Naturally Carbonating Kegs

[woodmac66]

Hi guys what is the best way to naturally carbonate your kegs as usually i go straight on to co2 .
I have been told to add 1/2 cup of castor sugar to a 19 litre keg and keep @ 18% for about 7 days. then cool.

If I choose this method and then need to use the keg before the week is out is that a problem.

Is this correct or is there a better method ...

 

[albrews]

Hi guys what is the best way to naturally carbonate your kegs as usually i go straight on to co2 .
I have been told to add 1/2 cup of castor sugar to a 19 litre keg and keep @ 18% for about 7 days. then cool.

If I choose this method and then need to use the keg before the week is out is that a problem.

Is this correct or is there a better method ...

hi , the advice is rough enough.

the beer would be sugar sweet if used before the secondary fermentation is complete.

let us know the results you experience.

cheers

 

[KGB]

Think of it like a giant bottle, you need to add enough sugar to reach the carbonation level you choose. There are guides out there that will show you approximately how many grams of sugar to add per litre for different beer styles and carbonation levels.

Would you drink a bottled beer after (or even before) just one week? If you try it with your keg you will most likely have a beer that is very green and not matured, as well as potentially under carbed and sweet tasting if the yeast hasnt had enough time to get through the sugar.
If you want to naturally carbonate I'd be leaving it for at least two weeks before thinking about tapping it.

 

[woodmac66]

Thanks Guys .
If I just want to leave them and don't know how long it will be before they are used if I just top them with co2 how long can I leave them @ 18 degrees how long will they last??
Do most people naturally carbonate or just top with co2.

 

[KGB]

Most people force carbonate I think - I assume thats what you mean by 'top with co2'? To force carbonate you need to chill the keg first (cold liquid absorbs and holds more dissolved gas than warm liquid) then either crank the pressure up for a short time (search for "the ross method") or you can leaving the gas on and set at pour pressure for about a week. By that time the pressure will have equalised and the beer will have absorbed enough co2 to be ready to drink.

To naturally carbonate, you are relying on the yeast to feed on the extra sugar you put in. This produces alcohol and co2, both of which have nowhere to go except into your beer becuase the keg (or bottle) is sealed. This process takes time and is best done at room temp to keep the yeast happy.

If you want to store a keg of beer you can either carbonate it first or just leave it uncarbonated and just purge the head space with co2 (pressurise and vent the gas several times then leave it pressurised) to get rid of any (most) of the o2 and prevent the beer going off. You should be able to store like this for several months with no probs.
If you want to naturally carbonate then add the sugar straight away and let it do its thing. You can store a keg like this for ages, similar to a bottled beer. I would assume up to a year if you really wanted to. A downside of natural carbonation in kegs is the sediment - it should get pumped out in the first glass or so but will be all through your taps etc. If you use the system regularly or keep it clean this shouldn't be too much of an issue.

Thanks Guys .
If I just want to leave them and don't know how long it will be before they are used if I just top them with co2 how long can I leave them @ 18 degrees how long will they last??
Do most people naturally carbonate or just top with co2.

 

[troopa]

I would also assume you need to be certain that your keg is sealed 100% or else your beer wont absorb any of the CO2 and it will escape out of the keg

This is something that ive been thinking about lately and want to try out but the couple of things that keep wrangling in my mind is the leaking gas pressure.. I think by pumping a few seconds of CO2 to pressurise the seals and stop them leaking is one way of fixing that problem

And the other is ppl saying that after one week of natural carbonation means the beer is going to be green... dont most ppl pour beer into keg force carb and drink? isnt this the same thing? In fact wont the beer better off from sitting for a week or so naturally carbing up?

Tom

 

[woodmac66]

If you want to store a keg of beer you can either carbonate it first or just leave it uncarbonated and just purge the head space with co2 (pressurise and vent the gas several times then leave it pressurised) to get rid of any (most) of the o2 and prevent the beer going off. You should be able to store like this for several months with no probs.
If you want to naturally carbonate then add the sugar straight away and let it do its thing. You can store a keg like this for ages, similar to a bottled beer. I would assume up to a year if you really wanted to. A downside of natural carbonation in kegs is the sediment - it should get pumped out in the first glass or so but will be all through your taps etc. If you use the system regularly or keep it clean this shouldn't be too much of an issue.

Thanks KGB ,
purging the headspace sounds like the way to go.
Just ordered 4 more kegs so I can get in front and need to know the bst way to store up until now I have been force corbonating.
Thanks again!

 

[DKS]

And the other is ppl saying that after one week of natural carbonation means the beer is going to be green... dont most ppl pour beer into keg force carb and drink? isnt this the same thing? In fact wont the beer better off from sitting for a week or so naturally carbing up?



And what happens after serving a few beers ? Surely you'd have to connect to gas anyway wouldn't you? :icon_cheers:
Daz

 

[KGB]

Troopa: force carbonating makes the beer ready to drink straight away, you will not benefit much if any from 'aging' a force carbonated beer as far as I can tell and have read. Naturally carbonating is a different story. You're relying on the yeast to digest the sugars to produce alcohol and carbonation (CO2) so you need to give them time to do their job properly - just like a bottled beer. Yes it may be carbonated and drinkable after a week once the yeast has got through the majority of the sugars and done its job but over time it will proceed further and give a better results and taste. I'm not 100% sure on the science of it but I can tell you from my experience with bottling that letting a beer mature generally gives a much smoother, nicer flavour, the bubbles taste 'finer' and the sediment becomes more dense and settled.

You are spot on with the leaking pressure, if naturally carbonating it would probably be a very good idea to squirt a bit of gas in there to pressurise the seals and make sure its all good. Ideally you'd purge the head space anyway I guess.

 

[glaab]

Notes from coopers; http://www.coopers.com.au/homebrew/hbrew.php?pid=4

Kegging beer

There are a couple of options open to you when it comes to kegging. If you are in a hurry for the beer (a party on the weekend) and it will be consumed within a couple of months, then artificial carbonation is the best option. Natural conditioning will give you a better beer in our opinion but the conditioning period is much longer (several weeks as opposed to several days). Well made, naturally conditioned beer will last as long in the keg as it does in bottles (at least two years or so).
Artificially carbonated beer will deteriorate after a few months.

Natural Conditioning

1. Clean and sanitise the keg thoroughly.
2. Prime with sugar at the rate of 4g per litre.
3. Rack via a piece of sanitised, flexible tubing so that the beer runs to the bottom of the keg. Leave 5 10 cm of headspace at the top.
4. Seal the keg then invert and give it a shake to mix the sugar and check that the seal is good.
5. Store at 18C or above for a week, then allow the beer to condition for at least two weeks.
6. Refrigerate for a day or two, momentarily release the keg pressure, then connect the gas at required pouring pressure 35 100 kPa, depending on your system. (Fifty litre kegs through a temprite or miracle box may require up to 300 kPa).

 

[woodmac66]

Interesting Glaab looks like it is better to naturally carbonate!
I have purchased extra kegs and that is really the answer to my question a I am planning to get ahead and want to brew the best beer I can.
Someone told me that Pale Ale Kegs coopers hold for 6 weeks to mature...