New To Kegging And Not Wanting To Blow Myself Up :)

[francismcphail]

So I get home and find a message on the answering machine. My regulator is in stock but dang it 7:30 PM and LHBS is closed. Called this morning and was able to pickup the unit. (YAY for me!)

Included in the pack is a note from the LHBS titled "KEGGING INSTRUCTIONS". Now I've been around the block a few times and have done some silly things but pressurised vessels have always made me a little edgy, especially when transferring large amouts of compess gas. So I would like to see what everyone's feedback is in relation to the following. It appears similar to the methods described here in relation to carbonating but am not 100% about the correct pressures to use.

Re point 10 below. I would have thought the beer should be cold before carbonation should commence?

KEGGING INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Wash out the keg with steriliser and rinse with boiling water. I gusset you seal, pressurised and use the Pluto gun to clean and rinse the beer stem tube and plug.
2. Spray CO2 into the keg to expel the Oxygen (CO2 is heavier than Oxygen)
3. Siphon the beer from the fermenter into the keg taking care to splash as little as possible.
4. Seal the keg and connect the CO2 bottle.
5. Turn on the gas and pressurise to the maximum pressure (about 400 450 KPA)
6. Turn off the gas but leave the gas line connected.
7. Shake the keg as hard as possible watching the pressure gauge on the regulator. Shake until the pressure reading drops to about 100-150KPA.
8. Repeat steps 5 through 7 twice.
9. Turn on the gas and pressurise to the maximum pressure (about 400 450 KPA)
10. Put the keg into the fridge for two to three days.
11. Connect the gas and check the pressure. Service pressure is about 100 150 KPA but may vary according to beer style and keg. Use the pressure relief valve to reduce the pressure if it too high. Pour a beer and check the carbonation. All being well your beer should be carbonated.
12. If not fully carbonated pressurise to the maximum pressure and leave for another day before re-checking the carbonation. Keep doing steps 11 and 12 until carbonated.

 

[Duff]

Sincarf,

Check out this link.

Cheers.

 

[als_world]

So I get home and find a message on the answering machine. My regulator is in stock but dang it 7:30 PM and LHBS is closed. Called this morning and was able to pickup the unit. (YAY for me!)

Included in the pack is a note from the LHBS titled "KEGGING INSTRUCTIONS". Now I've been around the block a few times and have done some silly things but pressurised vessels have always made me a little edgy, especially when transferring large amouts of compess gas. So I would like to see what everyone's feedback is in relation to the following. It appears similar to the methods described here in relation to carbonating but am not 100% about the correct pressures to use.

Re point 10 below. I would have thought the beer should be cold before carbonation should commence?

KEGGING INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Wash out the keg with steriliser and rinse with boiling water. I gusset you seal, pressurised and use the Pluto gun to clean and rinse the beer stem tube and plug.
2. Spray CO2 into the keg to expel the Oxygen (CO2 is heavier than Oxygen)
3. Siphon the beer from the fermenter into the keg taking care to splash as little as possible.
4. Seal the keg and connect the CO2 bottle.
5. Turn on the gas and pressurise to the maximum pressure (about 400 450 KPA)
6. Turn off the gas but leave the gas line connected.
7. Shake the keg as hard as possible watching the pressure gauge on the regulator. Shake until the pressure reading drops to about 100-150KPA.
8. Repeat steps 5 through 7 twice.
9. Turn on the gas and pressurise to the maximum pressure (about 400 450 KPA)
10. Put the keg into the fridge for two to three days.
11. Connect the gas and check the pressure. Service pressure is about 100 150 KPA but may vary according to beer style and keg. Use the pressure relief valve to reduce the pressure if it too high. Pour a beer and check the carbonation. All being well your beer should be carbonated.
12. If not fully carbonated pressurise to the maximum pressure and leave for another day before re-checking the carbonation. Keep doing steps 11 and 12 until carbonated.

Hmmm, dunno about some of the pressures they are using, and you are right - the beer should be cold before carbonating. If you want an almost fool proof method ("The Ross Method"), this will set you in the right direction -

http://www.aussiehomebrewer.com/forum/inde...keg+carbonation

Cheers,

Alan.

 

[Wortgames]

The keg doesn't need to be cold before carbonation, it is a balancing act. As the keg gets colder it will absorb more CO2.

The instructions you've been given there are for 'force carbonating'. Do a search on this forum for 'the Ross method' and you'll get some better info on doing this, but essentially all this is doing is speeding up what will happen naturally over a few days anyway.

