Noob Alert Sorry :(

[mxd]

Hi guys,

I have just started brewing (I have used the brew places where you go and mix etc.. there but never home brewed).

I just put my first batch down (cooper cerveza 500g dex and 500ml malt I bought micro kit from narre brew), only to realise it's going to be 33 tomorrow, doh, I will try to keep it cool in a bucket etc..



I have just bought a chest freezer (http://cgi.ebay.com.au/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=320440135474&ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT) and plan on kegging, the first brew will be in bottles so I can take em away over xmas (unless theres an easy way to take a keg and tap away in the caravan ), then plan to start the next brew straight away for kegs. I have ordered a fridgemate, I think I should have 2 1 for drink fridge and one for fermenting fridge. I will look at regs, lines and kegs over the coming week.

Now my questions.

1) Can I half fill a keg ?

2) If all my kegs are in use can the brew be in some container (I have seen the term cube?) in the freezer (run fridgemate at 2 deg) ?

3) I can get a big gas (6ft tall ?) bottle for 31 a year rent should I buy on 2kg, 169 full so I may be able to take a keg in the van with when I go away.

4) if I want to take a keg, gas bottle and esky with tap in it, should I chill the keg to carbonate then remove from frige or leave at room temp as the keg will not be chilled

5) if I do a ginger beer I was told that fermenter should not be used for anything besides ginger beer, is that the same for the beer lines ?

6) I think I will get a 3 tap font (like http://cgi.ebay.com.au/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vi...=STRK:MEWAX:IT) and start with a mexican, pale ale and maybe a ginger beer (non alcoholic) or a VB clone, with these type of fluids could this all be "balanced" with on regulator ?

7) is there a good noob article (I have found lots just not sure what is the best) on how to balance/setup lines in a freezer.

8) Is there a good noob article (I have found lots just not sure what is the best) on how to carbonate a keg the slow way or quick way

9) any other noob, read this would be greatly appreciated.

cheers
Matt

 

[schooey]

G'day Matt, and welcome... and no need to be sorry for noob questions, we probably all asked them at some stage, if not here somewhere else...

1) Can I half fill a keg ?

Sure you can... just means you are going to have a bit more head space (filled with CO2) at the beginning than if it was full. Half fill it, charge it with CO2, burp it to remove any air (lighter than CO2) and then charge again.... I do this a couple of times to be sure. Without going into too much science, theoretically, the CO2 is an inert gas and any nasties need Oxygen to breed so your keg should be safe, even though half full


2) If all my kegs are in use can the brew be in some container (I have seen the term cube?) in the freezer (run fridgemate at 2 deg) ?

If you are storing unfermented wort (Thats what people usually refer to as no chill cubes on this site), you can in a sanitised cube. There are varying opinions on upsides and downsides of this. If the beer is fermented, usually you would want to be carbonating it, or cold condition it with at least some CO2 in it to protect it from infection

3) I can get a big gas (6ft tall ?) bottle for 31 a year rent should I buy on 2kg, 169 full so I may be able to take a keg in the van with when I go away.

If it were me, I'd get both... The big one will last you an age, and the small one will be great for portability

4) if I want to take a keg, gas bottle and esky with tap in it, should I chill the keg to carbonate then remove from frige or leave at room temp as the keg will not be chilled

Tricky to answer... If it were me and I knew it was going to have to get 'warm' again somewhere before consumption, I'd just put it in the keg and bulk prime it with dextrose to carbonate and put it in the fridge a week before drinking... Being aware of the carbing pressures of course. If it was staying cold from the time I put it in the fridge, I'd just gas it with CO2 to carbonate

5) Ginger beer I have no idea about.. maybe someone else will chime in here?

6) You could as long as you don't mind serving them all at the same pressure, or work out how to balance your system with different line lengths, or get flow adjustrable taps... A manifold and some non return valves would be a good investment though, lest you might end up with ginger beer aromas or even flavours in your other beers

7 & 8) Just keep reading, dude, and decide whats best for you...

Hope this helps