It's Kegging Time 2019

[Hairy]

On 10/5/2020 at 5:11 PM, Bearded Burbler said:

It cracks me up every time I see this picture. I expect to see you standing next to the gas bottle, dressed as a clown and blowing up helium balloons.

[Pezzza]

4 hours ago, Hairy said:

blowing up beer balloons.

...blowing up beer balloons? 

[Pezzza]

Kegged Amber Ale around 25L all up and got one big one and one small one... now on 40PSI ; )

[Norris!]

I just kegged my Stepping to the AM v2.0 hazy, azacca and mosaic heavy dry hop with Columbus hot side, smelled and tasted like juice, cannot wait to try a glass tomorrow night. Not that it matters but it was 8 days grain to glass with a 1 day soft crash at 15c and 3 days at 1.5c day cold crash, kveik.

Next up is another hazy but trying to decide the hop combo. Thinking citra and galaxy, something fruity.

[Pezzza]

Kegged the Pseudo Lager which is now on gas... apologies @Hairy as poor old Big Bottle has gone back home to its M&D's ha ha ; )

I try to keep the atmosphere in the kegs CO2 rich while filling.... and it is to begin with anyway as I have gassed to run steriliser/near boiling water through the liquid out post..... 

Cheers Brewers

[Pale Man]

Just kegged my 5th beer. Honestly i dont know why home brewers dont go down this path. Apart from affordability i suppose with the initial outlay of cash. 

Bottling the dregs is a pain in the a#*e. I cant ever imagine going back to bottling 30 longnecks. Kegging has made my brewing so much enjoyable.

[Malter White]

Although my preference is to mainly bottle my beer, I've been toying with the idea of getting a set up like this. Sort of a show off item I can take to friends' BBQs or watching a local cricket game.

My question is how much beer will those tiny bulbs carbonate? For instance, would one bulb be enough for a 9 litre keg. If more than one is required I'm probably better off bypassing the bulbs and going for a larger Sodastream cylinder.

[Pezzza]

@MUZZY I think it will pour a keg - but I think that is if it is already carbonated...  @Beerlust Lusty helped out on this question some time ago...

[Malter White]

1 minute ago, Bearded Burbler said:

@MUZZY I think it will pour a keg - but I think that is if it is already carbonated...  @Beerlust Lusty helped out on this question some time ago...

Ah, right. Sounds like bypass bulbs and go straight to the bigger boys. Thanks, Burbs.

[Pezzza]

1 hour ago, MUZZY said:

Ah, right. Sounds like bypass bulbs and go straight to the bigger boys. Thanks, Burbs.

I think the festive bulbs n small reg would be great to say take on a picnic or a visit to a mate - and take a little keg along and a pluto gun and pour there without having to lug bigger bottle and bigger regulator.... just a thought.... your thoughts Gas King @Red devil 44 Red?

[Red devil 44]

2 hours ago, Bearded Burbler said:

I think the festive bulbs n small reg would be great to say take on a picnic or a visit to a mate - and take a little keg along and a pluto gun and pour there without having to lug bigger bottle and bigger regulator.... just a thought.... your thoughts Gas King @Red devil 44 Red?

Yeah once a keg is gassed up & carbonated properly, then u can use a bulb to dispense at a bbq or wherever.

First time I used my 9L keg with my small 2.6kg CO2, but too much to lug around so when I go to my brothers joint for Xmas I will be using a bulb set up to dispense, already have a Pluto Gun so happy days 

[Red devil 44]

This was my set up last Xmas at my. brothers and an esky I modified from bunners 

[Malter White]

@Bearded BurblerBurbler

@Red devil 44

Thanks for the info, guys.

So it looks like I should get a 2.6 or 6kg tank to carb the kegs and use the bulbs for serving ie. for take away beers. My feeble brain might struggle to assemble that together but I have a plumber son who should be able to set me right.

[Dozer71]

Could always naturally carb the keg with sugar (as per bottles but I believe you use a bit less) then use the bulbs to dispense.

Edited November 19, 2020 by Dozer71

[Lettucegrove]

1 hour ago, MUZZY said:

 

So it looks like I should get a 2.6 or 6kg tank 

Good idea @MUZZY, once you get a taste for your beers in the little keg you will no doubt want even more kegs for your beer 

[Malter White]

1 hour ago, Dozer71 said:

Could always naturally carb the keg with sugar (as per bottles but I believe you use a bit less) then use the bulbs to dispense.

Cheers, Dozer, but actually one of the main reasons I've considered kegs is to have some beers without sediment. 

[Malter White]

@Lettucegrove that's quite possible. Let's just see if I can actually put my hand in my pocket first and actually buy the initial keg equipment. I'm sure I'm part Scottish.

[Dozer71]

2 minutes ago, MUZZY said:

Cheers, Dozer, but actually one of the main reasons I've considered kegs is to have some beers without sediment. 

Totally agree with you there. Just throwing in an option for the bulb/soda stream method and save gas. 

