Beginners kegging question

[gvhorwitz]

Hi,

I've just kegged for the first time, and am happy with the results. I guess my only question is what do you do with the setup in between drinks?

It seems a silly question, but I drink only one glass a day and I'm not sure if I keep the system hooked up to the tap (which seems kind of dangerous) and just keep it pressurized or disconnect the beer out (which would seem to invite infection).

What do you folks do?

Thanks

Greg

 

[sleepspeaking]

I leave mine hooked up to my picnic tap, and leave it all in the fridge, clean it when it needs it (Every week or so).
If I had a tap on the exterior of the fridge, I'd probably clean it more often (my garage avg temp is in the 80s).

I would avoid disconnecting the beer out. If you do disconnect it, do you plan to re-sanitize the beer line and tap before each reconnect?

My vote would be leave it connected and clean it every time you use it.

 

[Gavin C]

What do you folks do?

Thanks

Greg

Leave it connected Greg. No hassle. It is safe.

 

[kev211]

I leave mine connected, both beer and air, never had any issues. When the keg kicks I disconnect the liquid and air lines and fill the liquid lines with my starsan solution if I wont be filling the keg for a week or so

 

[jpb2716]

I also leave mine connected. No problems so far.

 

[johngault007]

I leave mine connected. I have taps on the fridge door and clean them often. As far as the CO2 pressure, it shouldn't be a danger at the lower serving pressures. Just make sure there are no leaks in your system and you will be fine.

 

[gvhorwitz]

You are ALL awesome

Greg

 

[Iceman6409]

I am also brand new at this. Experimenting with water first. So I am choosing to hook up CO2 and turn psi to 20 or so and then shake keg. Leave connected with gas on for a few days and shake once or twice a day. Then I plan on turning down to 10psi for a few more days leaving it connected with gas on. After about a week I will try a pour with gas on at 10psi. I have 10' beer line too. So far is my process ok? I am also a light drinker. Maybe 1-2 times a week. Would I leave gas connected and on at 10psi in between pours?

 

[johngault007]

If you are in no rush, just set your psi to serving pressure (mine is 9-10), and let the keg carbonate a week or so. This way you don't have to mess with the pressure if you have other kegs attached.

As far as casually drinking, once your beer reaches CO2 saturation at desired psi, leaving g it hooked up is fine.

 

[Gavin C]

I am also brand new at this. Experimenting with water first. So I am choosing to hook up CO2 and turn psi to 20 or so and then shake keg. Leave connected with gas on for a few days and shake once or twice a day. Then I plan on turning down to 10psi for a few more days leaving it connected with gas on. After about a week I will try a pour with gas on at 10psi. I have 10' beer line too. So far is my process ok? I am also a light drinker. Maybe 1-2 times a week. Would I leave gas connected and on at 10psi in between pours?

Don't do this with beer. Total waste of your time, effort and CO2 doing it with water.

Keg cold beer

If you want it carbed fast

36 hours at 30 psi

Set to serving pressure ~12 psi (~35F) with 10 ft lines is a decent point for many beers. A little lower for stouts/milds etc, a little higher for Pils, Hefe etc

You'll have perfect carbonation each time in 2-5 days of kegging.

No shaking needed
No over cabing nonsense
No kicking up of sediment

Easy, effortless, idiot proof, consistent.

I'm all for simple and easy

If time is not an issue, set at serving pressure and forget about it. 2 weeks later you've got optimally carbed beer. (This is what I do as I keg my beers and allow them to carb and condition in the keg at 34F till ready)

 

[kev211]

I am also brand new at this. Experimenting with water first. So I am choosing to hook up CO2 and turn psi to 20 or so and then shake keg. Leave connected with gas on for a few days and shake once or twice a day. Then I plan on turning down to 10psi for a few more days leaving it connected with gas on. After about a week I will try a pour with gas on at 10psi. I have 10' beer line too. So far is my process ok? I am also a light drinker. Maybe 1-2 times a week. Would I leave gas connected and on at 10psi in between pours?

