Lagering In A Corny

[Bribie G]

In a few days time I'll be lagering a proposed comp entry (a Pilsner) and intend to lager it at fridge temp until probably the end of May. Whilst I've regularly cold conditioned beers for up to a month in Willow cubes I'm a bit suss on keeping a beer for many months in one. Does anyone here lager in cornies? I would guess that being SS and impervious to oxygen they would be a good bet. ? Would it benefit from carbing to a low fizz first before putting away?

 

[fcmcg]

In a few days time I'll be lagering a proposed comp entry (a Pilsner) and intend to lager it at fridge temp until probably the end of May. Whilst I've regularly cold conditioned beers for up to a month in Willow cubes I'm a bit suss on keeping a beer for many months in one. Does anyone here lager in cornies? I would guess that being SS and impervious to oxygen they would be a good bet. ? Would it benefit from carbing to a low fizz first before putting away?

Bribie...i think you will be fine....you could always lager in one keg and then do a transfer
keg transfer
I just tapped a stout i did in october last year...if anything..imho , the beer was better...and i carbed it up before i put it away...it did need an extra "zing" up...but otherwise it was good to go
Cheers
Ferg

 

[argon]

In a few days time I'll be lagering a proposed comp entry (a Pilsner) and intend to lager it at fridge temp until probably the end of May. Whilst I've regularly cold conditioned beers for up to a month in Willow cubes I'm a bit suss on keeping a beer for many months in one. Does anyone here lager in cornies? I would guess that being SS and impervious to oxygen they would be a good bet. ? Would it benefit from carbing to a low fizz first before putting away?

Most of the second half of my double batches are essentially "lagered" in a corny. At least for the duration of the first keg... say anywhere from 4 to 12 weeks before being tapped. I usually just purge them of O2, but keep them off the gas until needed. They definitely tend to be a bit clearer and have blended and aged nicely.

 

[itmechanic]

I lager in corny kegs all the time, usually at about 1 degree celcius.

I often carbonate before lagering aswell.

Cheers,
Paul

 

[TidalPete]

I do it all the time Bribie.
Why do you start so many trivial threads?
I need a hand to paint the house if you're feeling bored.

TP

 

[Bribie G]

I do it all the time Bribie.
Why do you start so many trivial threads?
I need a hand to paint the house if you're feeling bored.

TP

Trivial to yourself :icon_cheers: - however I feel that the often most mundane sounding threads may be of interest and instruction to newer brewers who haven't been round the traps for as long as we have. :icon_drunk:
Also I was a bit unsure about lagering in cornys - I was expecting maybe a couple of replies along the lines of "don't do it, the dip tube and posts are probably rotten with Salmonella" or something along those lines. So corny it is.

Pete, my clingwrap isn't bubbling - please help....

 

[booargy]

My lager 275L fisher&Paykel (slim I think) second keg is a bit of a squeeze and 2 man lift.

 

[TidalPete]

Pete, my clingwrap isn't bubbling - please help....

Is it Aldi clingwrap mate? If it is, there's the answer to your question. :lol:

TP

 

[Florian]

I have recently demoted all my willow cubes to no chill cubes only - no more lagering for them. There are so many adavantages with lagering in cornies, better oxygen barrier, easy to purge with Co2 etc.

I'm in the process to change my whole fermentation regime. Primary ferment in corny with antifoam, transfer to secondary corny, using the last bit of yeast action in combination with an adjustable pressure valve to naturally carbonate the beer, then polyclar and filter to another keg for lagering and consumption. I might even skip the secondary and carbonate straight in primary, then filter to lagering.

Well, that's the idea anyway, will hopefully put it in place in the next few weeks, and then tweek out any issues that might occur.

Florian

 

[insane_rosenberg]

my clingwrap isn't bubbling - please help....

+1

I don't find this to be a mundane thread at all. I had always belived (because I read it somewhere) that force carbonated beers (stored in corny's) would suffer if not consumed within a few months.