The only thing that bothers me there is 'Turn on the gas and pressurise to the maximum pressure (about 400 – 450 KPA)'. This is basically OK, but I would prefer to see it say something like 'Turn on the gas and GRADUALLY pressurise to the maximum pressure (about 400 KPA), while observing for signs of leaks and making sure your face isn't in the direct line of any valves, regulators, or fittings.' In other words, it's kind of right, but be careful. That's a fair bit of pressure, and if something is going to give, it's going to give hard.

I've said it before and I'll say it again, kegging is largely a zen experience. You can take short-cuts here and there, but the bottom line is you need to understand it and let it do what it needs to do.

1. You need to get the beer into the keg with as little oxygen as possible.
2. You need to get the beer carbonated and chilled.

If you haven't seen a carbonation table, there's one at the bottom of my reckoner thingy:

View attachment brewing_reckoner.pdf

Basically, you need to work out how many 'volumes' of CO2 you want in your beer. Then work out (or find out) what temperature it will be held at. Then you can use the chart to see what pressure you need to use, to ceate and maintain that level of carbonation at that temperature. Then you can just hook it up at that pressure and wait, or you can crank up the pressure and shake the living daylights out of it to accelerate the initial absorption process - but the end result is the same. Once it has absorbed its volumes it has reached equilibrium, and you are at peace with it. If you've got no leaks, then leave the pressure on. Nothing bad will happen. If you're worried about leaks, turn it off over night to save gas, but understand that this may lead to pressure fluctuations, with possible foaming and a general lack of peace as a result. I do a bit of both, I tend to crank it up to about 300kpa, shake it around for a while, then put it in the fridge. After an hour or so I'll vent the excess pressure, connect the reg at my desired pressure, and try not to drink too much of it until it is properly carbonated in 3 or 4 days.

If it pours too fast or slow at the ideal pressure, don't screw with the reg - screw with your dispensing system instead. Use thinner or longer lines to slow down a fast pour, use shorter or fatter lines to speed up a slow one.

If trouble-free kegging could be summed up in one sentence, it would probably be "don't screw with it". Let everything settle down to its own level over a few days and you'll be fine.

 

[Keifer]

1) Fill Keg
2) Pressurize to 300kpa
3) Leave over nite
4) Every few hours wind the pressure down to serving pressure (80-100kpa for me)
5) Drink

 

[crozdog]

Some good advise there Wortgames, Especially the bit about pressurising to 400-450KPa!!!! There is no way i'd go that high, I stick to 300-350 tops when force carbonating (checkout the pressure warning on the side of the keg itself). :excl: As I use a fire extinguisher for my CO2 source, I charge & shake 3-4 times once the beer is cold & in the keg.

Don't forget to purge the O2 out before carbing up & use some soapy water in a spray bottle to check for gas leaks.

Like most things brewing related kegging is a bit of trial & error to start, then once sorted, becomes almost 2nd nature.

Beers

Crozdog

 

[francismcphail]

Thanks for the advise guys. The 'FnC' Kegerator 1.0 is alive and running. I need to carb the beer a little more.. Currently I have a basic KK draught there that is carbed similar to that of a Killkenny.. (Need to adjust this tonight after work..)

Had a little shock and missed a heart beat when I saw liquid in the gas line but I soon rectified this. (Point here.. buy a flow valve for the gas line! :excl: )

Apart from that all went well, took a photo of it this morning before heading off to work.. SOOOOOO Tempting to pour a coldie at 7 in the morning....

 

[Wortgames]

Good work Sicnarf. Make sure you don't let any of that beer get back up into the reg won't you - if it does the reg will need rebuilding.

I think most of us have our gas bottles outside the fridge too - you just need to drill a little hole in the side of the fridge for it, or run it in through the top seal if you can't be bothered. That way you can fit an extra keg in the fridge. Also, I'm not sure how immune regs are to getting condensation inside them and maybe corrosion.

Otherwise, welcome to the draught side!

 

[francismcphail]

Yeah the gas bottle will be living outside come this weekend. I have another keg, and am planning on filling it with my first AG in a few weeks.



Now to place an order with Ross.

Good work Sicnarf. Make sure you don't let any of that beer get back up into the reg won't you - if it does the reg will need rebuilding.

I think most of us have our gas bottles outside the fridge too - you just need to drill a little hole in the side of the fridge for it, or run it in through the top seal if you can't be bothered. That way you can fit an extra keg in the fridge. Also, I'm not sure how immune regs are to getting condensation inside them and maybe corrosion.

Otherwise, welcome to the draught side!