Brew Captain's Kegging Tips

[brew captain]

Kegging tips from the Brew Captain

Will offer a few tips:

1) Fully disassemble the keg EVERY TIME you go to fill it. A lot of brewers don't do this and quite frankly there is no way to clean the keg properly otherwise. Depending on the posts you have all you will need is either a 7/8" open end wrench or a 12pt 7/8's deep socket ratchet.

2) Keep track of the poppits and if you have more than one keg, keep track of the dip and gas tubes, posts and lids. This is because sometimes if you mix them up they might not seal seal. Sounds crazy, but true! Trust me, its worth the extra hassle.

3) Buy a 3/8" line brush to clean the dip and gas tubes (also handy for 3/8" vinyl tubing, airlocks, etc.). Some brewers in our group who will remain nameless have heeded this advice after dispensing many brews and were astonished at how much gunk builds up in the dip tube. I was present for one of these revelations and a wad of goop the size of a pencil came out the end of the dip tube when the brush pushed through!!

4) Buy a dedicated carboy brush and bend the tip up about 2-3" from the end into a "J". This will allow you to get down to the bottom of the keg and clean that area easily and thoroughly as this is where the gunk normally settles and unless you have a BMI of 3% there no way to get your arm down there with a sponge. Don't try to bend it back for carboys and then bend it again for kegs. You'll snap the end off in no time if you do that (and yes this is experience speaking).

5) Speaking of sponges, 3M sells a Scotch-Bright "no scratch" scrubbing sponge meant for stainless steel. The blue-on-blue one. This is the one you want to use in your brewhouse and will not scratch the surface of your stainless steel and remove the protective passive oxide layer. Avoid the yellow/green ones and never use steel wool in a pinch as it will impregnate the stainless with iron, causing it to rust and create a potential failure point on your kegs/kettles. Yeah, that 0000 steel wool will make your kegs shine real purdy, but nobody really cares about that. Its what's inside that matters. For brevity I will leave the rest of the cleaning and final purging of oxygen for another day.

6) When carbonating, everyone does it different. I have come home to find my CO2 tank empty more times than I care to admit. As a result I, me, myself personally developed the following method of carbonating MY beers. Once the beer is transferred in and the lid in place, pressurize the keg to 30psi. Take a spray bottle with soapy water (like 50/50 water / dish detergent) and spray liberally everywhere looking for gas leaks in your dispense system and keg(s). From the CO2 tank all the way through to the cobra head or tap. If you see bubbles investigate the cause, replacing O-rings and clamps as needed. Then turn the gas OFF. Yes, off. Then morning and night I hit the keg with 30psi blasts, allowing about a minute to fully pressurize the keg before turning the tank off. Sometimes you will hear the poppits ping and this is a good sound and one that herald the coming goodness! In 4-5 days release the pressure from the keg via the pressure relief valve. Normally there won't be much pressure because the CO2 will have gone into solution. Adjust the dispense pressure to 6-8 psi and pour yourself a pint. If the carbonation is good, you are all set. If you are not quite there keep doing the 30 psi blasts and checking daily until you are happy with the carb level. I continue to turn the gas off and back on the next time I pour a pint. I can dispense 4 to 5 kegs this way before having to replace the tank (I have two which is a luxury as I never have to have that terrible moment when the gas runs out again). Cheers!!!

7) On your posts there is a chamfered edge that receives the beverage (BLACK) or gas (GREY) connector. One post has a thin, 1/16" or so wide edge and the other has one about 1/8" wide. If you mix these up and push the connectors on you can be in for real trouble as they are a real bitch to get off and could be damaged in the process. So here's the way to remember - THIN IS IN (GAS) and STOUT IS OUT (BEVERAGE). Everything I have stated is for ball lock kegs as I have never owned a pin lock keg. Cheers!

Final advice - stay away from the "rock n' roll" quick carbonation method if you can avoid it. Yes, it works in a pinch, but the quality of the carbonation **initially** is just not the same. It is coarse and rocky and the CO2 comes out of the beverage rapidly leaving your beer flat and headless in a hurry. Doing it slowly you'll get a nice micro-bubble and the CO2 will more slowly release as it equalizes with the atmospheric pressure above.

Final, final advice - your first pint or two will be murky. Don't freak out. That's because yeast and particulates will settle to the bottom when the beer is cooled. Then, if you want to be a hero and bring a keg to a party to show off you mad brewing skills, remember it might get all murky again. I have gone to the lengths of dropping kegs off at the home or venue of the party the night before in a bucket of ice to be sure my beers are at their best. Cheers!

Final, final, final advice - some styles, such as Hefeweizen, Witbiers and fruited/spiced beers you want the murkiness. When bottling these styles you sequester a perfect amount of this matter and by swirling the last third of the bottle and pouring it in the glass you are golden. In a keg you will normally dispense all the goodness with the first few gallons served. Not good. So, if you can remember to do it, swirl or better yet invert the kegs before you serve these particular styles.


Cheers!

[brew captain]

*** this is how I do it. Not the right way, just my way!!