How To Fill A Keg?

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peas_and_corn

I'm sorry Dave, I'm afraid I cannot mash that
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I recently bought a keg, and I'll be kegging the batch I have in primary right now (so much waiting!! I guess I'll have to have one of my honey beers...). I know bits- like carbonation pressures, but it'll be good to have a step-by-step guite to filling a keg.

Also, I heard that shaking the beer while it's under high pressure is good to speed up carbonation- is that accurate?

Cheers,

Dave
 
peas_and_korn said:
I recently bought a keg, and I'll be kegging the batch I have in primary right now (so much waiting!! I guess I'll have to have one of my honey beers...). I know bits- like carbonation pressures, but it'll be good to have a step-by-step guite to filling a keg.

Also, I heard that shaking the beer while it's under high pressure is good to speed up carbonation- is that accurate?

Cheers,

Dave
[post="84052"][/post]​

The only advice I can give, is "do a search"

Normell
 
PK,

i fill the keg up put the lid on it and turn on the gas just a little and spray some detergent water around the seals to ensure no leakage

if leakage repeat step 1 if no leakage crank it up to 30 put the keg on its side and shake it by rolling it with your foot. I time this for 4 minutes.

stand him keep him at 30 for an hour in the fridge and come back.

after the hour i degas him back to serving pressure around 8 psi. Should be carbed and ready to go.

After the session i crank him up to about 15 or so for storage pressure and this tends to help keep the carb up for next time.

It works for me and I hope you can find this methodology helpful :chug:

jj
 
Ross method
Here'e IMHO the easiest/quickest way to get consistant carbonation:

After filling the keg (upto the weld mark just below the top) with cold beer turn pressure upto 300 kpa & rock keg back & forth on its side (inlet at bottom) for 50 seconds. Turn off gas (on main bottle) but continue to rock keg while monitoring the pressure dial. You will see the pressure full back quite quickly & then stabilise (100 - 200kpa). The goal is for the pressure to fall back to between 140 - 160 kpa depending on your preference (140 pommie ale - 160 Aussie beer). If the pressure falls well below 140 kpa, just turn gas back on & rock for another 10 - 15 secs, then recheck & repeat as necessary. I find that 60 secs is nearly always about the mark. Then all you have to do is release the top pressure valve on the keg (normally a couple of hours later to avoid foam flying out of the valve), connect to your gas (making sure you have set pressure back to 80 kpa or whatever you like to dispense at) & you will pour a perfect beer.

P.S. If you use this method to carbonate a keg that's not full, then reduce your rocking time accordingly, otherwise you'll over carbonate even at 50 secs...

Hope this is of help to some - I know everyone has their tried & trusted methods, but many are hit & miss without experience...
[post="64784"][/post]​
[/quote]

Fill your keg with cold beer by attaching a piece of hose to the tap on your fermenter/cube and run the beer into your keg. Make sure the hose is long enough to reach the bottom of your keg so you minimise splashing the beer. To get the beer cold first put your cube in the fridge for at least a couple of days. When the keg is filled use the above "Ross Method" to carbonate.

Cheers
:beer:
Mothballs
 
I either use 'The Ross Method' or put the keg in the fridge till it's cold and then connect the gas at 300Kpa for 36 hours.

I have not yet mastered the ross method and get varied results doing it, but I can be drinking the beer within a couple of hours of filling it, it's great. On the other hand leaving it for 36 hours I always get a consistent result, but it takes a long time.

I think once you have mastered the ross method you could get consistent results, it's just a bit of trial and error with it.
 
muga said:
I either use 'The Ross Method' or put the keg in the fridge till it's cold and then connect the gas at 300Kpa for 36 hours.

I have not yet mastered the ross method and get varied results doing it, but I can be drinking the beer within a couple of hours of filling it, it's great. On the other hand leaving it for 36 hours I always get a consistent result, but it takes a long time.

I think once you have mastered the ross method you could get consistent results, it's just a bit of trial and error with it.
[post="84141"][/post]​

Muga,

Surprised you're getting varying results - the whole idea of monitioring the drop off pressure is to give you the exact carbonation you're looking for.
If you are struggling however, just rock for 50 secs & then leave connected at pouring pressure, this'll get you drinking straight away & perfect pressure in a day or 2...
 
Muga- that was the method I was told at the store; I think he wanted to give this arts student directions I understand :D

I like the Ross method because it is quick :D , but it seems that it takes a bit of practise to get right.

Also, if you have already have a keg that's fine (say, you've already used half) and you want to carbonate another keg, what do you do? I only have one cylinder...
 
I keg up in 50L kegs,
my gas up style is fairly the same as ross's but a bit more detailed for 50L kegs. If you need any more info specifically for 50L setups give me a msg.
Happy kegging!!! :beerbang:
 
Ross said:
Muga,

Surprised you're getting varying results - the whole idea of monitioring the drop off pressure is to give you the exact carbonation you're looking for.
If you are struggling however, just rock for 50 secs & then leave connected at pouring pressure, this'll get you drinking straight away & perfect pressure in a day or 2...
[post="84218"][/post]​
Sometimes I get it when the pressure wont drop back any further than 180kpa, it just wont budge - have to then release all the gas and start over, must just be how cold the beer is or how much I shake it.

It'll work out eventually, its a good method when I get it right :)
 
I've used most methods depending on what sort of a hurry I'm in.

1. If I need the beer soon, use the "Ross method" or a derivation of. Works well but unfortunately easy to overcarbonate and of course you've mixed it up to buggery - no clear beer for weeks.

2. Similar to 1. but just takes longer - pump 200/300kpa into the keg for a couple of days. Works as well as 1. but doesn't cause the beer to be stirred up. Unfortunately, just as hard to get the correct carbonation.

3. I'm now running about 8-12 kegs so I'm not worried about a few weeks at least (and in fact given the taste difference after a couple of weeks off CC'ing find it worthwhile. So now I just work out the correct level of input CO2 pressure at the temperature of my fridge and the level of carbonation I require and leave it at that pressure (there are charts but to be honest it's just as easy through trial and error - a good point to start is 80-100kpa at 3 degrees). Takes a few weeks and you've got to be sure you have no leaks in your gas system but removes the disadantages of 1. and 2. The only disadvantage is the time involved.

tony
 
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