wedding beer....

[bobcat1]

ok so my brother asked me to make the beer for his wedding. He will also be buying a half of something but i have in the making 20 gallons of home brew. 2 kinds, 10 gallong of summer wheat and 10 gallons of a steamer beer (whatever that is).

i have 2 corny kegs and soon will be getting 2 more. can i carbonate these and just set them aside in my basement? i can only get 2 on my fridge at a time. i'm hoping to carbonate 2 and set them aside then do the other 2 and have cold right up until the wedding (august 1). then put the other 2 on ice and hopfully cool them while the first 2 are getting drank.
i also ordered some beer frost (http://www.beerfrost.com/ ) from my cousin. (beer frost is an all natural ice additive that can take ice from 30 to -10 in a few minutes) so i think it should cool down pretty quick if i get it on ice the morning of the wedding.
what are your thoughts?

 

[paperairplane]

So you need 20 gallons in about 3 weeks and you haven't started and are still getting equipment....

Get a manifold or a Y or something and carb them all at the same time. You can carb at whatever temperature.

I would deliver them earlier and get them on ice - they are gonna need some time to settle so you aren't pouring cloudy beer all day.

 

[ericbw]

Look at a carbonation chart. You can curb at room temp, it just takes mire pressure. Once it is garbed to the volumes you want, it stays at that level. So check the chart, turn the gas to whatever level it says for the temp you're at, let it sit on the gas 1-2 weeks, then take it off the gas.

On the big day, put the warm ones in a large tote with lots of ice and water.

 

[ericbw]

The ice additive sounds dangerous.

 

[vincentAlpha]

Well the first question that comes to mind for me is: do you think you are up to making 20 gallons of homebrew for an audience that may or may not be terribly receptive to the mistakes that can occur from rushing a brew; even more so since the wedding is Aug. 1, while not a great distance it is not the best notice. 3 weeks doesn't exactly give you a lot of breathing room for mistakes and even if you had a 10G rig that means you'd want two back-to-back brews so they are of a decent age before serving up (not to mention the week or so of carbonation which might be a bit short, so 14 day primary, 7 day carbonation). If you can only do 1 corny/brew-session that is 4 brews in the span of less than a week which may be crunching things.
Personally I'd not consider serving my homebrew at a wedding (or other mass gathering of non-homebrewers) unless I was using tried-and-true recipes that I KNOW others (aka. not homebrewers) would enjoy and I could crank out to an acceptable level.

So yes, it can be done; but be sure you are up to the task. Now is not the time to be trying out new techniques or recipes. More directly, you can carb your kegs and set them aside, just be sure you get the right PSI-temp levels so you don't wind up foamy or flat.

 

[Bellybuster]

Less than 3 weeks!!
I would pass

 

[paperairplane]

The ice additive sounds dangerous.

What a crock of ****. A mineral you put in ice to make it colder - it's called salt.

 

[Schol-R-LEA]

10 gallong of summer wheat and 10 gallons of a steamer beer (whatever that is).

I certainly hope he meant steam beer (the old name for California Common beer, now locked up as a trademark by Anchor). I really don't want to consider what a 'steamer' beer might entail, especially if it has anything to do with Cleveland

Check for Cali Common recipes under Amber Hybrid Beers in the recipe database, though honestly, I doubt you really have time to get it brewed and ready by August 1st.

 

[Hoppity]

You said you have 20 Gallons 'in the making'. If they are mid fermentation, you have a chance for the 1st. Keep one empty keg handy and cold crash successive kegs until the last one is full and carbonate in fridge. If you don't have fridge space use 1/2 recommended priming sugar in keg NOW and cellar store to carbonate. If you haven't brewed any of this yet, tell your bro it isn't happening.

 

[Iseneye]

I assume your brother had the wedding planned a while ago. Bit rude only asking you three weeks out from the wedding. I'd tell him to get a bunch of _insert popular american lager_

 

[bobcat1]

the beer is made. it is setting in carboys a week in to the second fermentation. all that is left is to keg and carb.
i guess i should have just asked if you can carb at room (basement is like 68) temp.

and the beer frost is not salt. it not only makes ice colder but last longer. salt water will kill grass and make pets sick if they drink it. beer frost will not.

thanks for the positive comment about the carbonation chart. i will look one up.

 

[Hoppity]

Good to hear, looks like you're all set. You have time to do either: naturally carb or use CO2. Remember you'll have yeast silt if you naturally carb. Make sure you get it to the serving site as early as you can so it can settle. How are you serving it? Picnic tap, jockey box, post tap?

Special event, good luck.

 

[bobcat1]

i bought a splitter for my c02 line and 2 picnic taps. i made 4 batches but only 2 kinds that way i only have to serve 2 at a time.
while looking for a carbing chart i found an article on carbing and it said to carb through the "out" post so the co2 has to travel up through the beer. are the posts different? in other words right now i have a white disconnect where my co2 goes into the "in" and a black on the "out". will the white fit on the "out" or do i pull the hose clamp off and put the black one on the co2 line to carb through the "out" port?

 

[Hoppity]

The latter. They are a ***** when you put them on the wrong post. I use quick disconnects, so it is no big deal to change. If you have flares, I wouldn't change over if you have a week to carb. You can always tip the keg 90 degrees to get the same effect with the white 'gas in' post.

 

[bobcat1]

ok thanks! i have always force carbed with co2 but that will take at least a few days per keg. i might be able to get 2 in the fridge and split it.

how long does it take to prime with the sugar? i know it will be longer but i could do all at once....

 

[Cider123]

Just my 2 cents.

Before carbing anything I would chill the kegs overnight, then pour into each keg, 1 packet Knox unflavored gelatin dissolved up to 170F with 1 cup of water. Then hook up the gas and have at it.

You have just cut your time to clear beer in half.

 

[Hoppity]

You don't have to carb with gas in the fridge. The online calculators will tell you what psi for how long at which temp for the number of volumes by style. You can always move the 'gas in' pressure around to assure the proper pressure is still being maintained in the kegs.

Not sure how long natural carb in keg takes, but I presume you'll be cutting it close if you start now. I'd rather not deal with the yeast getting stirred back into suspension by naturally carbing, especially since you'll probably be moving them the day of serving.

 

[ericbw]

What a crock of ****. A mineral you put in ice to make it colder - it's called salt.

Easy there!

Salt lowers the temperature of ice from 30 to -10 in "a few minutes?" That's news!