Corny Keg Amateur

[S.R.S]

Hi All,

I would welcome some advice on kegging and carbonating before I embark. I know there are many posts on this subject but there seem to be varying thoughts on how best to do it.
I have bought a 23l keg with regulator and all fittings and have a CO2 canister so ready to go - all I need is some beer.
So my next brew is likely to be a MJ pink grapefruit IPA having just bottled the MJ Juicy Session IPA which is looking promising so far.

Once I transfer the beer into the keg should I:

1. Purge the headspace at a higher pressure, if so is 30psi good? I have been advised not to lock down the lid but to do this as you are purging to ensure a proper seal, is that correct?
How exactly does this work?

2. As I will be force carbonating and I don't like my beer too fizzy, certainly not as fizzy as a lager, what pressure do I connect and for how long? The keg and canister will be in the fridge during this period but should the Keg be cold before force carbonating, in which case do I leave it in the fridge with the beer in it for a day before carbonating or can I just leave the empty Keg in the fridge at 5c and then transfer the beer into it and carbonate straight away? I will unlikely be cold crashing.

3. On the basis the keg and canister will be in the fridge at 5c , what PSI should be used to carbonate and for how long?

4. Is the option of carbonating over 24 hrs. at a much higher pressure a better option or over a longer period at a lower pressure?

As always any help and advice is hugely appreciated.

 

[Cheshire Cat]

Go onto YouTube and look at setting up a corny

 

[Horners]

What I do is

Clean and keg including dip tubes and posts
Sanitise by filling about a 3rd full of starsan leaving ten mins, turning up for ten minutes and then dispensing under whatever pressure
Depressurise - there will be a nice blanket of CO2
Syphon beer into empty keg (doesnt matter what temperature) but keeping tube submerged to minimise any contact with air
Seat lid carefully and connect gas. Doesnt really matter what pressure say 10psi. Once pressurised (a couple of seconds) purge by pulling on release valve thing. Repeat 3 times.
Re settings for force carbing - google carbonation chart. Given your preferences I would suggest about 2.2 volumes of CO2 for an IPA which if the beer is stored at 5C will be 10PSI.
I 'set and forget' which means leaving it at 10psi for about a week.
I cant see the point of carbing in 24hrs unless there is a party tomorrow as the beer probably needs some time to condition in any case.
NB if setting and forgetting you need to check carefully for leaks. We have all lost 6kg of gas to a badly attached tube/ disconnect.

 

[The Baron]

Hi there are that many different ways to do it a I would say there are not 2 brewers on this forum who do it exactly the same. I would read through all the other threads and do the one that seems to fit your thoughts/routine.

I personally would not set your keg with the co2 connected and left with the gas on unless you are very confident that your system is absolutely leak free or you take the risk of losing your gas. So read the other threads in the forum and take your choice I am sure you will be fine