tonight's the night....first keg attempt.

[Ol' Grog]

Let's just say I'm about as excited as I was getting laid for the first time on this one. Got all my stuff, CO2, lines, hoses, 5 gallons of Weizen in secondary for a week, kegs, etc. etc. Going to keg it without a kegerator. Low's are in the 40-30's now and highs are 50-60.....good enough for me. Is there anything else ya'll could recommend on kegging I need to know about? They are rebuilt and cleaned, but I'll sanitize them one more time prior to transfer. I have 3 feet of 3/16 hose and cobra tap and about ten feet of 1/4 inch CO2 hose. Should I shorten the pressure hose instead of using all ten feet of it? To me, that would be a waste of gas, right? It may be a couple weeks or even a month before I find the ideal kegerator....I'm going to go with the Sanyo 4912, just got to find it and hoping Christmas sales will kick in here soon and I'll luck out. But, hose is relatively inexpensive. I figure just make a pressure hose around 3 feet and then connect the fittings. Since this is a "wheat" beer with ale yeasts, what volume you think I need? Consider ambiet temperature to be around 58-60. I'm thinking around 2.5? After that, I'm in no hurry for quick carbination, I can wait a week. So what do I do? The charts are showing about around 21 PSI. Charge up the keg to 21 PSI, then shake the be-jesus out of it and then let it sit? Or charge it up and leave it? I really don't want to leave the CO2 tank hooked to it. Can I charge it, pull the pressure hose off and then check it every once in a while?

 

[rdwj]

The length of the gas hose doesn't matter. You may as well leave it until you know what you need. The serving line seems short to me. This might help you with balancing.

I'd also do something to keep the temp as consistent as possible - perhaps a tub of water.

 

[Ryan_PA]

I would suggest pressure checking the keg after sanitation. Sanitze everything, then rebuild it, and pressurize it empty to 30 lbs. This will serve 2 purposes, it will seat the rings and you can fix any leaks before introducing the beer. If you can get the posts and lid to hold the 30lbs, release the pressure and open the lid then fill with beer re-adjust the pressure and away you go.

 

[Fiery Sword]

Good luck with the first batch!!! I was equally excited when I first got into kegging. I don't think you'd be let down.

Years back, my brother found this little pamphlet which we have since considered The Cornie Kegging Bible. It was written by a guy names Pat Anderson and is available HERE.

Yes, it's $4. Yes, it is basically a photocopied, folded over pamphlet. But it should answer every question you'd have about the kegging process. The bits about line runs, pressure charts for carbonation levels, etc. are invaluable. I use it every time I keg!

 

[david_42]

Why don't you want to leave the CO2 tank connected? That's the easiest way to force carb.

Leaks? You can check your system end-to-end for leaks by connecting to the empty keg & pressurizing to 15 psi, then shut the tank's valve off. In 24 hours, the pressure should be unchanged (unless the keg got colder).

Let's just say I'm about as excited as I was getting laid for the first time on this one.

For me, my first kegging was more exciting.

 

[the_bird]

Let's just say I'm about as excited as I was getting laid for the first time on this one.

I really, truly, sincerely hope that this is *not* the case...

 

[Ol' Grog]

What about the pressure hose? Should I go ahead and cut it or just use it at the original length? Does 2.5 volumes sound right???

 

[david_42]

Leave the hose alone, gas in the line is not wasted. It just sits there.

2.5 is probably a good place to start for a weizen, but if you keep connecting & disconnecting the hose, you'll waste a lot of CO2.

Look at it this way: Assume a 5 gallon cornie is really 5.25 gallons. Put 5 gallons of weizen in it and 1 quart of CO2 at 21 psi. The CO2 dissolves. Put another quart in, and another and another. You'll need to do this 2.5 * 5 gallons / (1 quart * 21 psi /15 psi) or 36 times.

If you chill it, then connect the tank and shake, you have to shake it until the regulator stops sending more gas.

 

[Ol' Grog]

THANKS. I had been reading that German wheat brews are around 3 to 3.5, but I know that these kit wheats use ale yeasts, so that kind of threw me off. How would I know if I over carbed it? Too much foam??? How about force carbing it at 30 psi for 24 hours and then backing off to around 12 to 15 psi? Is that a good technique....I just got done reading about that one.

 

[david_42]

Too much foam???

 

[olllllo]

Congrats!




but now I have that damned Rod Stewert song in my head.

 

[Ol' Grog]

Which one is that?

 

[Ol' Grog]

Never mind, it's obviously "tonights the night".

 

[Fiery Sword]

Sorry Grog, if Tonight's The night makes you think of Rod you have been unnecessarily posioned. To remedy this, rush out tomorrow and buy Neil Young's Tonight's The Night. Leave the Rod behind. Let's not let him kill another decade of music fans.....

 

[Jetsers]

Good luck on the kegging!
I kegged my 4th (since kegging) a few weeks ago.

Its so much better than bottling.

 

[olllllo]

Sorry Grog, if Tonight's The night makes you think of Rod you have been unnecessarily posioned. To remedy this, rush out tomorrow and buy Neil Young's Tonight's The Night. Leave the Rod behind. Let's not let him kill another decade of music fans.....

It's me that's got it in my head and I am a big Neil fan. The only reason I got RS in my head is because of the "as excited as I was getting laid for the first time" connotation.

I understand that things did not go as planned for Grog, There was backflow, shaking and maybe some tears.

 

[brehm21]

I understand that things did not go as planned for Grog, There was backflow, shaking and maybe some tears.

Is this pertaining to kegging or getting laid? Poor Grog. I'm embarrassed for him.

 

[Ol' Grog]

CHILLLLLLLLLLLLL DUDES!!!! All is good, on both parts......had some kegging first time issues like don't turn down your regulator still hooked to the keg if the pressure in the keg is higher than the hose. That and mother nature was suppose to help out by getting colder, but she didn't. Got the keg in the garage with ambient temperature around 60. Haven't gotten a kegerator yet and should have......