Shaking is a great way to over carb your beer mainly because you cant really control how much CO2 the liquid will absorb.

If you need it carbed fast... Do it Gavin's way, 36 hours at 30psi (Im not huge on this method because I can always taste the carbonic acid when I force carb at high psi.

Or you can set and forget. I usually set mine to 10-15 psi for about 5 days and it seems to work out great. Takes a little longer but Ive had nothing but great results, but YMMV

 

[Iceman6409]

Awesome. Thank you everyone. That does clear up a bunch of it for me. However I would still like to know things like you say turn psi to 10-12 (for a week). Do I leave line connected AND gas on the whole time? Then what do I do after I pour some and drink it. I probably will only drink once or twice a week. So would I leave the gas connected AND on the whole time? If so would that hold until the next pour and so on?

I apologize for asking all the newbiew questions but this is how I learn. You all have been EXCELLENT with me throughout my quest into home brew throughout the years. You people are the reason I recommend all my friends to this site only when they are looking for answers and help. Thank you all again for all you do. You are all very much appreciated.

 

[Gavin C]

yes leave it connected. Just like in a bar.

No leaks. The beer and CO2 go nowhere.

 

[passedpawn]

Awesome. Thank you everyone. That does clear up a bunch of it for me. However I would still like to know things like you say turn psi to 10-12 (for a week). Do I leave line connected AND gas on the whole time? Then what do I do after I pour some and drink it. I probably will only drink once or twice a week. So would I leave the gas connected AND on the whole time? If so would that hold until the next pour and so on?

I apologize for asking all the newbiew questions but this is how I learn. You all have been EXCELLENT with me throughout my quest into home brew throughout the years. You people are the reason I recommend all my friends to this site only when they are looking for answers and help. Thank you all again for all you do. You are all very much appreciated.

Yes, connect the gas and leave the CO2 turned on forever. The pressure regulator's PSI setting and the temperature of the beer dictate how carbed the beer will be. Once it's carbed it will not OVERCARB, even if you leave it connected forever.

For most beers, you're shooting for 2.4 volumes of CO2. Check out the chart below. Go down to the temperature of your fridge, then move across to 2.4. Then up to the require regulator PSI. 2.4 volumes is good for most beers, but look at the bottom of the chart (and the BJCP guidelines) for more recommendations for proper carbonation per beer style.

I would not recommend setting the regulator to anything other than 12psi @ ~40F until you've had some successes. It's impossible to overcarb that way. However, it will take at least a week to get a keg to carbonate. There are ways to do it faster, but those ways also have some risk of overcarbonation.

You sound like a patient person (unlike most new brewers!). 12psi @ 40F. Set and forget.

 

[william_shakes_beer]

My keezer has 2 taps and space for 3 kegs. I have a dual regulator. One regulator is plumbed to the serving kegs,the other is plumbed to the on deck keg. Allows me to be carbing a replacement keg at all times, and I could vary the peressure if I wanted to carb faster. Never had though, since it would take me several months to kill 10 gallons of beer.

I leave the gas and beer lines attached at all times.

 

[HomebrewSupply]

Don't do this with beer. Total waste of your time, effort and CO2 doing it with water.

Keg cold beer

If you want it carbed fast

36 hours at 30 psi

Set to serving pressure ~12 psi (~35F) with 10 ft lines is a decent point for many beers. A little lower for stouts/milds etc, a little higher for Pils, Hefe etc

You'll have perfect carbonation each time in 2-5 days of kegging.

No shaking needed
No over cabing nonsense
No kicking up of sediment

Easy, effortless, idiot proof, consistent.

I'm all for simple and easy

If time is not an issue, set at serving pressure and forget about it. 2 weeks later you've got optimally carbed beer. (This is what I do as I keg my beers and allow them to carb and condition in the keg at 34F till ready)

Yeah, this is basically what I've started doing now (unless, as you said, time isn't an issue. Then it's set and forget).