Kegging Question

[redlegger]

Haylo everybody

This might be a dumb question but any feedback is appreciated

1. Can i keg my kit/extract brew rather than bottling? (Coopers home brew kit)
2. If yes, will the enhance the brew in anyway
3. If yes, whats the approx cost of a decent kegging setup, i.e kegs, gas, line , taps etc
4. A simple how-to would be apprectiated?

If there is another post elsewhere on the forum please let me know because i tried a search and cae up with 30 off pages of results!

 

[whitegoose]

Haylo everybody

This might be a dumb question but any feedback is appreciated

1. Can i keg my kit/extract brew rather than bottling? (Coopers home brew kit)
2. If yes, will the enhance the brew in anyway
3. If yes, whats the approx cost of a decent kegging setup, i.e kegs, gas, line , taps etc
4. A simple how-to would be apprectiated?

If there is another post elsewhere on the forum please let me know because i tried a search and cae up with 30 off pages of results!

Not dumb questions at all

1. Absolutely
2. Probably not, other than the awesomeness of having beer on tap in your house
3. I spent approximately $1000, including a new bar fridge, font, taps, lines and disconnects, gas bottle, regulator, and 2 second hand kegs
4. How to what? Put a kegging setup together or get your beer into a keg?

 

[user 10246]

Here's a good start http://www.aussiehomebrewer.com/forum//ind...;showarticle=19

I did the same too, had an old fridge & bought a couple of kegs & parts from around here

 

[thanme]

My answers would be exactly the same as whitegooses.

Having taps at home is definitely a placebo for better tasting beer

 

[mxd]

Haylo everybody

This might be a dumb question but any feedback is appreciated

1. Can i keg my kit/extract brew rather than bottling? (Coopers home brew kit)
2. If yes, will the enhance the brew in anyway
3. If yes, whats the approx cost of a decent kegging setup, i.e kegs, gas, line , taps etc
4. A simple how-to would be apprectiated?

If there is another post elsewhere on the forum please let me know because i tried a search and cae up with 30 off pages of results!

As all others have said, I have found (in my 3 months of brewing and kegging, the beer tastes better or at least I tast it more often

 

[redlegger]

4. How to what? Put a kegging setup together or get your beer into a keg?

Thanks whitegoose, both? is it difficult? any tricks that i would need to know?

And thanks everyone else, sounds like i might go the kegging option, as everyone says, how awseome would a keg and beer tap under the patio be?? Ill def be doing it, may take a while coz of the expense, but ill just convince the missus, im only spending the money im saving by buying beer from the bottlo :lol:

 

[redlegger]

Thanks whitegoose, both? is it difficult? any tricks that i would need to know?

Scratch that the link posted by goldy looks the go. Cheers!!

 

[redlegger]

Alright, i have all my kegging gear on order and should be here next week! Cant wait!(just gotta find the freezer!) Im just a bit confused after reading the link in the earlier post on this thread

'GAS IN - the basics

When you bottle beer, you add some more sugar so the yeast starts to ferment again. However, instead of letting the gas escape through the airlock, this time it is trapped in the bottle and forced into solution in the beer, carbonating it.'

When you keg beer, you can do exactly the same thing - ie, add more fermentables and trap the gas. However, as you take beer out of the keg, the overall pressure within the keg will drop - so you need to replace the beer taken with the same quantity of gas.'

1. how to transfer the wort to the keg? Do i just use a bit of beer hose from the tap and run it to the bottom of the keg?
2. Do i still need to add sugar to the wort when i transfer it to the keg and let it sit for a couple of weeks to carbonate before i can drink it?

I think i read somewhere that i can force carbonate with the CO2? Would i still need to add sugar if i did this.... :huh:


Iv'e tried to do a search but the search function on here is...well lets just say not the greatest IMO.

If someone has a link to this subject please post it.

Cheers for the help!

Andy

 

[Pennywise]

1. how to transfer the wort to the keg? Do i just use a bit of beer hose from the tap and run it to the bottom of the keg?
2. Do i still need to add sugar to the wort when i transfer it to the keg and let it sit for a couple of weeks to carbonate before i can drink it?

1. This is how I do it, just make sure the hose is long enough to sit in the bottom of the keg, so you don't introduce oxygen into it.

2. Not if your using gas to carbonate it

 

[BOG]

redlegger,

I've been kegging for a few years.
Racking beer to the keg is a simple matter of getting some plastic hose from bunnings that your bottle racking stick thing will fit into.

Cut with a hacksaw about 3cm off the plastic "little botter" racking thing (what's it supposed to be called?) and push half of it into the tube.

You now have a tube that can be inserted into the tap of your fermenter. Make sure it's long enough to run from the tap to the floor and a bit more.
Make sure it's clean. Insert into tap. Put end in keg. the extra length makes a small half coil in the bottom of the keg. This keeps it under the beer when you fill the keg and stops splashing. Air in the beer now is very bad.

You have now racked to your beer to a keg. Apply Gas, burp the keg, wait 10 minutes and burp it again. Done.

Regarding gasing the keg , vs sugar. you can do either. I naturally carb my kegs in late autum , early winter while the temps in the shed are still warm enough to allow fermetation to occur but not so hot as to ferment outside of good fermentation temps. I generally naturally ferment a porter or Bock as there is no rush to drink that stufff as it take at least 4 months to come good. A big black porter can take 9 months , yes really!. So for big dark beers (8% and up) I recommend you bottle and store in a cool dark place with even temp for a few months. Kegs are for drinking now beers.

However, for early drinking Ales (Golden Ale, Belgium Summer Ale, English Bitters) I rack to the keg and then put it on pouring pressure (75Kpa) for a week.
I never stuff around with gas pressure and force carbing. After a week you should see a reasonable head. After 2 it's at it's peak. 3 weeks to peak flavour of the beer and at 4 it's starting down the otehr side of the curve.

Most people who keg will still bottle part of the batch as keepers for later. I bottle as giveaways for friends etc.

Hope this helps


BOG

 

[fcmcg]

redlegger,

Cut with a hacksaw about 3cm off the plastic "little botter" racking thing (what's it supposed to be called?) and push half of it into the tube.
BOG

IMO , if you buy the right diameter hose you don't need to cut anything...
As in all situations , make sure your hose is clean and sanitised before you rack to your keg ( which should also be cleaned and sanitised before putting beer in it)

Hope this also helps...
Cheers
Ferg