kegging for dummies

[Minbari]

Very tempted but that ain't gonna happen with this one!
It's a 12 volt one and as such about double or triple the price of a new one.
I'm maxing out on my solar batteries at night, so adding one will be tricky.
Got 2 old fridges but they each consume about 4 to 500 watt...

Might try to run one and put on a timer.
Or...
Just been measuring and maybe, very maybe, I can push the CO2 pipe through at the back of the lid, near the hinge (it's a chest fridge/chiller/freezer).

Eventually I'll get it to work

Yup, take a piece of rebar, put in on the edge, hit it with hammer and make a "c" shaped divot large enough for the hose. This is beer we're talking about! Power be damned!

 

[Donoroto]

How long do you keep the CO2 attached when re-pressurising @Donoroto ?

I've just given it a blast of CO2. Around 15 psi as the fridge temp went up a bit when playing around with everything.
I had taken the regulator off and struggled getting it back on without leaking. Eventually thread tape came to the rescue and the regulator will stay attached from now on.

I'm thinking of attaching the spunding valve back, just to use as a pressure gauge, not to let out CO2

If I reduced pressure just to serve, meaning the beer is carbonated properly already, then just a minute or so until the regulator stops hissing.

If I know there are no leaks, I might leave it on always, or longer, but the risk of a leak draining the tank exists.

To carbonate, maybe 3-4 days, or 1-2 days at 40 psi.

 

[Zambi]

I read somewhere (think Palmer) that the CO2 bottle and regulator should not be in the fridge as condensation would play havoc with the regulator.
Is this true?
My fridge is off at night and the temperature fluctuates a bit because of this. It's solar and the battery isn't strong enough to run all through the night

 

[Minbari]

I read somewhere (think Palmer) that the CO2 bottle and regulator should not be in the fridge as condensation would play havoc with the regulator.
Is this true?
My fridge is off at night and the temperature fluctuates a bit because of this. It's solar and the battery isn't strong enough to run all through the night

Nah, makes no difference. I have my main reg outside and the three keg regs inside

 

[Zambi]

I could only do this with verything inside (cylinder, main reg and keg-reg).
For now still hoping my trick, with pushing the gasline through, is going to work

 

[west1m]

The temp of your fridge rising and falling would like increase condensation in the regulator. Might be bad for it.

 

[Minbari]

The temp of your fridge rising and falling would like increase condensation in the regulator. Might be bad for it.

Those regulators are just a piston and spring pack. Really nothing to em

 

[Craigerrr]

2

 

[Zambi]

I'm back
Slowly getting the hang of things.
Keg of cider is now empty.
I've refilled with apple juice just to check if that little bit if trub can start a new batch.
Unfortunately, the airlock (blow off tube) I wanted to place on it makes it too tall for my fermentation fridge. It just got a loose lid on it now. I will cap it tomorrow I think with spunding valve to act as air lock.

I transferred my batch of beer to the other keg with some sugar for bubbles. Hope I guessed the amount correct and if I didn't I hope the pressure relieve valve works.

I'm just experimenting and trying all kind of new (for me) things

Still waiting for my extra gauge for the blowtie spunding valve, so I can set it higher than 15 psi.
I took the gauge out to try and set it higher by using the CO2 cylinder, but that's not possible as there is a hole in the blowtie thingy if the gauge is removed.
Pretty logical, but I didn't think of that.

Anyway, I'm actually having fun learning new things (and trying to think out of the box somewhat)

 

[GFHomebrew]

I'm back
Slowly getting the hang of things.
Keg of cider is now empty.
I've refilled with apple juice just to check if that little bit if trub can start a new batch.
Unfortunately, the airlock (blow off tube) I wanted to place on it makes it too tall for my fermentation fridge. It just got a loose lid on it now. I will cap it tomorrow I think with spunding valve to act as air lock.

I transferred my batch of beer to the other keg with some sugar for bubbles. Hope I guessed the amount correct and if I didn't I hope the pressure relieve valve works.

