Starting an Electric Brew control panel for AG brewing

[Camo6]

Don't oxygenate whatever you do. 1009 for two weeks sounds done to me unless it's a saison or similar. I use my refractometer for pre ferment readings and a hydrometer for final gravities as I can't seem to get the conversions right.

 

[sjp770]

So isn't that really low alcohol?

 

[Camo6]

Haven't read back but what were the original gravities?

 

[sjp770]

Ahh, now that I punch that into beer smith it says measured ABV is 5.4%

 

[Camo6]

Sounds ready to go then. Keg or bottle that sucker and let us all know how it turns out.

 

[sjp770]

Thanks wiggman and camo yeah I've got two kegs that need a wash. Didn't have much luck with force carb but that was only on 10L or so from my first brew.

What's a good pressure to leave it at for a week? And how should I store the keg I'm not drinking?

 

[TheWiggman]

For an ale, 70 kPa for at least a week.
To speed it up, 220 kPa for 48h then drop back to serving pressure. Remember it has to be chilled for it to carbonate properly.

 

[Camo6]

If you can, keep both kegs cold while you carb them. For balanced carbonation I'd leave them at close to serving pressure for a week or so. There's a chart or a link somewhere in the articles section I think. I tend to use Ross's forced carb method most of the time but err on the side of caution and allow them a couple more days at serving pressures to come good.
If you store your second keg outside of the fridge I'd make sure it's carbed first so it doesn't draw in outside atmosphere.

 

[sjp770]

Cool. I'll do the 70kPa for a week as I'll be away from home for that long, then when I get back I can crack into it

I can store both in the fridge if I move the CO2 out of the fridge.

 

[mofox1]

You can google for force carbonation pressure charts... If you do it at ambient temp you'll need a higher pressure. Doesn't use more gas, it's just that lower temps absorb the co2 easier.
My fridge is full so I carbed mine at ambient at 170 kpa (or there abouts). Once it is cold in the fridge I'll hook it up at serving pressure and it will be good to go.
Or so my experience with a sum total of 3 kegs tells me.

One of the many useful tools at brewers friend, although you'll need to convert from psi: http://www.brewersfriend.com/keg-carbonation-calculator/

 

[sjp770]

So the keg king regulator has psi and bar on the guage. I had my last beer sitting at 12-14psi for serving.. Is it really going to carbonate at 7.5-10psi?

that's my guage.

 

[jonnir]

My experience is limited sjp770 but this is what happened to me.

My first keg i force carbed, overcarbed it. Nothing but head so won't be doing force carb again any time soon. Second time around i just set my regulator to 12/14psi and it carbed up perfectly, as i got further and further into the keg it started pouring alot of head again. I found out from friends that as the beer lowers the gas is forcing itself in more. I think that has something to do with "balancing".

Anyway, since i've set my reg at about 8/10 psi haven't had those issues. Saying that i'm only into my third keg

Good luck!

 

[sjp770]

Pics from transfer day. Got a bit over 1 & 1/2 kegs from one brew.

 

[sjp770]

What's the general consensus? When you transfer do you remove the lid entirely to see if there is mold or do you just pull the bung / blow off tube so pressure equalizes with minimal exposure?

I ask because there was a but of a purpley looking patch in the high krausen ring in the fermenter and I didn't see it until all the beer was transferred into the kegs. If there were any weird floaties they must have made it into keg #2 even though it looked clear going in, at least until I hit the sediment. Would it have been better to get the lid all the way off and if there were any weird floaties just draw off the fermented beer from below being careful not to suck any up?

 

[TheWiggman]

So the keg king regulator has psi and bar on the guage. I had my last beer sitting at 12-14psi for serving.. Is it really going to carbonate at 7.5-10psi?

that's my guage.

10psi = 6.9 bar (68.9 kPa), so given time yes it will. If you want it fizzier then go for it.
I've noticed you use °C for temperature and litres for volume. Stick with bar or kPa for pressure. :icon_cheers:

 

[rockeye84]

Don't you mean 10psi = 0.69 bar?

 

[sjp770]

Thought that was wrong.

 

[TheWiggman]

... yes I did. Damn metric system (though bar isn't actually an SI unit)

 

[sjp770]

So thoughts on these pics? Is it all OK?

 

[seehuusen]

looks like the line of yeast in a fermenter to me...