Keg crash procedures

[radwizard]

Im getting ready to build a new kegerator, and Im starting to rethink some of my process. Currenting i am cold crashing my fermenter in the fridge for 3 or 4 days, then moving on to packaging. I haven't used finings and my beer is pretty darn clear if i exercise a bit of patience.

What i am thinking is just skipping the cold crash via fermenter and just do it all on the keg. Im sure therell be a pint or two of crappy beer, but itll probably clear out after about 10 days or so in the keg at pressure.

Anyone do this? Do you think thr clarity would be equal with each method?

 

[EcuPirate07]

It should clear on its own after a while in the Kegerator, like you said just toss the first pint or so. Or dont worry about it at all, North East Hazy beer is all the craze right now anyway

 

[mongoose33]

That's what I just did on Friday--racked right from the fermentor into the keg, and then into the fridge for cold crashing. I force carbed it and Saturday it was ready to sample.

I just dumped the first pint, and then it was fine.

Now, I'm waiting for it to mellow out a bit, but it's suprisingly drinkable after just two weeks total.

 

[oakbarn]

We normally just rack to a corny. We do large batches and sometimes we get a little trub in first and last corny. We used to "burp" the cornys but found that just waste beer. If you are not moving the kegs, it is not an issue. If you do move the kegs, give a day to settle. You may get like a 1/4 cup of junk on first pourbut normally crystal if you leave for a day or so. There is always junk at the bottom of the kegs when we clean them, but no issue when drinking (unless we move them)

 

[JONNYROTTEN]

Its certainly doable to rack straight to the keg.I always cold crash in the ferm chamber.Its simple enough to dial down the temp and forget about for a day or two.Plus I always reuse the yeast so I figure I might as well get as much into the yeast cake as possible.

 

[radwizard]

Cool. Thanx for the responses. My issue is mainly with space. I would be crashing the fermenter in the keezer, and didnt really use a huge freezer for for kegs and a fermenter unless it was nessesary. Thanx

 

[BigTerp]

No worries on the beer clearing in the keg. I do use whirfloc in the boil but rack right to the keg at fermentation temps and am not afraid transferring a little trub. I also naturally carb all my kegs so there is even more junk in each one after carbing. At the most it only takes a 1/4 pint to clear the keg after it's gotten to serving temp and sat for a day or two. End up with beer like this....

 

[austin713]

rack at ferm temp into the keg, then straight into the kegerator for a 24hr cold crash. after its reached 34 or so, open it up, pour in the gelatin mix, reseal, purge then crank the psi up to 30 or so. rock it a bit, then put it in the fridge for 24 hrs. purge off to serving pressure, (around 8psi) then dump the first pint.

 

[Dr_Jeff]

add the gelatin when you rack to the keg