I'm just experimenting and trying all kind of new (for me) things

Still waiting for my extra gauge for the blowtie spunding valve, so I can set it higher than 15 psi.
I took the gauge out to try and set it higher by using the CO2 cylinder, but that's not possible as there is a hole in the blowtie thingy if the gauge is removed.
Pretty logical, but I didn't think of that.

Anyway, I'm actually having fun learning new things (and trying to think out of the box somewhat)

Personally I've very rarely gone over 15psi fermenting under pressure.
One such occasion was fermenting that lager at 26c and that only hit 17c

Hey if you wanna know the guy who's known on YouTube for pressure fermentations Dr Hans is your man he's the guru

If I'm capping fermentation I'll just take the valve off and let it build up pressure to where ever it ends up more =ok just hit the prv to purge pressure.
Erring on the side of more than less will probably work in your situation as well.

 

[Zambi]

I don't want to pressure ferment...
For my cider, the spunding valve will just have to act as an airlock. I'll set it below 5 psi. This is most likely going to be force carbonated with my CO2 cylinder.

For the beer, we'll see what happens. It's definitely carbonating, but like with bottles I got no more control now (except of course the PRV)

So I'm trying
Natural carbonation with sugar
Natural carbonation via spunding
Force carbonating the slow way
Force carbonating the fast way
And anything in between

Maybe I'll try pressure fermenting from the start at some point in time, but it is not high on my priority list.
I like my Belgian beers and I've read they don't like fermenting under pressure (plus my fermenters are not suitable anyway)

 

[Craigerrr]

I don't want to pressure ferment...
For my cider, the spunding valve will just have to act as an airlock. I'll set it below 5 psi. This is most likely going to be force carbonated with my CO2 cylinder.

For the beer, we'll see what happens. It's definitely carbonating, but like with bottles I got no more control now (except of course the PRV)

So I'm trying
Natural carbonation with sugar
Natural carbonation via spunding
Force carbonating the slow way
Force carbonating the fast way
And anything in between

Maybe I'll try pressure fermenting from the start at some point in time, but it is not high on my priority list.
I like my Belgian beers and I've read they don't like fermenting under pressure (plus my fermenters are not suitable anyway)

Work with what you have!

 

[Zambi]

Next up:
Cleaning....
I can get starsan through the beer line & picnic tap after disconnecting so those seem easy.
But what do you all do with the carbonation caps, disconnects, the beer line that goes in the keg (beer dip line?) etc?
Do you take everything apart and soak.
I found it a bit of a mission to connect that beer dip line to the carbonation cap, so it would be nice if I don't have to disassemble it.

And transferring beer to the keg?
Obviously there is air inside and even if I would try to replace with CO2 I then have to open up to get my beer inside.
Or do just transfer and hope all oxygen gets eaten if you would spund or add sugar for carbonation?
Or you transfer (same case for spunding and sugar carbonate) and then put CO2 to drive out oxygen.
Or...
I'm still a bit confused here. I understand closed transfers would be best but I don't think I can do those.

 

[Craigerrr]

How many oxebar kegs do you have?
If you have more than one you could ferment in one, then transfer to the other to serve.
I keep sanitizer in a keg. When I clean and sanitize kegs, I usually do a few at a time.
The last step of the process after completely filling a cleaned keg with sanitizer is to push it out into another keg.
The keg is now cleaned, sanitized, and purged with Co2, the little bit of sanitizer left in the keg is inconsequential.
When it is time to fill the keg with beer, I push it out of the fermenter into the keg with co2.
If you are fermenting in an oxebar, this would work very well for you, but I guess you would need a minimum of 3 kegs.
One to ferment in, one to serve from, and one to store sanitizer in.
The rabbit hole deepens...
I wonder how well a floating dip tube would work in one of these kegs

Regarding cleaning, it is best to clean everything, every time, and not that star san is a sanitizer, not a cleaner.
Having said that I don't disassemble my keg liquid posts each time.
I do push hot PBW solution through them each time however.

