Keg Systems & Conditioning

[illywhacker]

Hey all,

Planning on blowing my tax return on a 2 x 9.5L keg/kererator system. However, I need a little advice on converting conditioning procedures, I think.

I currently brew 12L brews pretty much once per week. In primary for say 4 weeks; bottle 2, minimum; drink, enjoy. They're good.

So we're looking at minimum 6 weeks before consumption.

How do people manage this in keg systems? Say I keep four weeks in primary FV, then keg. I'd need two kegs on tap - how many more to be in line conditioning? At t$120 a pop I didn't really want to buy more than 3 x kegs.

But atm, as I'm consuming a 9L keg a week , I've usually got 3 x brews conditioning in bottles at any time. That's at least 5 x kegs!

Does converting to a kegging system therefore necessitate either drinking green beer or buying like 5 kegs?? By the time I buy a fridge, a CO2 bottle, the kegs, it's a good $800 'investment'. Is it worth it?

Basically beginners guide to converting to kegging, I suppose.

Thank you!

 

[Kiwimike]

Good on you for going down the keg path, it's a much easier life than bottling. That said I haven't tried solely with 9l kegs. One of the things to consider is how to carbonate - you can do so over a few days, or using the rock and roll method almost instantaneously. Generally speaking - I believe and have been told by people who know more than me - kegged beer doesn't change all that much in the keg unlike bottles. I guess the only exception to that would be priming and naturally carbonating as in the bottle. If you speed the process up, you will not need as many kegs.

One thing to watch when researching on here, as there is a wealth of information about kegging, is most of the pressures for carbonating and serving will relate to a 19l keg. I find that the one 9l keg I have requires far less pressure.

Do some research on here and go for it!

 

[wereprawn]

Kegged beer is ready to drink sooner due to not havig a secondary ferment in bottles. After the 4 weeks in primary your beer will be ready to keg, carb and drink.(Assuming you are not making very strong beer). For the price of the 9lt you can buy 19ltr kegs and, as it seems you don't drink it quickly , immediately transfer your next batch into the cleaned,sanitized keg,carb,drink again. Maybe use the money saved on not buying a third keg for larger pot or cheap urn ,if you don't already .

 

[pcmfisher]

4 weeks in the fermenter and 2 weeks in the bottle would be better the other way around - 2 weeks in fermenter and 4 weeks in the bottle I would have thought.

You should be able to get away with a 3 keg rotation, - Two drinking in the fridge, one out the fridge ready to go, and two or three fermenters staggered a week apart.

 

[kennek]

You will be happy going to kegging

When started kegging had about the same consumption level at our house too. And 2 x 19L kegs just meant I had to brew often and force carb when kegged so there was something to drink. And basically I dont have the time to be doing that so often. As money permitted I just added 2nd hand kegs to the collection and things are a lot easier now time wise.

3 in kezzer always carbed at pouring pressure over 2 weeks ish.

At least 3 aging/conditioning in kegs ready to replace finished ones in keezer.

And 4 ready to be filled after fermenting.

Means there's only one brew day here every 8 weeks which suits. If you have the time and can continue to do a brew each week and force carb you will be ok

 

[Nizmoose]

One thing to watch when researching on here, as there is a wealth of information about kegging, is most of the pressures for carbonating and serving will relate to a 19l keg. I find that the one 9l keg I have requires far less pressure.

Do some research on here and go for it!

I'm interested in this as I have a 9.5L keg but have been using conventional numbers, my initial assumption is that 12PSI in 9L is the same as 12PSI in 19? Are you referring to carb and serving pressures? Surely they are the same regardless of keg size?

 

[Kiwimike]

I'm interested in this as I have a 9.5L keg but have been using conventional numbers, my initial assumption is that 12PSI in 9L is the same as 12PSI in 19? Are you referring to carb and serving pressures? Surely they are the same regardless of keg size?

I can only go by my experience, but I find if I use normal serving pressure in my 9l I just get foam - unless it is just a balancing issue as I am using a short hose and a pluto tap.

 

[Nizmoose]

I can only go by my experience, but I find if I use normal serving pressure in my 9l I just get foam - unless it is just a balancing issue as I am using a short hose and a pluto tap.

Hmm interesting! So same pressure and lime on a larger keg and it's okay? I'm using 3m of line at 12 psi and a picnic tap and get a very controlled pour if that's any help with pressure in terms of ensuring you keep carbonation. 12psi, 3c (fridge temp), 3m ldpe 5mm id line, picnic tap

 

[Pogierob]

You don't state what type of brewing you do,although Personally I would change your brewing habits.

you are brewing half batches once a week.
planning on using half sized kegs
don't really want more than 3 kegs.
Don't want to run out of beer
don't want to drink green beer.


Kegged beer I find is generally drinkable after it is carbed, however it improves dramatically with a couple of weeks of ageing and more depending on style, the bigger the beer the longer it needs.


1.What ever keg fridge setup you get, make sure it has room for atleast three 19lt cornelius kegs.

2.Brew a normal batch (20lt) once a week (or two 12lt batches and bottle the excess) for three weeks in a row Above your current consumption (i know it's a fair bit of brewing)

3.don't buy 9lt kegs get 19lt kegs which you can get for between $65-$80 each so should still fit your projected budget
.
4.Once you have the three kegs filled and in the keg fridge continue to consume your existing bottled beer for at least a week, this will allow the kegged beer to carb up and condition a little.

5. brew a full batch to fill the keg and time it to suit your consumption/keg rotation.



It looks to me that you are designing the keg system around your brewing schedule. you should adjust your brewing schedule to suit your consumption, there is also nothing wrong with fermenting out two small batches and then kegging them together, although this is just extra work for the same end result.

 

[TheBigD]

I have 6 x 19l kegs and find it to be the bare minimum specially if you've got a couple of strong dark beers you want to age for 6-12 months or even longer, I also still bottle a few beers in every batch in swing tops and purchase the odd case of commercial beers which ties me over long enough to age my brews. Its great having enough kegs to do two batches at a time through winter and build up stocks, my fermenting fridge only fits one FV. I thought of buying some 9.5l kegs to do some small batch all grains on the stove top but I think it would be a waist of money as I'm already eying off an urn and will stick to 19l kegs.

every now and again I will do a brew your own beer at the beer shed which uses three kegs at a time and having 6 kegs still allows me to home brew whilst drinking the others.