Sensible first time keg advise sought

[Rodcx500z]

You will not regret it Victor but, bear in mind these buggers are like rabbits they multiply very quickly

 

[Victor Churchill]

I'm thinking I will probably go for making a completely by-the-book kit to start with - I got a Bad Cat and an Evil Dog from the Kegged clearance back in July so one of those feels like it could be a nice idea. I'l probably be popping up in due course asking more questions...

And yes, I understand I may need to make some space in the broom cupboard to hide another keg or two quite soon, I don't think I can play the birthday card again for a while ;-)


Thanks everybody for the very positive support

 

[The-Engineer-That-Brews]

Thanks everybody for the very positive support

You’re welcome - watching someone else choose shiny new toys is the next best thing to getting them yourself

 

[The-Engineer-That-Brews]

By the way, when you get the Corny it’s a good idea to mark across the join between the lid and the body, so you can refit it back with the same orientation - as sometimes they fit better one way round than the other. Also when I got my first one I thought it was very prone to leaking, until someone explained to me that after you’ve filled them, you need to take the pressure up to 30-40 PSI to make sure the lid seals down properly - you can usually hear it ‘pop’ a bit when you do this

 

[Jonno2003]

A corny keg set up is expensive initially, but trust me you will never look back.

Completely agree - and think they are less expensive than they first appear, given the incuded liquid and gas posts, which mean no need for the spear that smaller SS kegs need.

Also it's possible to start very simple - sodastream regulator and a party tap - and move on from there if desired. Or just stick with that if it suits.

 

[Jonno2003]

If you use a soda stream cylinder, prime your beer with sugar, rather than carbonate with the CO2 and just use the gas for dispensing. Otherwise you will end up using up a cylinder for every couple of brews. Despite their small capacity, SS cylinders are almost as costly to exchange as 6.3 kg cylinders.

Definitely true - only caveat being that it's not always easy or cheap to get the initial 6 Kg bottle and the regulator is a bit more than what you can get away with.

I started with SS and later added 6 Kg - although the 6 Kg definitely would have been the better value place to start, I like having the portability of the SS as an option.

 

[RoomWithABrew]

I like that I can refill the sodastream from my bigger cylinder, it's a very handy backup and very portable.

 

[Victor Churchill]

By the way, when you get the Corny it’s a good idea to mark across the join between the lid and the body, so you can refit it back with the same orientation - as sometimes they fit better one way round than the other. Also when I got my first one I thought it was very prone to leaking, until someone explained to me that after you’ve filled them, you need to take the pressure up to 30-40 PSI to make sure the lid seals down properly - you can usually hear it ‘pop’ a bit when you do this

Thanks for that - a couple of very useful tips there TETB. I certainly wouldn't be where I am today if it weren't for this forum.

 

[Victor Churchill]

Definitely true - only caveat being that it's not always easy or cheap to get the initial 6 Kg bottle and the regulator is a bit more than what you can get away with.

I started with SS and later added 6 Kg - although the 6 Kg definitely would have been the better value place to start, I like having the portability of the SS as an option.

Agreed about the first point re finding a 6Kg bottle - I fired off a couple of email queries locally and got zilch back so far.

I didn't quite follow "... and the regulator is a bit more than what you can get away with" at first - then I sussed that I think you just mean a 6Kg bottle plus reg is a bigger chunk of cash? That's another advantage of starting small, you spread the outlay so it's not as noticeable by the financial controller...

 

[UKSkydiver]

Agreed about the first point re finding a 6Kg bottle - I fired off a couple of email queries locally and got zilch back so far.

CO2 supplier

 

[Regfixit]

Agreed about the first point re finding a 6Kg bottle - I fired off a couple of email queries locally and got zilch back so far.

Have you tried Adams Gas - they are based in Kent but have stockists all over the country? They also do a 1.5Kg cylinder for £15.80 a refill which is about 4 sodastream bottle's worth and more or less as portable.

 

[dcbrookes]

Even better is fermenting under pressure and transferring the already-carbonated been to the keg in a sealed loop!

 

[RoomWithABrew]

and use the gas from the pressure ferment to purge your kegs, then really you only need CO2 to serve and that's in the gram per pint region.

 

[venkman100]

I went for a two keg system from Brewkegtap. Using a full pub size Co2 cylinder. If you start with sodastream you may find it false economy in the end. My cylinder has lasted for nearly 2 years carbing up approx 20 brews. It may just be getting close to empty, which is a worry at the moment, but I do have a spare. My two kegs have now grown to 6 x 19L, 2 x 10L and 1 x 5L...
So easy to use.... I can get 2 x 19L and 1 x 10 L in my beer fridge with 3 taps fitted in the door. My Co2 cylinder is also in the fridge

 

[Victor Churchill]

Even better is fermenting under pressure and transferring the already-carbonated been to the keg in a sealed loop!

Oooh, that's a bit of a step up from a bucket with a bubbler, isn't it? I just switched over from a fermentation lock to a blow-off tube the last couple of brews (*) but I think pressure fermentation means you need a FermZilla or somesuch,I imagine. That migt have to wait a little while ... still interesting 'in principle', mind you )

(*) .. when I had a rather enthusiastic fermentation going on in a rather small (American Northern Brewer) FV.

 

[Victor Churchill]

I have to say, I am wondering if I can sneak a fridge into the garage wihtout it being noticed ... - butit would mean moving out some of the accumulated cr@p that has collected there over the years!

So when you do pressure fermenting, does that mean you basically just transfer the brew direct from (pressure capable) FV to keg with no 'priming' stage? And does the transfer happen simply due tothe pressure build up in the FV, so you just connect tube to fV and to keg and say Go?

 

[RoomWithABrew]

Sort of.
If you use a carbonation calculator you work out the pressure your beer needs to be at for the target vols.
ie use this
Beer Carbonation Calculator - DrHans Brewery %

Then your keg that was full of starsan and you have flushed out and purged with the spare ferment gas ( should also be at your target pressure ) as the two are linked.
Once keg is at target pressure as well you can disconnect it and let it wait, in the keg fridge is a good idea so it's chilled.

Ferment finishes, cold crash no need to add gas as it's at positive pressure.
Flush gas to gas line using gas from keg or fermenter.
Flush liquid to liquid line using gas from keg.

Then connect gas to gas ( this equalises the pressure as more gas in the keg as filled when warmer).
Then fermenter liquid to keg liquid.
If siphon doesn't start disconnect keg gas, pull PRV a bit and the beer will start to siphon into keg. Then reconnect the gas to gas and it should keep going.
No foam, carbed clear beer ( if cold crash has done it's thing) . You can add finings closed to the fermenter when cold crashed to help that ( different topic and a bit more kit ) and or put finings in the keg again closed and it all mixes up when transferred.
You can use the residual gas in the fermenter to serve a pint or three. But you will need to connect another CO2 source in the end.