Here is a picture of my closed transfer this past weekend.
The trick with this is to move the beer very slowly to prevent foaming.
I vented the pressure in the two vessels, then increased the pressure on the regulator just enough to get flow.
For 19 liters it took a good 10+ minutes to do the transfer.

Hope this helps.

 

[GFHomebrew]

How many oxebar kegs do you have?
If you have more than one you could ferment in one, then transfer to the other to serve.
I keep sanitizer in a keg. When I clean and sanitize kegs, I usually do a few at a time.
The last step of the process after completely filling a cleaned keg with sanitizer is to push it out into another keg.
The keg is now cleaned, sanitized, and purged with Co2, the little bit of sanitizer left in the keg is inconsequential.
When it is time to fill the keg with beer, I push it out of the fermenter into the keg with co2.
If you are fermenting in an oxebar, this would work very well for you, but I guess you would need a minimum of 3 kegs.
One to ferment in, one to serve from, and one to store sanitizer in.
The rabbit hole deepens...
I wonder how well a floating dip tube would work in one of these kegs

Regarding cleaning, it is best to clean everything, every time, and not that star san is a sanitizer, not a cleaner.
Having said that I don't disassemble my keg liquid posts each time.
I do push hot PBW solution through them each time however.

Here is a picture of my closed transfer this past weekend.
The trick with this is to move the beer very slowly to prevent foaming.
I vented the pressure in the two vessels, then increased the pressure on the regulator just enough to get flow.
For 19 liters it took a good 10+ minutes to do the transfer.

Hope this helps.

View attachment 24495

Get that recieving keg cold in your keezer first will reduce your foaming even more.
Plus saves your poopal valve

 

[GFHomebrew]

Closed transfer
Make head pressure in fermenter greater than recieving keg/vessel.

To do this

A : Pull PRV on recieving keg to start transfer

B : use spunding valve on gas post on recieving vessel set at lower pressure than head pressure.

C: undo lid on oxbar bottle until gas escapes creating the flow.

Simple

 

[Craigerrr]

Closed transfer
Make head pressure in fermenter greater than recieving keg/vessel.

To do this

A : Pull PRV on recieving keg to start transfer

B : use spunding valve on gas post on recieving vessel set at lower pressure than head pressure.

C: undo lid on oxbar bottle until gas escapes creating the flow.

Simple

Spunding valve on gas post of oxebar, FTW!

 

[Craigerrr]

Closed transfer
Make head pressure in fermenter greater than recieving keg/vessel.

To do this

A : Pull PRV on recieving keg to start transfer

B : use spunding valve on gas post on recieving vessel set at lower pressure than head pressure.

C: undo lid on oxbar bottle until gas escapes creating the flow.

Simple

Now why didn't it occur to me to use the spunding valve on the receiving keg! Process revision!

 

[GFHomebrew]

Now why didn't it occur to me to use the spunding valve on the receiving keg! Process revision!

Glad to help mate.

 

[Zambi]

I like the idea of fermenting in the kegs, but I don't see it as practical with the oxebars (and I only have 2).
The opening is too small. You can't get your hand in there for cleaning (opening is about twice the size of a soft drink bottle.
Plus they are too small even for me. Just 8 litres, which means just 5-6 to ferment, bit of trub etc and just a 4 to 5 litre batch.
So closed transfer is out and it is a simple gravity feed from the 12 litre speidel into the oxebar.

Any advice on the not closed transfer?
Obviously keg is cleaned and sanitised.
Slowly transfer into keg.
And then?
I'm thinking that if there are enough sugars left, and a spunding valve is used, the air inside will be driven out by the CO2 formed? Then after a while, if the most of the air is out, it will be excess CO2 escaping.
So maybe a low setting initially on the spunding valve and increase after a day or so to carbonation pressure (based on temperature etc according to the carbonation tables)?