Am I Doing It Right?

[Aus_Rider_22]

Hi fellas. Really excited as I've just kegged a brew for the first time. I am thinking (and hoping!) that I've done everything right.

Made up Tony's LCBA recipe and it fermented out within 6 days. Left it in fermenter at about 3 degrees for another 12 days and it seemed pretty clear. Just today I fed it into the Corny keg. Just like my first time with boiling hops and grains, it took a while and I was nervous/second guessing myself most of the way. Here's how it went.

Sanitised the keg, dip tube, lid, transfer tube, etc with StarSan.
Sprayed Starsan mixture onto fermentor tap (sprayed it after taking last sample)
Hooked it up and let it gravity feed itself down. Used a 12mm tube from Bunnings. Ended up losing probably half a pot's worth in the tube but nevermind.
Sprayed the lid seal to moisten it up again. Locked it on.
Connected gas. I gave it a couple blasts to purge the oxygen out.
Moved keg and bottle to the fridge.

Now this is where I might need some guidance. I turned the gas back on. (don't know whether I really needed to turn it off?) Set the regulator to 70kpa, about 11PSi, serving pressure for a 2 degree serving temperature. Is this about fine? Just leave it at 70 for a week and then try?

I had a crack at the spreadsheet for balancing a draught system and apparently my 1.5m beer tube will be too long. I cut it down to 95 which pretty much what the spreadsheet recommended.

When should I connect the out QD with my tube and tap on? I assume it would need to get down to the serving temperature otherwise it could warm/froth the beer.

I am just hoping I don't have all head being poured and hence why I went with the patient method.

Any tips/shortcuts/cristicisms from what I've done? I just put down a Morgan QLD Bitter K&K and expect things to run smoother when I keg it.

CHeers

 

[glaab]

all looks good to me bloke. I set at 10psi/ 2C and find sometimes takes up to 2 weeks to get fully carbed.
the beer will cool the tube/ tap down in no time, cheers

 

[Aus_Rider_22]

all looks good to me bloke. I set at 10psi/ 2C and find sometimes takes up to 2 weeks to get fully carbed.
the beer will cool the tube/ tap down in no time, cheers

Cheers mate. Actually sitting my temp probe in a glass of water tonight to see what the actual liquid temperature will be. I assume about 2 or 3 but I guess I will see! 2 weeks aye? I thought maybe a week. I will just let it be. Still have a fair few bottles to get me through!

I am tempted to give it a roll for 60 secs to speed things up. I guess I would have to wait a few extra days anyway for the remaining yeast to settle again as I only cold conditioned and not secondary fermentation.

Cheers.

 

[Snow]

Jeez guys, why wait a week to carb it? Just crank it to 300kpa and leave it for 24 hours. Disconnect the gas line, bleed off the pressure, then re-connect the gas at serving pressure (70-100) and drink it! Or, even quicker, rapid force carb it using the shaking method as decribed on here many times.

- Snow

 

[Fourstar]

Jeez guys, why wait a week to carb it? Just crank it to 300kpa and leave it for 24 hours. Disconnect the gas line, bleed off the pressure, then re-connect the gas at serving pressure (70-100) and drink it! Or, even quicker, rapid force carb it using the shaking method as decribed on here many times.

- Snow

For me, fermenter to filter to keg to brain in less than an hour! :lol:

 

[mckenry]

For me, fermenter to filter to keg to brain in less than an hour! :lol:

Ha- not always. What was that problem you had filtering using gravity and did you ever solve it? Cant find the thread.

 

[Fourstar]

Ha- not always. What was that problem you had filtering using gravity and did you ever solve it? Cant find the thread.

Ended up just needing a longer cold crash. Seems like it was a few troublesome yeasty batches and or trub issues: http://www.aussiehomebrewer.com/forum//ind...st&p=568414

Glad its sorted now though. Rule of thumb, unless its pouring bright into a vial / test tube glass, crash chill it until it does before attempting to filter as yeast WILL block the filter cartridge. Best of all filtering will only take 15-20 minutes when there is less yeast making its way into the housing. B)

 

[Aus_Rider_22]

What a great feeling! Poured my first glass of kegged homebrew tonight!

Few things I've noted. You will probably laugh!

It's still a bit undercarbed which is not to be expected as it's only been in the fridge for just under 4 days. I was impatient and wanted to try.
Was half expecting something to go wrong as I had anticipated the beer to be served at 4 but after testing water with a probe it's closer to 1.5-2.0. First glass was a bit cloudy but after that it was great! No foaming pots. I think I am very luck for this first keg to be good, at this stage!

Great start to the weekend!