Kegging CA common early?

I'd got a CA common in the fermenter, been in two weeks. Fermentation seems to have picked up a bit, perhaps cuz it's a bit warmer. Maybe four bubbles every minute. Original gravity was 1.045; final should be about 1.015. I haven't taken a gravity yet pending the answer to this query.

I'm going to be kegging this.

What I'm wondering about is whether I can move it to the keg in my keezer in a day or two. It's possible it's still fermenting a bit, but since I'm kegging, not bottling, does it matter? I'd like it with less alcohol rather than more, and don't think the difference will matter that much. The reason for the rush is that I have to leave town for a few weeks, and don't want to leave it in the fermenter that long. The yeast is Wyeast California Lager, which despite the name is not a cold temp yeast, so I expect it will expire in the keezer.

I could keg it and NOT force carbonate (it's very unlikely it would keg condition itself to any big degree) but I'd prefer to carbonate now so that it's ready on my return, but not absolutely necessary.

And on a more general note, I've been wondering about the effect of kegging and force carbonating, since throwing it in the keg is similar to a secondary, but with colder temps (in a keezer). If I were to have used a real lager yeast (as I understand they did with CA commons) would that have worked, ie would it have sorta lagered in the keezer, with or without being force carbonated?

Sorry, this must have been answered but couldn't compose a search to ferret it out.

Rob

Let it ferment out and stabilize. If its not done, the yeast that are in there that are still eating the sugars will just go dormant and not clean up after themselves. Granted u are at two weeks but one of the only ways to tell is to check the gravity

Let it sit in the fermenter three more weeks?

No, not quite sure where u got the three MORE weeks part. What im suggesting is check the gravity now.

Idea is u don't want to keg it if the yeast are still working. If they are actively fermenting, even at the end of their cycle, they could be cleaning up by products and other off things that are in the brew. If u keg and then chill, the yeast will slow down or stop completely, leaving those by products and off flavors in there. Its a lager yeast so it will work things out at colder temps while lagering but for now, i'd be concerned with the FG and whats the yeast are doing. Especially since its a higher temp lager strain.

When exactly are u leaving?

Leaving day after tomorrow; gone three weeks. That's where that comes from.

It's at 1.015. Started at 1.045 with 5 gallons dead on at fermentation. My original gravity might have been a bit low for the type, but I added a bit more water than usual (Beersmith and the kit I got were 1.051 and 1.0145-1.049) respectively as estimates for original gravity starting with a 6 gallon boil (which for me often winds up in the 4.5-4.75 gallon range).

well if ur leaving then wait as long as u can and then keg. It won't hurt it either way

rob211 said:

Leaving day after tomorrow; gone three weeks. That's where that comes from.

It's at 1.015. Started at 1.045 with 5 gallons dead on at fermentation. My original gravity might have been a bit low for the type, but I added a bit more water than usual (Beersmith and the kit I got were 1.051 and 1.0145-1.049) respectively as estimates for original gravity starting with a 6 gallon boil (which for me often winds up in the 4.5-4.75 gallon range).

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Some of the California lager strains throw some diacetyl. If you're tasting ANY diacetyl at all, I would not rack or chill this beer.

If you're not, then it would be ok to rack and chill this beer and carbonate for the next three weeks.

I like a steam beer after it's been lagered a couple of weeks.