Lagering - carboy or keg?

[riored4v]

Finishing up the diacetyl rest on my oktoberfest today, and going to rack it in to secondary for lagering. Which is the better route to do this.. carboy or keg? I figure either way i'll lay down a blanket of CO2, and if I went the keg route, it would be just enough pressure to seal it up, but then planned on disconnecting the gas line. If i did the carboy, i think i've heard some tinfoil or a stopper is the recommended route.

 

[ThickHead]

I don't think it really matters much at all. It probably comes down to whatever makes it easier for you. If you add CO2 to the carboy just put a regular airlock on it. CO2 is heavier than air so it isn't going to go anywhere.

 

[moti_mo]

I've done both, and continue to do both, just depending on how space is looking in my fridge and what vessels are readily available at the time. Right now, I'm lagering my schwarzbier in a keg, but the previous pilsner I lagered in a carboy. Definitely just use an airlock if you go the carboy route. If you're letting your lager sit for 6 - 8 weeks with just some foil on it, you'll end up with some cardboard oxidation flavors.

Just be advised that as you slowly cool your beer down day by day that some of your Starsan in your airlock may start to get sucked back into the carboy b/c the pressure in the carboy will decrease. When this starts to happen, its easy just to pull the airlock off, re-purge with CO2 and seal it back up to equilibrate the interior and exterior pressures.

 

[jtejedor]

I cut out the middle man and rack to keg.

 

[Doed]

How do you "re-purge with CO2" while using a carboy? Do you use some kind of crazy connector?

 

[ThickHead]

How do you "re-purge with CO2" while using a carboy? Do you use some kind of crazy connector?

Pretty much just by gently pushing CO2 into the opening of the carboy. The CO2 will fall to the level of the liquid and since CO2 is heavier than air it will push whatever air is in the carboy right out of the top. The physics of gravity takes care of everything.

 

[NordeastBrewer77]

On the occasion that I brew a lager, I lager in the keg. For me, it's a lot easier since I'm using a swamp bucket to maintain temps and there's no way I'm gonna try'n maintain ~40 or below with ice bottles. In a keg, in the fridge, is a way easier route for me.

 

[Doed]

Pretty much just by gently pushing CO2 into the opening of the carboy. The CO2 will fall to the level of the liquid and since CO2 is heavier than air it will push whatever air is in the carboy right out of the top. The physics of gravity takes care of everything.

I understand the CO2 heavier than air part. What I don't understand is what type of connector do you have on your CO2 tank that allows you to inject CO2 into the carboy.

Is it as simple as a hose with nothing on the end and you control the CO2 by a shut off valve?

 

[ThickHead]

Is it as simple as a hose with nothing on the end and you control the CO2 by a shut off valve?

Yup.

 

[osagedr]

You can lager in the keg, carboy or bottle.

 

[riored4v]

Thanks for the all replies.

Will there be any need to purge the keg as the temps drop? First lager, so I'm probably being overly paranoid, but I dont want to mess anything up since its tasting great so far.

I'd rather go the keg route as it will take up less space in my chest freezer.

 

[NordeastBrewer77]

Thanks for the all replies.

Will there be any need to purge the keg as the temps drop? First lager, so I'm probably being overly paranoid, but I dont want to mess anything up since its tasting great so far.

I'd rather go the keg route as it will take up less space in my chest freezer.

I'd just purge the o2 out of the keg at packaging and give it enough pressure to seat the lid. Shouldn't need to re-purge after that if everything's right with your keg to begin with.

 

[riored4v]

I'd just purge the o2 out of the keg at packaging and give it enough pressure to seat the lid. Shouldn't need to re-purge after that if everything's right with your keg to begin with.

Perfect

 

[terrapinj]

may as well carbonate it while you lager if you go keg route

 

[moti_mo]

How do you "re-purge with CO2" while using a carboy? Do you use some kind of crazy connector?

I have splitters on both of my CO2 tanks running my draft systems, and each CO2 line has the swivel nut to barbed fitting that I can easily disconnect with a wrench. So if I want to purge a carboy, I just remove the CO2-in connector to one of my connected kegs, shut the valves to all of the kegs, disconnect the fitting on the removed connector with a wrench, and then you have a CO2 line that you can use to purge the carboy.

I cover the carboy opening with my hand and put the CO2 line into the carboy opening between my thumb and forefinger after removing the airlock. Then you just open up the line to a good flow so that you've got a slow-to-medium flow of CO2 into the carboy and out through the space between your fingers. After a couple of minutes of purging, you can quickly replace the airlock as you remove your hand/CO2 line, and there's little to no oxygen left at all in your headspace.

Its probably the reason I can leave my sour beers sitting for months to years without ever getting a pellicle and without ever developing any acetic acid.

 

[Tiber_Brew]

Put me in the "lagers in the keg" camp.

I don't, however, carbonate it until lagering has finished.