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Keg Carbonation

Discussion in 'Homebrewing' started by TEX82Trooper, Mar 3, 2012.

  1. Mar 3, 2012 at 10:25 AM
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    TEX82Trooper

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    TEX82Trooper [OP] Outdoor Adventurer

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    Hey all,
    I usually keg in 5 gal corny kegs and force carbonate for the sake of time, but have wanted to try naturally carbonating in the keg for a while now. I tried with the red ale I finished up a couple weeks back, but it didn't carbonate, so I wound up force carbonating it anyway. Wound up with the ale cloudy instead of nice and clear as it was when I kegged it. Other than adding in the priming sugar, what am I missing? Any tips or advice would be appreciated.
     
    TEX82Trooper, Mar 3, 2012
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  2. Mar 3, 2012 at 10:30 AM
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    RV7Garage

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    RV7Garage R.O.U.S.

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    Good question. I always bottle my 5-gal batches, using corn sugar to promote krausening. With a keg, I don't know what the dynamics of the secondary fermentation would be. Subbed for answers!
     
    RV7Garage, Mar 3, 2012
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  3. Mar 3, 2012 at 10:36 AM
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    TEX82Trooper

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    TEX82Trooper [OP] Outdoor Adventurer

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    Paul,
    I gave up bottling after brewing for only year, got tired of crates of bottles stacked up in my apartment and the hassle of sanitizing them. Plus it's nice just pulling a tap handle for a nice cold home brew. My beer fridge holds 2, 5 gallon kegs with taps in the door and 3 cases of bottles.
     
    TEX82Trooper, Mar 3, 2012
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  4. Mar 3, 2012 at 10:39 AM
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    worthywads

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    worthywads Well-Known Member

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    Of course you need some viable yeast in the keg for priming sugar to work, did you get it to clean?
     
    worthywads, Mar 3, 2012
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  5. Mar 3, 2012 at 10:39 AM
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    RV7Garage

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    RV7Garage R.O.U.S.

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    I hear you. I'm gonna have to read up on in-keg carbonation. From the little bit of knowledge I have, it seems like the pros all use some kind of CO2 injection.
     
    RV7Garage, Mar 3, 2012
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  6. Mar 3, 2012 at 10:43 AM
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    worthywads

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    worthywads Well-Known Member

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    Heilemann's Old Style and Special Export claimed "Krausened" and they did do a 10% active ferment blended into finished beer, but it was always rather a gimmick and they topped off with forced carbonation like everyone else.

    Sierra Nevada technically calls their beers bottle and now can finished but the amount of carbonation derived is tiny vs forced carb.
     
    worthywads, Mar 3, 2012
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  7. Oct 1, 2014 at 5:25 PM
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    yowow

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    yowow Well-Known Member

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    Make sure any natural carb. in kegs have a good pressure relief valves. Cornie kegs are good, as long as it's not one of those one time only pressure valves. Best to play it safe. Pepsi kegs are at 90 psi I believe. Coca-Cola kegs have the one time use safety valves. Please correct me if I am wrong.

    I ferment with cornies and transfer to Sankey kegs then force Carbonite. And yes, I bought them brand new from the manufacturer. They are not 'rented'.

    The cornies, I have the co2 plugged into a blow off tube. Works great. Then I can transfer to the keg with c02 pressure.
     
    Last edited: Oct 1, 2014
    yowow, Oct 1, 2014
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  8. Oct 1, 2014 at 5:28 PM
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    T4RFTMFW

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    T4RFTMFW Well-Known Member

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    Never seen a Cornelius keg with a single use pressure release valve before.
     
    T4RFTMFW, Oct 1, 2014
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  9. Oct 1, 2014 at 5:30 PM
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    T4RFTMFW

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    T4RFTMFW Well-Known Member

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    Pic of this? Do you have ball lock kegs or twist lock?
     
    T4RFTMFW, Oct 1, 2014
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  10. Oct 1, 2014 at 5:41 PM
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    yowow

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    yowow Well-Known Member

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    Ball lock kegs. Then I transfer to 8 or 15.5 gallon Sankey kegs

    Pin lock has 'fuse' type pressure release valves. Pin lock is Coca-Cola kegs

    IMG_20140217_104755_726.jpg
     
    yowow, Oct 1, 2014
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  11. Oct 1, 2014 at 5:43 PM
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    T4RFTMFW

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    T4RFTMFW Well-Known Member

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    Oh okay. I couldn't tell if you had those fittings or not.

    Nice and clean! :thumbsup:
     
    T4RFTMFW, Oct 1, 2014
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  12. Oct 1, 2014 at 5:47 PM
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    yowow

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    yowow Well-Known Member

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    [​IMG]

    From keg connection website. Once the pressure valve is used, you need to replace it.
     
    yowow, Oct 1, 2014
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  13. Oct 1, 2014 at 5:57 PM
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    T4RFTMFW

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    T4RFTMFW Well-Known Member

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    Interesting, thanks. I would probably use a different lid altogether with a normal PRV.
     
    T4RFTMFW, Oct 1, 2014
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