Lagering Question

[murphyslaw]

I have a Brooklyn Lager clone lagering in a keg with bagged dry hops inside. I've got about a week left of lagering. At the end, I planned to clarify with gelatin and then jump to a serving keg to get it off the hops and clear out any sludge. Just found out my parents are coming down next weekend. Can I hook up the gas now, and jump to a new keg next week so it's ready to drink when lagering is complete?

I don't imagine that would affect the beer, or the gelatin, but I'm concerned about foaming if I transfer a fully carbed beer via jumper.

Thanks!

 

[MerlinWerks]

I transfer fully carbed beer like that regularly, just go slow. I suppose chilling the receiving keg might add some insurance as well, but I never have.

 

[Morrey]

I transfer carbed beer regularly and use counter-pressure in the receiving keg to control foaming. I push carbed beer from donor tank with very low CO2 pressure (say 5 psi) and use a spunding (pressure relieving) valve set on the receiving keg at say 2 psi. The small counter pressure of the receiving tank helps control foaming.

You may not have the equipment to do this, and in that case, I would think about an alternate plan: If you pull your hop bag, then add gelatin, your beer will begin to clear and solids will drop out to the bottom of your current keg. But why move the beer? Just carb right in the same keg and pull 2 or 3 pints off and that trub will suck up first and leave clear beer. You'll lose that much racking off the trub into a new keg so no real losses.

Moving carbed beer is tricky unless you are setup for that...which you may be and that changes things. You also run the risk of unnecessary O2 exposure which will potentially stale the beer, again, unless you are setup to do this transfer O2 free. I'd personally keep it all in one keg.

 

[murphyslaw]

O2-free transfers aren't a problem. I can just purge the serving keg and jumper line.

My bagged hops were weighted so they should be at the bottom. I'd rather not try to fish them out.

I don't have a spunding valve, but couldn't I just pull the relief valve when the beer stops flowing? Taking it slow, as Merlin says.

 

[ba-brewer]

A cold receiving keg might help to control foam, but when it is warm a condensation layer forms on the outside and helps see the progress. More important if you go big to smaller keg, but also helps as the keg gets empty so you can stop before the crap gets pushed over.

I transfer at serving pressure, beer out to beer out using shorts blasts from the PRV and just take it slow.

If I dry hop in the keg, I add the gelatin first then a few days later add the hops. I dump the first pint (mostly foam too), maybe two then start drinking.

 

[BucksIPA]

I have a Brooklyn Lager clone lagering in a keg with bagged dry hops inside. I've got about a week left of lagering. At the end, I planned to clarify with gelatin and then jump to a serving keg to get it off the hops and clear out any sludge. Just found out my parents are coming down next weekend. Can I hook up the gas now, and jump to a new keg next week so it's ready to drink when lagering is complete?

I don't imagine that would affect the beer, or the gelatin, but I'm concerned about foaming if I transfer a fully carbed beer via jumper.

Thanks!

How long have the hops been in there? Id think youd want to dry hop last on a lager at the same time as carbing

 

[murphyslaw]

How long have the hops been in there? Id think youd want to dry hop last on a lager at the same time as carbing

Recipe calls for dry hopping the last 10 days. I put them in last Tuesday or Wednesday. Put the gas on Saturday. I'll probably jump to a new keg this friday or saturday. If I fine with gelatin i'll do that this wed.

 

[BucksIPA]

Recipe calls for dry hopping the last 10 days. I put them in last Tuesday or Wednesday. Put the gas on Saturday. I'll probably jump to a new keg this friday or saturday. If I fine with gelatin i'll do that this wed.

I lager in my serving keg, the first 5 or so beers clear the sediment. Id take the hops out, cold crash really cold, then carb. The time frame is really close though. I go through flavor changes from the c02 , that take several weeks to adjust before i serve

 

[MerlinWerks]

I used to use a spunding valve as well, but found it wasn't necessary. I just leave the PRV open now. As always YMMV...