Shake a keg to mix?

[davekippen]

I am going to be adding some sugar free Tangerine syrup to a wheat beer for my fruity beer friends. I plan on letting it ferment out for a month or so then rack to a keg where I will add the syrup.

Any reason I cant / shouldnt purge the keg and then shake it up to mix?

I was thinking about this for a Hefe too - any reason not to shake a keg after its been setting a while to get the yeasties back in suspension?

I was surprised that I couldnt find any threads asking this question.

 

[day_trippr]

There are many beer nerds that swear shaking a keg breaks down the head retaining proteins and would sooner fall on their steins than shake a keg.

What's wrong with a gentle swirl with a long sanitized spoon? No need to get violent...

Cheers!

 

[davekippen]

Hmm. Long paddle. I have one of those LOL! Always looking for the hardest solution

 

[zachattack]

If you're racking on top of the syrup, I think it would mix just fine. In the same way that racking into a bottling bucket is generally enough to mix your priming sugar pretty evenly. A gentle stir wouldn't be a bad idea, maybe just with the sanitized racking cane after your transfer.

 

[davekippen]

I kept thinking of this last night. Im sure the stirring with a sanitized spoon would do the trick, but dont you think that swishing around a purged keg would be safer? No introduction of foreign objects, no chance of introducing oxygen. I mean, people shake their kegs to force carb all the time!?!

 

[day_trippr]

[...]I mean, people shake their kegs to force carb all the time!?!

Aaaaand we get to help those people down off the ledge when they pour a yeasty over-carbed pint of foam. Not a high quality solution...

Cheers!

 

[davekippen]

I understand that people force carb and drink beer too green. Thats not what I am saying. Im just saying that if there is a REASON that someone wants to shake up a keg to mix, like a Hefe or if you are adding flavors, is shaking safer than stirring.

 

[JRems]

I would add the syrup first then rack the beer on top then purge and shake the crap out of it. Unless it's mixed really well the syrup is much heavier and will settle to the bottom. I have tried this before. But you may have a different experience If your syrup is watery. my syrup was really thick.

 

[davekippen]

Thanks JRems. Did you notice any head retention issues as was mentioned in an earlier post??

Im using a thick Tangerine syrup so I am worried that it wont mix, thats why I asked in the first place! How much syrup did you use in your batch?

 

[JRems]

I don't rember how much I used. I think it was rasberry syrup. There was no head issues. It was a wheat anyway, which is known to have great head retention. I usually shake carb all my beers and have scored in the 40's at beer competitions. As long as you purge the headspace a couple times you should be fine.