Can I use a keg as secondary in fridge

[Amup]

Ive had my pilsner fermenting at around. 16 degrees C for two weeks but as it's now starting go get a bit warmer I'm wondering should I leave it in primary and fridge it or could I transfer it into a keg and use that as cold secondary?
Any ideas are appreciated I've only done ales and stouts before this so I'm new to the lager making

 

[MastersBrewery]

short answer yes, the ss will actually help crash it harder and faster just put a little co2 head pressure in to seal.

 

[Ducatiboy stu]

Yes. (Some what shorter answer )

 

[Amup]

Cheers guys appreciate it do you have any advise as to the best way to get the primary to the secondary tap symphony or fun thru a filter ?
Thanks again guys

 

[Ducatiboy stu]

Syphon it.

 

[nvs-brews]

You may want to bend your dip tube a little... dont have to but i rekon even if you want to get all the yeast out you will still end up with a bit..
will prob pull through BUT you can always bed the dip tube a little and then it should be crystal... you may loose a bit of beer though

 

[danestead]

Is it at FG yet?

 

[Amup]

Not sure I think it started at about 110 only just got this barometer
It's looking really clear now but I'm reluctant to open fermenter and take another reading as it's started bubbling again about every 20 sec
I'm worried about contaminating it
Not to worried about drinking cloudy stuff once I get to bottom of barrel though
I also just bought a keg to keg filter with a 1 micron filter but not to sure if I need to worry about using it for this batch. I'll probably leave it a bit longer in the primary until the airlock slows right down and take a final reading when I syphon it to the keg
What dya's reckon? Once again thanks for any ideas they are all appreciated

 

[angus_grant]

That reading looks like 1040 (and without knowing your recipe and processes) I'd say you're still a fair way off final gravity.

You add a 10 to the front of readings under 100 and add a 1 to readings over 100 on your hydrometer.

1110 is a VERY high starting gravity and you would need to be throwing a HUGE yeast starter at that to achieve anywhere close to full fermentation. Otherwise most standard yeasts will crap out due to the high ABV reading.

Maybe throw up some ingredients and mash schedule (if all-grain) cause no-one can help with fermentation progress without those details.

You may like to test that hydrometer in tap water at 20 degrees. It should read 1000.

 

[danestead]

If your beer isnt at final gravity yet id be very reluctant to put into a keg in the fridge. Its just going to send the yeast to sleep.

 

[TheWiggman]

It's a hydrometer. Barometers are for measuring air pressure.
If this was a pilsner your FG should be in the realms of 1.008 - 1.014 for the style. How did you make it? A starting gravity of 1.100 is unheard of for a pilsner. Would have taken a lot of sugar to get it there.

 

[Amup]

Thanks Angus better learn how to read the Hydrometer

 

[Amup]

It's a hydrometer. Barometers are for measuring air pressure.
If this was a pilsner your FG should be in the realms of 1.008 - 1.014 for the style. How did you make it? A starting gravity of 1.100 is unheard of for a pilsner. Would have taken a lot of sugar to get it there.

Thanks mate Hydrometer it is as for sugar I used a dry light malt and dextrose 250 gr each mix bag tettnanger hops and dry yeast mix
Pretty much just followed recipe from my local home store
At what stage or reading do ya reckon it will be safe to put it into a keg and refrigerate
All the gear no idea that's me at the moment

 

[Amup]

Thanks for the help with Hydrometer reading for sugar I used a dry light malt and dextrose 250 gr each mix bag tettnanger hops and dry yeast mix
Pretty much just followed recipe from my local home store
At what stage or reading do ya reckon it will be safe to put it into a keg and refrigerate
All the gear no idea that's me at the moment
Also don't know why there's a love heart before me name when I sign off
Must be cos I love beer

 

[angus_grant]

Generally the same reading on your hydrometer 3 days running is a good signal that fermentation has finished.

But you also should have a basic idea of what the final gravity will be around.

Post your recipe and someone will be able to estimate a starting and finishing gravity.

 

[Amup]

I used coopers European lager 1.7kg
500g bag of dextrose light malt mix
Tettnanger hops I bag in 500 ml of boiled water and filled to 23 litres
With filtered water it's been sitting at about 16 degrees Celsius for almost 3 weeks

 

[Pilchard]

It's a mild? (Mid strength) 500g won't give you a full strength brew. 500g of each will?

With coopers kit and brew enhancer 2 you should get a starting gravity of around 1.042-46 from the various kits I have done a little more if you use crystal etc. I have finished as low as 1.008 from them, being a mild with no malto you may go lower? Someone else better versed in coopers will be able to give more detailed information

Cheers

 

[jkirky]

I used coopers European lager 1.7kg
500g bag of dextrose light malt mix
Tettnanger hops I bag in 500 ml of boiled water and filled to 23 litres
With filtered water it's been sitting at about 16 degrees Celsius for almost 3 weeks

I may be wrong, but from your hydrometer reading, it looks like fermentation hasn't kicked off... Your recipe would give an initial gravity of around 1032 or so, which looks very similar to the gravity reading on you pics...

It is possible to get an incorrect reading on initial when the malt doesn't mix properly... You get a glob of malt that ups the initial reading.

Have you noticed 'krausen'? This is a very angry looking forum about 1-2 inches thick sitting on top of your beer...

Also, did you use the yeast supplied by coopers? If you did, it's actually an ale yeast, not a lager yeast (It is deceiving by name, the kit that is, but it's actually an ale yeast as per supplied) And in my experience, the coopers kit yeast needs temps more around 18 otherwise it can fall asleep.

Just floating some ideas...

 

[Eagleburger]

Taste it. Is it sweet or does it taste like beer? Even a smell should give an indication either way.

 

[TheWiggman]

Righto, well the starting gravity for that I'd guess would be around the 1.040 mark. Something's fishy here, it sounds like your yeast might not have taken off. You have a lot to go yet in your ferment. You could try two things to kick it along-
1. Open the fermenter again and agitate the wort with a spoon (gently, just trying to rouse the yeast at the bottom)
2. Swirl or rock the fermenter to rouse it up.
Wait 2 days and if nothing changes, bump the temp up 2°C. If nothing happens after that, I'd add more yeast or tip it.
Remove that dry hop too because you want to add it late in the ferment. Keeping it in there will make it grassy and you'll lose the benefits of dry hopping while CO2 is produced.
I'm guessing you're pretty new to brewing and if not in not trying to be pretentious. Ensure you're spoon is very clean and sanitised before agitating.
Note that with lager yeasts you won't get much krausen on the surface. Looking at your photos I can't see a krausen ring on your fermenter so I'm betting it hasn't even fermented.
Oh, and as a word of advice take gravity readings in a tube from your tap - putting the hydrometer straight into your wort greatly increases the risk of infection.