I am about to do a Diacetyl rest for a Schwarzbier I am fermenting. The freezer I ferment in has room for only one carboy. I want to brew a Pale Ale while the Schwarzbier is lagering. After the Diacetyl rest, can I rack the beer into a cornie keg, purge out as much O2 as I can, and let the beer lager in the keg in my kegerator? Any suggestions are appreciated.
Thank You
Brad
[quote=“Bier brauer”]I am about to do a Diacetyl rest for a Schwarzbier I am fermenting. The freezer I ferment in has room for only one carboy. I want to brew a Pale Ale while the Schwarzbier is lagering. After the Diacetyl rest, can I rack the beer into a cornie keg, purge out as much O2 as I can, and let the beer lager in the keg in my kegerator? Any suggestions are appreciated.
Thank You
Brad[/quote]
Absolutely. That’s what I do every time.
I have 4 kegs lagering right now in my outside fridge, It’s probably the best and easiest way to store and a lager!
Sure can. That’s how I do it as well!
Thank you for the replies.
Should I charge the keg with Co2, or just purge out the O2 ?
Brad
Do both. Just like you would when you keg a beer.
+1.060!
When I keg, after I purge the O2 out , I place 35 lbs of Co2 in the keg for a day or two. After that I usually keep 6 - 10 lb pressure on it. So I understand that I can do this same process and let it lager for 4 weeks?
Brad
[quote=“Bier brauer”]When I keg, after I purge the O2 out , I place 35 lbs of Co2 in the keg for a day or two. After that I usually keep 6 - 10 lb pressure on it. So I understand that I can do this same process and let it lager for 4 weeks?
Brad[/quote]
I’d out the 35 psi on it, then lager it. That’s pretty much what I do.
Hijack (but related):
How much are you guys paying for used corny kegs? I haven’t bought any for a couple of years but now I’m seeing prices near $70 (with new seals) for ball lock kegs.
b.
[quote=“Denny”][quote=“Bier brauer”]When I keg, after I purge the O2 out , I place 35 lbs of Co2 in the keg for a day or two. After that I usually keep 6 - 10 lb pressure on it. So I understand that I can do this same process and let it lager for 4 weeks?
Brad[/quote]
I’d out the 35 psi on it, then lager it. That’s pretty much what I do.[/quote]
Ok, I’ll scrap the 35 pounds and just purge the O2.[quote=“StormyBrew”]Hijack (but related):
How much are you guys paying for used corny kegs? I haven’t bought any for a couple of years but now I’m seeing prices near $70 (with new seals) for ball lock kegs.
b.[/quote]
Sorry I can’t help you with the used keg price. I bought three new over the course of two years. I think back then I payed $110 for them. I don’t know. I saw used ones at that time pushing $70.00. They were refurbished kegs. I was in a position where the difference in price pushed me to buy new. I thought about buying a two used ones just to have but for as much as I get to brew it would not be cost effective to do that. There will be someone who can answer your question on this forum.
Brad
If I had to pay 70 bucks for used kegs I think I’d drop the extra bills and get new ones, you can find them on Ebay for a little over $90. It’s hard to believe I got most of mine for around $20 each, some for $15.
[quote=“Bier brauer”][quote=“Denny”][quote=“Bier brauer”]When I keg, after I purge the O2 out , I place 35 lbs of Co2 in the keg for a day or two. After that I usually keep 6 - 10 lb pressure on it. So I understand that I can do this same process and let it lager for 4 weeks?
Brad[/quote]
I’d out the 35 psi on it, then lager it. That’s pretty much what I do.[/quote]
[/quote]
Sorry, bad typing! Should have read “put the 35 psi on it”.
Thanks Denny, when the time comes I’ll give it 35lbs of Co2. One more thing. Our house is 63 degrees inside. Is that too cold for a Diacetyl rest? I cranked up the thermostat some, it may make it to 66 degrees.
Thanks
Brad
I think what Denny’s trying to say is that you should purge the oxygen from your keg, then get a tight seal by hitting it with 35 psi. Then shut off the gas and lager for a while.
I just kegged a Helles, and that’s my plan. I’m going to lager for a month without carbing, so the yeast settles out really well. I read on the AHA board that some people are getting clearer beer if they give it at least a week or so to drop clear in the keg before hitting it with gas.
So I’ll lager for at least 2-3 weeks and then carbonate at serving pressure (12 psi for me) for another 3 weeks or so. This should also keep me from cracking into the batch too early!
[quote=“StormyBrew”]Hijack (but related):
How much are you guys paying for used corny kegs? I haven’t bought any for a couple of years but now I’m seeing prices near $70 (with new seals) for ball lock kegs.
b.[/quote]
That’s what I’m seeing as well. Glad I bought 12 of them a couple years ago at $35.00!
I’m buying new anymore. My used ones are troublesome enough, I don’t need any more of that. I have 3 new ones, and although the stupid poppets don’t come out, they’re nice kegs with no issues.
[quote=“Bier brauer”]Thanks Denny, when the time comes I’ll give it 35lbs of Co2. One more thing. Our house is 63 degrees inside. Is that too cold for a Diacetyl rest? I cranked up the thermostat some, it may make it to 66 degrees.
Thanks
Brad[/quote]
First, are you sure you need a d rest? On 90% of the lagers I make it’s unnecessary.
Second, think about why you do a d rest…it’s to make the yeast more active to clean up diacetyl. Given that, the exact temp doesn’t really matter. All you really want to do is get it warm enough to activate the yeast. Given that it’s a lager yeast that was fermenting in the 50s, 63 should be plenty warm enough.
[quote=“El Capitan”]I think what Denny’s trying to say is that you should purge the oxygen from your keg, then get a tight seal by hitting it with 35 psi. Then shut off the gas and lager for a while.
[/quote]
Yes! Thank you!
Thank you for all the help!
I bought a small ceramic heater and built a “tent” in my workshop with the carboy inside and the heater blowing into it. I have been watching the temperature close so I can keep it around 75 degrees. I placed a 5 gallon bucket in front of the carboy so the heat would not be blown directley on the carboy but rather around it. So far it seems OK.
It was just my wrong understanding that every lager needed a D-rest. This is something I will research to find out more about it.
Brad
