorrow.

How detrimental will it be if I just rack it to the keg tonight, seal it up, throw it in the keg to chill, then carb it tomorrow? I don't want to ruin my first beer because of some bee-ess like this. Thanks, friends.

 

[Revvy]

No, it would be fine, but at the same time, your beer's not going to suddenly die if you didn't rack it tomorrow. It can go another 12 hours on the dry hops.

 

[TAK]

So, between leaving the beer on dry hops a day longer than you intended, or racking to a keg without CO2 for a day, I'd totally recomend waiting to rack until you get your tank filled.

 

[FreddyMar3]

Wait for your CO2. You're better off avoiding the oxygenation, especially in an IPA. Revvy is right, one more day on dry hops won't make a big difference.

 

[TravelingLight]

Thanks for the advice, everyone. For the record, today is Day 6 of dry hops, so if I wait until tomorrow that will be 7 days of dry hops. That's all good with no grassy off-flavors?

 

[Revvy]

Thanks for the advice, everyone. For the record, today is Day 6 of dry hops, so if I wait until tomorrow that will be 7 days of dry hops. That's all good with no grassy off-flavors?

I've dry hopped for 2 weeks with no issues....that's another one of those things that new brewers get so uber paranoid about, that doesn't happen "overnight." It's not going to instantly turn grassy.

 

[TravelingLight]

I've dry hopped for 2 weeks with no issues....that's another one of those things that new brewers get so uber paranoid about, that doesn't happen "overnight." It's not going to instantly turn grassy.

Fair points. You the man! Thanks a ton. I do tend to get a tad anal about things when I'm still learning a new hobby. Sometimes it's beneficial, other times it's a hindrance.

 

[Revvy]

Fair points. You the man! Thanks a ton. I do tend to get a tad anal about things when I'm still learning a new hobby. Sometimes it's beneficial, other times it's a hindrance.

Read this...It might help.

 

[kombat]

You'll likely get some degree of grassiness from the dry hops, depending on how much you used and what kind, but in my experience that will fade quickly and in less than a week, it'll just be hoppy goodness. Between that and the risk of oxidation, I would absolutely choose to leave them on the dry hops for the extra day and wait until you're able to purge the keg with CO2.

 

[TravelingLight]

Read this...It might help.

Hey that article was about you! Pretty cool. And definitely words to live by. I used to be the same way when I got into hydroponic gardening and it took me a little while to quit worrying over asinine stuff. And it usually always works out. Thanks for the link!

 

[TexasDroughtBrewery]

I mean honestly....I don't think either choice would ruin the beer. I rack to my kegs and cold crash them all the time, I went nearly 6-7 batches of doing this and keeping them in a fridge for a week or longer at a time before someone told me I should purge the tank with CO2 and never had an issue. So...maybe I got lucky..maybe it is just over kill and not really that big of a deal...

 

[TexasDroughtBrewery]

I just read Revvy's article and its pretty spot on, all of that new brewer's jitters and over protection just goes away especially as life happens while you have beer brewing you can simply just have a beer sit there...for awhile..it will still be good when you get back to it.

 

[TexasDroughtBrewery]

Sorry for the triple post but I was just thinking...this is your first time. Quick tip the CO2 actually works better when the beer is cold rather than fermenting temps. If you do happen to put the beer on the gas while its at fermenting temps check it every 12-24 hours for the first..one or two days to adjust the gas b/c they PSI will change as the temps change of the beer.

 

[Homercidal]

It's no good to stress about the tiny details. (Unless you get off on that kind of thing).

Either way is fine. Frankly I'd wait until the gas and get it all done at one time, but depending on the hops and how much you use and the temperature, you might already have some grassy notes by day 6. Who knows?

I guess you will after you pull a sample and taste it, right? A few hours isn't going to make a difference anyway. It's more important to pay attention to how you rack and preventing oxidation than if your hops sit for a week.

Just an FYI, but I routinely keep a bag of hops in the keg for months. I don't get any bad flavors at kegerator temps.

 

[Revvy]

Just an FYI, but I routinely keep a bag of hops in the keg for months. I don't get any bad flavors at kegerator temps.

I just had citra sitting in my randall for about a month, and the IPA that passed through it tasted fine all the way through.

 

[TravelingLight]

Thanks for all the helpful advice. I think I will just wait until tomorrow when I have gas (teehee). This will give me extra time to make sure everything is cleaned up tonight and get all my lines hooked up anyway. Also need to rearrange some furniture for the kegerator placement!