[Pale Man]

2 hours ago, Red devil 44 said:

This was my set up last Xmas at my. brothers and an esky I modified from bunners 

 

Love it !!

[Lettucegrove]

24 minutes ago, MUZZY said:

@Lettucegrove that's quite possible. Let's just see if I can actually put my hand in my pocket first and actually buy the initial keg equipment. I'm sure I'm part Scottish.

Buying second hand kegs is a huge money saver. I bought 4 and they went straight in rotation after a clean. I replaced the post o-rings after a couple of rotations, not because they leaked but more of a preventative measure. O-rings a cheap so why not.

[Pezzza]

Yes it's kegging time again... IPA this time... a full big one and a part fill... will make a Mongrel Ale... bit of Summer Ale left in a little one... will top that up with a bit to make up the volume ; )

I plug in the Coopers bottling wand and then attached some food grade Si Hose to get me to the bottom of the Keg... gas the keg up a bit to keep it CO2 rich... then do plenty burps.

@ChristinaS1 Christina was there some rule of thump for headspace purging - number of burps reasonable to ensure oxygen purge?  Thought you may have mentioned it a while ago somewhere.... ?

@Hairy And Hairy you will be pleased to note that I no longer have a monster clown gas bottle for my beer balloons 

Anyway.... I have got it on 40 PSI and thanks to @Red devil 44 Red I will put on for 20 hours and then knock it back to serving around 14-18... looking forward to hopefully getting the gas right thanks Red for the tips ; )

[jamiek86]

when you have the gas where you want it can u just simply turn gas off and disconnect and it stays pressurised until you want to use? I know Otto said he just purges his until wants use but assuming can store and let age carbonated why make more to get stocks up? @Bearded Burbler @Red devil 44

Edited November 20, 2020 by jamiek86

[ChristinaS1]

7 hours ago, Bearded Burbler said:

@ChristinaS1 Christina was there some rule of thump for headspace purging - number of burps reasonable to ensure oxygen purge?  Thought you may have mentioned it a while ago somewhere.... ?

Yes. I have been using 40PSI x 4 burps as a compromise. Low O2 brewers would recommend even more burps, or using endogenous gas. 

I think that with one of my off flavoured kegs I may have used 8PSI instead of 40PSI. Not sure if that was the cause of the oxidized taste. 

[Pezzza]

14 hours ago, jamiek86 said:

when you have the gas where you want it can u just simply turn gas off and disconnect and it stays pressurised until you want to use? I know Otto said he just purges his until wants use but assuming can store and let age carbonated why make more to get stocks up? @Bearded Burbler @Red devil 44

Yeah that's the way forward JK mate.  Keg on up.  Pressure on up.  Good few purges. Minimum of 4 at 40 - thanks @ChristinaS1 Christina.

I do prolly too many purges Christina, and as well as that try to get CO2/or Nitro mix in the keg before and during the fill (CO2 heavier than air)... 

Then a min of 5 after fill and lid on... prolly more like 7 - then a couple more over the next few days...   And should try to get my pressure vessel going again so can do anoxic transfer.

 

But yeah then JK - once filled into a sterile keg - gassed and purged - I have my kegs in freezer at 2 deg C where they can sit for months.  (Operative word = can, not always true haha)

I think best just to check the kegs are not leaking... sometimes PRVs go or liquid or gas post valves don't seal hey @Red devil 44... guess we just should be doing the soapy water checks hey?

[Red devil 44]

2 hours ago, Bearded Burbler said:

Yeah that's the way forward JK mate.  Keg on up.  Pressure on up.  Good few purges. Minimum of 4 at 40 - thanks @ChristinaS1 Christina.

I do prolly too many purges Christina, and as well as that try to get CO2/or Nitro mix in the keg before and during the fill (CO2 heavier than air)... 

Then a min of 5 after fill and lid on... prolly more like 7 - then a couple more over the next few days...   And should try to get my pressure vessel going again so can do anoxic transfer.

 

But yeah then JK - once filled into a sterile keg - gassed and purged - I have my kegs in freezer at 2 deg C where they can sit for months.  (Operative word = can, not always true haha)

I think best just to check the kegs are not leaking... sometimes PRVs go or liquid or gas post valves don't seal hey @Red devil 44... guess we just should be doing the soapy water checks hey?

Yeah as BB says, I keg, pressurise to 40 PSI, burp the keg through the PRV, soapy water check, then gets stored away under the little room under my back stairs ( kind of Harry Potter style ) until I’m ready to drink them. I always brew 6-7 kegs ahead so don’t need to put them on tap straight away. Although my keezer has 4 taps it has a raised section above the compressor where I can fit another 19L keg to chill down then gas up ready for changeover should I run one dry mid bbq or drinking session. It literally just fits on the hump with the gas post on it with a bees dick to spare from closing the lid. 

My empty kegs are always washed, pressurised & sealed when not in use, then just gently release through the PRV and remove tounge & fill.

There still is a blanket of CO2 down the bottom as CO2 is heavier than air.

Im going to try an enclosed transfer once I get my Fermentasaurus.