When to keg

[jldc]

So, I have the stuff for a two tap kegerator on the way. My question (the first of many BTW) is "when to keg."

Do you keg/force carb your beer 3-4 weeks after brewing? Once you cool the beer to carbonate it, doesn't that affect the way the yeasties are working on the beer (and hopefully improving it with age)?

 

[addis29]

Mine usually sit in primary for 3 weeks very rarely do secondary then I rack to keg set psi at about 11 for most of my beer and use the set it and forget it method, most of my beer has been carbed in about 2 weeks. I always chill the beer first it takes the cO2 better

 

[Parva]

Leave in primary for 7-10 days, drop to keg, hit it with 24PSI for a few days until it stops disolving it, chuck the keg in a corner until needed then drop to 10PSI to serve.

There's 101 ways to do it and reading threads on here (and every other homebrew forum I hasten to add) will make you think kegging is as much of an art as brewing when the truth is that you can forget secondary and god knows what else. The beer doesn't need to be cold, it just helps things go faster if it is.

 

[Sparky]

Do you guys carb (initially) via the gas in the "out" port on the keg? I heard it takes half the time to carb on the "out" port, then switch to "in" (gas) when tapping (bleeding first).

 

[Parva]

Why complicate matters. Put the gas in on the gas in post, set the reg to beer temperature plus 4 (in PSI) and just leave it be.

 

[Blue_Water]

To OP: I had this same question when I started kegging. The simple answer is that green beer will age and smooth out even after you have chilled and stuck the keg in the fridge. I had a pale ale that tasted not so good after 2 weeks, but then definitely tasted better after sitting in the keg for a couple or 3 more weeks. The key is to ensure your fermentation is complete at the suggested temp (usually around 65 deg), and test final gravity to be sure. Then you can chill and carb it up. Most beers won't taste their best until 5 weeks after brewing or longer, although there will be exceptions.

 

[MoRoToRiUm]

Do you guys carb (initially) via the gas in the "out" port on the keg? I heard it takes half the time to carb on the "out" port, then switch to "in" (gas) when tapping (bleeding first).

I ferment in corny, so I force it from primary to secondary with CO2. I typically bleed some CO2 from the primary into the secondary (out to out for filling purposes) so the CO goes through my beer. It also helps pressurize my keg so I feel safer tossing it somewhere with constant temps to condition.

For carbing I wouldn't mess with trying to do it- There are threads on this, but some have added lines on the gas in with wholes in them to spread the CO2, or have air stones at the bottom connected with tubing. Personally, I don't have a problem giving it a shake after a day at 30 PSI, and I don't have to worry about santizing/contamination of the added equipment.