Options for conditioning/serving bigger than a bottle, but smaller than keg?

[MuckyFunster]

I found a carbonation chart, so think I am aiming for 2.5 volumes and my fridge is 7*C, which works out to be just below 15 psi.

I filled the keg tonight and turned the co2 thing till the dial went up to 15, then I turned the co2 thing back to the off position before it went up any further. Am I meant to leave it off, or do I just turn it so that it stops moving up on the dial?

[LeeH]

Keep it at 15 with the gas bottle ON

A tip for the future, flush your keg out with CO2 before you fill if you didn’t do it this time around.


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[MuckyFunster]

Okedoke, thanks.

I checked this morning, pressure had dropped to around 12. I turned it back on and it quickly went back up to 15 so I turned it back towards off. It seems to either be completely on, quickly increasing pressure, or being completely off. Maybe just take a bit of getting used to getting used to the equipment to achieving a balance between ‘off’ and ‘on’.

Thanks for the help and advice folks!


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[LeeH]

At the lower end of the scale they can be a bit like that.

It is advised that you just burp your keg after you have set it to test the regulator reacts back your your set point.


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[MuckyFunster]

I suppose to ‘burp’ the keg, seeing as I don’t have a pressure release valve, I would just need to put in some co2 then unscrew the lid a bit hoping that the co2 has settled on top of the beer and will push the oxygen out...?


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[LeeH]

Don’t bother if you don’t have a PRV, my suggestion was based on getting an accurate set point on your reg.

Flushing to remove/reduce oxygen is another matter.


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[PeeBee]

On flushing oxygen: Common misconception - CO2 will settle underneath the air and oxygen. No it doesn't unfortunately, or is that fortunately because the world will be covered in grass and trees won't exist. CO2 would rather mix in with the other gases and despite being marginally heavier will do just that.

If CO2 is added very carefully, it will "pool" for a while. But adding CO2 will dilute the other gases and 'burping' will reduce the amount of other gases (by expelling a proportion of the unwanted gases to atmosphere - along with a proportion of CO2).

I recently proposed an analogy to make this clearer - think Irish coffee and its fragile floating cream (okay, as analogies go it's upside-down).

[Digby]

On flushing oxygen: Common misconception - CO2 will settle underneath the air and oxygen. No it doesn't unfortunately, or is that fortunately because the world will be covered in grass and trees won't exist. CO2 would rather mix in with the other gases and despite being marginally heavier will do just that.

If CO2 is added very carefully, it will "pool" for a while. But adding CO2 will dilute the other gases and 'burping' will reduce the amount of other gases (by expelling a proportion of the unwanted gases to atmosphere - along with a proportion of CO2).

I recently proposed an analogy to make this clearer - think Irish coffee and its fragile floating cream (okay, as analogies go it's upside-down).

Indeed that is my understanding. If I remember I do flush the (Sankey) keg with some CO2 before filling with beer to theoretically dilute the oxygen a bit but I could not say I have noticed any real difference in quality / shelf life. Like a lot of home brewing processes it seems to become part of folklore and a must-do!

To the original poster, try to carefully get to near your target 15psi and leave the gas on. If you overshoot, switch gas off and let it absorb and equilibriate for a number of hours before trying again.

Matt

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[ingo]

On flushing oxygen: Common misconception - CO2 will settle underneath the air and oxygen.

the 'proper' way would be to fill the keg with water and push that out with lowest possible CO2 pressure. When flushing multiple kegs you can push the water from one to another,

Ingo

[TheSumOfAllBeers]

On flushing oxygen: Common misconception - CO2 will settle underneath the air and oxygen.

the 'proper' way would be to fill the keg with water and push that out with lowest possible CO2 pressure. When flushing multiple kegs you can push the water from one to another,

Ingo

This is what I do, but I use star san or other no rinse sanitiser.

Then every clean, purged keg gets labelled and stored. I can just grab one next kegging day

[Kev888]

Another option to no-rinse disinfectants or plain water for purging is to use boiling water. Of course, it depends on what suits the individual situation and the disinfecting/sterilising power wanted; they will all allow a decent purge of oxygen.

TBH with live yeast in the beer and impervious containers, I don't get too concerned if there is just a tiny bit of head-space, so tend to just dilute it with a through-draft of CO2. But if there is to be a lot of head space in proportion to the amount of beer (e.g. the keg isn't really filled) then I will go to more trouble - ditto if it is an important or subtle beer.

[ingo]

It's keg washing day today, so I had a look at what I have. The oldest and original Cornelius is from 1987. They may be expensive, but they last a brewers life.

Edit: and just after writing that I have one of 1985 in my hands.

[MuckyFunster]

Just a wee update for anyone - I left the beer in the keg till Saturday afternoon, had probably been in there around 36 hours. The first glass I poured came out pretty flat, but I mucked about playing with the ‘flow control’ and I ended up pouring a couple of decent pints out it! Was quite chuffed with it. It was quite a light carbonation, and smooth - imagine something like a draught Guinness. I’ll need to leave it in a bit longer next time... Patience!

It being only a small keg, it barely lasted till night time (...hic ) bit I enjoyed it very much Thanks for all your help n advice!