Edit: grammar.

 

[mxd]

In a few days time I'll be lagering a proposed comp entry (a Pilsner) and intend to lager it at fridge temp until probably the end of May. Whilst I've regularly cold conditioned beers for up to a month in Willow cubes I'm a bit suss on keeping a beer for many months in one. Does anyone here lager in cornies? I would guess that being SS and impervious to oxygen they would be a good bet. ? Would it benefit from carbing to a low fizz first before putting away?

I have largered in cornies and have done it 2 ways (both time served out of the same corny)

1) move from fermenter to corny, a bit of co2 burp etc.. then leave at 2 deg for a month then carb.

2) as above but leave it on gas at "serving" pressure for the month.



I found the first way to bit a bit more "hazy", could just be a coincidence ?

 

[hoppinmad]

For what it's worth... I have listened to a lot of Brewstrong Q&A lately and pretty much the recommendation is to lager in kegs for many of the reasons mentioned above. Straight from primary to keg once fermentation is complete. Then cold condition for as long as you so desire.

 

[Bribie G]

Yes, currently drinking a Kiwi Blonde that's been in the keg, in the kegerator, for a month as I've been trying to empty the other two so I went easy on it. So although it's in the kegerator on tap you could say that it has in reality been lagering all that time, and compared to a month ago it's frggn nectar of the beer gods:

 

[bradsbrew]

What are the effects of lagering at serving pressure as to lagering purged but uncarbed?

 

[jayse]

It proberly goes without saying but make sure your kegs and everything are properly cleaned and santized, take time to pull everything apart. You don't really worry so much putting beer in a keg to be drunk that week but if you know the beer is going to be in there for a long time its better to be thorough or else you might end up devastated.

 

[waggastew]

Have a two lagers planned over the cooler months. I don't have a keg setup so I planned to lager in a secondary fermentor. Is this likely to cause problems? Should I:

1. Keep it in primary (on yeast cake) for 1 month at 1degC
2. Transfer it to a secondary fermentor and lager for 1-2 months at 1degC
3. Transfer it to two cubes and lager it for 1-2 months at 1 degC
4. Bottle it straight from primary and lager in the bottle for 1-2 months at 1 degC?

Sorry to highjack the Corny thread.

 

[gone_fishing_]

Great post Jayse. There are a lot of "nooks and cranies" in a corny that can harbour spoilage organisms that would otherwise not get the time to raise their ugly flavour profiles.

Lagering in a corny......clean, clean....clean...sanitise, fill then store.

Nothing worse than a well lagered vinegar.
gf

 

[Goofinder]

My kegs take on average 4 months from filling to be emptied, during which time they are kept in the keg fridge. Generally they will only get gas (other than head pressure to ensure they seal) after another keg blows as I have room for 5 kegs and only 4 gas disconnects.

The last glass is always the best.

 

[black_labb]

Nothing worse than a well lagered vinegar.
gf

You dont want chill haze in vinegar, wouldn't be to style.

 

[jakub76]

Should I:

1. Keep it in primary (on yeast cake) for 1 month at 1degC
2. Transfer it to a secondary fermentor and lager for 1-2 months at 1degC
3. Transfer it to two cubes and lager it for 1-2 months at 1 degC
4. Bottle it straight from primary and lager in the bottle for 1-2 months at 1 degC?

:icon_offtopic: I also don't have a kegging setup yet so I'd go #4. I bottle straight from primary, leave at ambient for 2 weeks then crash to -1C for 3 days to get all the haze up. I then leave the bottles at 4C for as long as I can...yeast character starts to dissipate after 10 days but the beer flavour peaks around 6 weeks. If you left it in primary for months you'd be risking yeast autolisys (yuk) or not having enough yeast left to carbonate...or maybe enough but it might take ages. I like to get all of the major yeast activity done in one hit then it's all about cold conditioning.