Bigarcherynut
Well-Known Member
Well after over 6 years of bottling I'm making the move to kegging. Just 2 week ago, with the help of my wife, bottled up a batch of Buffalo Sweat Oatmeal Stout clone. She asked me then about kegging and pros and cons. She liked the idea she wouldn't have to help. Lol!!
Well she planted the seed and I check the local sale sights for corny kegs and other equipment and also priced new. Wow, looked to be a pricey adventure. Last Thursday, as I have ever day, checked the sites on-line and found the perfect listing. The husband took a new job out of state and the hurried up move for them was on. He had decided to sell his entire brewing system. I was able to buy what I thought was his kegging equipment. After some negotiation I made my offer and they accepted. Caught this right at the perfect time. I made arrangements to drive the 120 miles the next morning early to buy and load up my new system. During our conversation the night before she mentioned the kegerator was still in the basement. Kegerator???? Come to find out the setup up was not like the posted picture. The system ended up being, 3 Ball Lock kegs in great shape and holding pressure, 5 lb. CO2 tank, Dual regulator, 2 tapper faucets with shanks and lines, 2 picnic style tappers lines and connects, a full tube of Keg Lube and yes a full size frig for his kegerator. All the equipment except the frig was 4 years old. All this for $200. I'm so happy for the find and excited to get kegging. Not sure what to do with the 500+ bottles, 3 cases of Grolsch bottles green and brown and other assorted styles and sizes I have acquired.
Now I've been reading and watching videos on kegging and thought, this is easy. Like everything else the complicated question and answers to peoples questions appeared on this site and others. Wow, is it really complicated? So many different ways to clean and sanitize, selecting the proper way to carb you beer, serving pressures, WHAT line length and calculators for this. Well this feels like when I started brewing, over whelming but that turned out fine.
Here's a few things I'm starting with and also questions that are most likely posted but hoping you'll answer. Very open to your views and knowledge on kegging.
1. Being a clean freak I cleaned everything I bought when I got home. I disassembled the kegs, valves and line sets and washed them in Oxy-Clean and triple rinsed them. I did not sterilize with Star Stan at this time because I'm not ready to use the system. Should I sanitize prior to storage after washing it?
2. What I saw on kegging from Northern Brewer video is, clean, sanitize keg , lines and fittings and fill the keg with your fill tube on bottom and avoid splashing. Cover and add CO2 charge and purge 2-3 times. Then select method to carb up your beer. Sounds straight forward but I have read way more elaborate methods.
3. Have plenty to read on carb up methods, delivery pressure and carb rates for each style. Should come in time but suggestions appreciated. One question that comes to mind is, if I carb up a stout, It has a level of 1.7 - 2.3. Lets say I use the quicker method like some mention of setting my pressure to 30 lbs. for 12-24 hours. Reduce pressure and test your beer. I would assume if it's under carbed you go longer. So is it to my liking that I carb it to?? No way to measure it is there? Is there a common delivery pressure or is that specific to each style of beer? Thanks
4. liquid line length. Read some and downloaded a calculator. If each beer is different how do you deal with that for line length or is it pretty close to the same for each variety of beer?
5. Location of the CO2 bottle and gauge set. Inside the kegerator or outside? I would think inside would keep the pressure consistent due to less temperature fluctuation. Not sure.
Feels like overload right now but I know it will come as did going from extract to all grain brewing. I know I'll have more questions.
Thanks everyone for your help and suggestions.
Happy brewing,
Bill
Well she planted the seed and I check the local sale sights for corny kegs and other equipment and also priced new. Wow, looked to be a pricey adventure. Last Thursday, as I have ever day, checked the sites on-line and found the perfect listing. The husband took a new job out of state and the hurried up move for them was on. He had decided to sell his entire brewing system. I was able to buy what I thought was his kegging equipment. After some negotiation I made my offer and they accepted. Caught this right at the perfect time. I made arrangements to drive the 120 miles the next morning early to buy and load up my new system. During our conversation the night before she mentioned the kegerator was still in the basement. Kegerator???? Come to find out the setup up was not like the posted picture. The system ended up being, 3 Ball Lock kegs in great shape and holding pressure, 5 lb. CO2 tank, Dual regulator, 2 tapper faucets with shanks and lines, 2 picnic style tappers lines and connects, a full tube of Keg Lube and yes a full size frig for his kegerator. All the equipment except the frig was 4 years old. All this for $200. I'm so happy for the find and excited to get kegging. Not sure what to do with the 500+ bottles, 3 cases of Grolsch bottles green and brown and other assorted styles and sizes I have acquired.
Now I've been reading and watching videos on kegging and thought, this is easy. Like everything else the complicated question and answers to peoples questions appeared on this site and others. Wow, is it really complicated? So many different ways to clean and sanitize, selecting the proper way to carb you beer, serving pressures, WHAT line length and calculators for this. Well this feels like when I started brewing, over whelming but that turned out fine.
Here's a few things I'm starting with and also questions that are most likely posted but hoping you'll answer. Very open to your views and knowledge on kegging.
1. Being a clean freak I cleaned everything I bought when I got home. I disassembled the kegs, valves and line sets and washed them in Oxy-Clean and triple rinsed them. I did not sterilize with Star Stan at this time because I'm not ready to use the system. Should I sanitize prior to storage after washing it?
2. What I saw on kegging from Northern Brewer video is, clean, sanitize keg , lines and fittings and fill the keg with your fill tube on bottom and avoid splashing. Cover and add CO2 charge and purge 2-3 times. Then select method to carb up your beer. Sounds straight forward but I have read way more elaborate methods.
3. Have plenty to read on carb up methods, delivery pressure and carb rates for each style. Should come in time but suggestions appreciated. One question that comes to mind is, if I carb up a stout, It has a level of 1.7 - 2.3. Lets say I use the quicker method like some mention of setting my pressure to 30 lbs. for 12-24 hours. Reduce pressure and test your beer. I would assume if it's under carbed you go longer. So is it to my liking that I carb it to?? No way to measure it is there? Is there a common delivery pressure or is that specific to each style of beer? Thanks
4. liquid line length. Read some and downloaded a calculator. If each beer is different how do you deal with that for line length or is it pretty close to the same for each variety of beer?
5. Location of the CO2 bottle and gauge set. Inside the kegerator or outside? I would think inside would keep the pressure consistent due to less temperature fluctuation. Not sure.
Feels like overload right now but I know it will come as did going from extract to all grain brewing. I know I'll have more questions.
Thanks everyone for your help and suggestions.
Happy brewing,
Bill