Moving into a Cornelius keg

[Midlife]

I've took the plunge and ordered a corny and the bits needed... Ive been reading as much as possible but as you guessed left with a few queries.

First one, It appears you don't prime them just transfer straight from the FV and push in the C02 or force carb?

This leads to my next query. For lager I currently lager for the month in a conical FV with airlock, then bottle with half a teaspoon sugar, they clear a treat and I don't use finings. For ale I leave two weeks, transfer to a king keg and use beer brite and with a cold chill I get crystal clear beer. For both process I don't touch the FV and leave with the C02 blanket during fermenting and rest period.

I am reluctant to disturb the FV by adding finings into the FV a day or two before transfering to the corny because of the risk of infection.

So, do most people use finings before transferring to the keg? Or does it clear quite nicely on its own like bottles? I am assuming the dip tube leaves a reasonable clearance at the bottom.

Realise it's a bit of a newbie corny keg question but views on what people do with them would be appreciated.

Thanks

D

[edonald774]

I don't use finings and it clears fine. You might find the first pint is a bit cloudy as you suck up anything that's settled but after that it's fine.

[IPA]

I am reluctant to disturb the FV by adding finings into the FV a day or two before transfering to the corny because of the risk of infection.

This is an unecessary fear! Obey basic rules of sanitation and there will be no problems. I ferment then transfer to secondary FV when FG is reached then after 3-4 days I fine then transfer again, bulk prime, and transfer to cornie/barrel/bottle. Plus I never force carbonate its just a waste of gas when the yeast does it for free. Result bright beer from the first pint. Make sure that all the transfers are done using hoses so that the beer does not come in contact with air and bugs.

[Kev888]

I don't usually use finings, but when I do I'll move to a secondary (or dump yeast in the conical) as and when I come to fine, which will be shortly before kegging - simply to avoid stirring stuff up as I mix the finings in. Whether fining or not, I would personally never move the beer into secondary (or dump the yeast) as soon as final gravity is reached; I like to leave the beer and yeast together for rather longer - following the initial fermentation the yeast tail off gradually and continue working to clear up some by-products, which I don't want to slow down.

You're right to be aware of the need for good sanitation, and keeping flies out and so on, as extra processes (of course) come with extra risk. You should also avoid splashing, to reduce oxidising the beer when transferring. Its hardly different to transferring to a barrel or keg though, so with a bit of experience its really not a problem, but if you aren't yet confident with such things then its healthy to think it through beforehand.

Personally I rarely prime in cornies as I see the ability to force carbonate as one of their advantages, but it can certainly be done if you prefer and is also helpful if you struggle with force-carbonation (say through varying temperature or can't get CO2 cheaply). I would suggest to at least seat and seal the lid of the corny with an initial blast of CO2 (at about 20psi or so) when kegging though, as otherwise priming gasses can leak out without ever building pressure. Some people seem to manage only using the mechanical lid clamp, but corny lids are intended by design to seal by the pressure pushing them up and I found most of mine unreliable unless I did that.

Cheers
kev

[IPA]

I would suggest to at least seat and seal the lid of the corny with an initial blast of CO2 (at about 20psi or so) when kegging though, as otherwise priming gasses can leak out without ever building pressure.

[Fil]

fwiw when i first got into corny kegs i was convinced the condition added by pressure resulted in a coarser beer bubble?????? so i went into priming my kegs, the result was a much thicker layer of sediment to suck out with the first pints, AND a residual ring of sediment which also added something to each subsiquent pour.. SO..... i looked at the kegwidge keg floats to draw beer from the keg top not bottom, simply replace the long OUT dip tube with a 2nd short gas in dip tube and friction fit the float silicone tube over the new short out dip tube.. Works a treat and i still have 3 kegs set up with this system. this also lets you sup a clearer beer a wee bit quicker as the beer clears from the top down. However now i generally just pressure condition these day, and no longer can taste the difference.. ????

one tip, you may find the oval lid seals much easier one way round than the other, if so a little mark with a sharpie or other indelible pen or similar helps line the lid the right way when sealing with beer.

dont forget temperature control of the keg

[edonald774]

Fil, can you remember where you got the keg widge?
I fancy some of these but can only find them for casks

[Coffeeuk]

Fil, can you remember where you got the keg widge?
I fancy some of these but can only find them for casks

There the same ones, but you only use the silicone tube and float part, like fil says attached to a corny gas dip tube instead of the long dip tube.

I tried this setup for one of my kegs and wasn't that impressed. But I use Notty yeast most of the time which drops clear after a few days.

[edonald774]

I'm up for giving it a try

[Wonkydonkey]

I ferment 10-14 days it gets racked off into a pressure barrel for a week to clear. Then in the cornie and force carb. While its carbing up its clearing, about a week.

But I have cut about 10-15 mm off the dip tube, this means you lose about 1/2 pint but always get clear beer, as the bit of sediment just sits in the bottom, unless it's still got a lot of sediment in it.

It works for me

[edonald774]

I ferment 10-14 days it gets racked off into a pressure barrel for a week to clear. Then in the cornie and force carb. While its carbing up its clearing, about a week.

But I have cut about 10-15 mm off the dip tube, this means you lose about 1/2 pint but always get clear beer, as the bit of sediment just sits in the bottom, unless it's still got a lot of sediment in it.

It works for me

I was saying yesterday that I think I need to shorten the dip tube

[Fil]

Fil, can you remember where you got the keg widge?
I fancy some of these but can only find them for casks

Yep as coffeeuk said the same thing..
i use the red floats, and its worth paying the premium for thier silicone feed tube too, its thin walled so will flex easily but has external ribs to provide wall strength and avoid kinking,

The tube has a natural curl point that along an iaginary diameter so it works with as much room as possible.

When filling pull the float out as if you fill with the float in there is enough friction between thye float head and keg wall to keep it submerged defeating the point of fitting it
a stool/chair next to the keg helps you drop the float in a jug of starsan while filling

the theory is that the beer will clear from the top down

hope thats useful..

[edonald774]

thanks, intrigued to see how this goes