Storage Question When Kegging

[Macka]

Hi All
Next month I should have a keg set up for the bar when I finish it. I do not wish to waist time not brewing. Can anyone please explain the best process for storing fermented brews in bulk and what is best to use for this process?? (Kegg) Can you use any thing else?

Have been reading some posts and was wondering if it is a plastic cube. Can I cube strait out of the fermenter? If so how long can it be stored this way?

Help!!!!

Cheers!

 

[normell]

Sent you a PM

 

[pint of lager]

After your beer has finished brewing, that is, the sg has been stable over a few days, rack using a racking tube so that the beer transfers from one container to the next with minimal splashing. Once your beer has finished fermenting, oxygen is the enemy.

The container you rack to should have minimal and preferrably zero airspace above the beer. Plastic cubes are great for this. To clean, soak with a non scented napisan solution and make sure it is rinsed thoroughly, then a hot water rinse to remove the last traces of napisan aroma.

Make sure you clean and sanitise the tap, racking tube and the container you are racking to.

After you have racked your beer to the cube, loosely fit the lid, in case there is still some CO2 being given off. Leave the cube at ferment temperature for a week, then transfer to somewhere cool, a fridge would be ideal, so would a cellar, but we often don't have these places. Somewhere cool and dark will be fine. You should be able to tighten the lid, but do check from time to time that the secondary container is not bulging.

When you are ready to use your beer, rack to your keg or bulk priming bucket.

Kegs are ideal.

 

[Macka]

Thanks Pint.

This is a great site ! and you guys are giving me the answers I am looking for! Am still getting used to the terminolagy used.

Thanks again!

Cheers!

 

[grabman]

Thanks Pint,

that's cleared up a few things for me as well! will pick up a cube or similar on weekend. Was thinking maybe a 20L food grade plastic jerry can for storage, smaller footprint means I can fit two in the fridge!

Grab

 

[pint of lager]

Lots of members are using food grade 20 litre cubes. They find they stack well too. Depends on your storage space or fridge space.

Only drawback I can see, depending on how close they are to 20 litres is losing beer in primary that won't fit.

You can brew in 21 litres batches (just top up to 21 litres, not 23 litres), lose 1 litre to trub, transfer to the 20 litre cube, then lose another litre in the transfer to keg.

Your cubes may be a little bigger than the nominated 20 litres.

 

[stephen]

I use the 20 l water jerry cans. With tilting (initially) they will hold about 22 l. Once they have been sitting for a couple of days they bulge out and settle below the cap: The bulging is caused by the weight of the beer not the built up pressure as I loosen the lid about every second day to release any pressure and have had little to no pressure release.

Steve

 

[hughman666]

sorry to hijack the thread, but any suggestions on where to get a couple of the food grade jerry cans? i have spare room at the back of my fridge (above the compressor) where i can't fit kegs, but would definitely fit 2 of these. also how long is the recommended period of leaving the beer at 2c, particularly a lager? how long is too long?

 

[barls]

try bunnings or a camping supply place

 

[goatherder]

sorry to hijack the thread, but any suggestions on where to get a couple of the food grade jerry cans?

Supercheap Auto and Big Dubya have them in my neck of the woods. They sell them as water cans.

 

[grabman]

I have one for other uses that I got through Ranger Camping! Cheap and came with tap etc@!!

 

[crozdog]

Bunnings sell 25l water drums for $15 - $16. They also have 20L which are slightly cheaper. Both sizes are apparently the rectangular shape not the cube shape. I also saw they had 15l cubes.

The problem was they didn't have any in stock when I was there last Saturday

Beers

Crozdog