keg conditioning

[shane]

  I regularly keg condition with either 1/3 cup corn sugar or 1/2 to 3/4 cup dme. I even add 1/2 cup of oak chips to a Burton ale or an IPA. I was wondering has anyone added an ounce of hops in a keg. Of course it would be whole leaf hops in a sterilized bag, but for a BIG HOPPY flavor would this be as good or better than dry hopping???

[ghwren]

I almost always dry whole hop ales in a bag and will occasionally do a lager if appropriate (That was just for the style Nazis because I do it when I feel like it.) Keg conditioning is fine, just like a big bottle, but leaves me with too much sludge in my beer. Try force carbonating since you already have a CO2 source. Easy to fine at the same time too.
As far as oak chips, I don't like 'chewing on an oak tree' so haven't done it in 20 years.

[shane]

    I also force carbonate. It's about 50/50. If I need a keg tomorrow I force it , but you get a creamier /softer mouthfeel with conditioning. As for the oak chips , not for every beer but for a Burton sytle, or an IPA, its fantastic.As for the dry hopping, I dryhop about half of my beers, but I'm thinking that you could even get a bigger aroma/flavor with an infusion. Just thinkin out loud.

[PetenNewburg]

  I found at "Adventures in Homebrewing" corny keg lids that are drilled for a stopper and airlock!  I am going to add a hook of the bottom of the lids to hold a hops bag or diffuser.  This should make a great secondary for Pale Ales & light lagers.

[shane]

  Just curious. Why would you want to use a corny for a secondary? Glass is cheaper and larger capacity. Seems to me you would have to rerack out of that and into another keg. I usually get an 1/8 to a 1/4 inch of sediment in my secondary that I leave, getting an really clear beer . I always use irish moss in my boil. If you force carbonate all that sediment will be in your finished beer. If you keg condition you still have to add your priming sugar and stir. You get sediment on the bottom of a keg this way, but I only loose a glass at first .then all is clear. And I only use certain kegs, ones which I have taken a half inch off of the pickup tube. Also just putting secondaries with my ales, in  the fridge for a day clears the beer tons.
  good drinkin'

[PetenNewburg]

  My plan is to use a small chest freezer for lagering.  It will hold 8 cornys or 1 bucket and 2 or 3 corneys. 

Pete

[shane]

 Gotcha! Lager away then. I'm an ale man mostly, can't stand to wait.