Kegging NUBE - Carbing/Conditioning a Scotch Ale

[bannerj]

Pretty excited!

#1 All the threads/vids I've watched keep emphasizing how easy and forgiving kegging is, BUT...I'm still trying to find some info on conditioning and kegging.

My scotch ale has been in the fermenter almost two months. It is my first beer on CO2. I dialed in 28 psi Sunday night. Keezer is at 37 degrees. So I understand if I set it an leave it for approx 3 days it'll be carbed.

However, chemically...does the beer (for this style) need to condition for longer with the CO2 to be fully conditioned?

I ask because as I take a small pull/taste today, there is a bit of carbonation in there...but it still tastes somewhat like beer in a secondary.

 

[Pappers_]

In my experience, the set-and-forget-it model requires much more than three days - more like a week or two. But that's just my experience.

As for carbing and conditioning, you may want to let your wee heavy sit for a little longer than the two months - the best scotch ale I've ever made was one I aged for six months before I even tried it. Its a big, malty beer and some age can do it good.

 

[tdbc2011]

For what it is worth and this may not be the best way to carb a keg, but when I have a big beer that needs to be conditioned or if I don't have a free tap, I use priming sugar. When I force carb, I set it for 40 for two days and then down to 20-30 for a few more days. I carb then cut the gas off twice a day (this way I know when the keg does not take any more CO2). I then set at 10-15 until it is carbed.

 

[bannerj]

For what it is worth and this may not be the best way to carb a keg, but when I have a big beer that needs to be conditioned or if I don't have a free tap, I use priming sugar. When I force carb, I set it for 40 for two days and then down to 20-30 for a few more days. I carb then cut the gas off twice a day (this way I know when the keg does not take any more CO2). I then set at 10-15 until it is carbed.

This is great. I do plan in the future to do sugar. I just want to have beer on tap by this next weekend if possible.

It isn't a wee heavy. It's only 6.5% or so. STRIKE THROUGH THIS LAST BIT!

Looked it up...I thought a wee heavy would be much higher abv...8+ or so. Interesting.

This one tastes like it'll be good after just the two months, but I'm sure it'll be better in another two.

I guess I'm wondering what the difference is between conditioning with Co2 and and without?

 

[brewprint]

I put the psi at 30 for 36 hours and then purge and turn down to 10. The total time to carb nice is 48 hours. I can't imagine you guys leaving the psi that high for so long. I do get the keg cold for 24 hours before I turn on the gas.

I bottled a wee heavy 3 months ago and there's still no carbonation. I believe that I'm going to have to dump every bottle into a keg if it doesn't carb up in a month.