Conditioning with Kegs

I just posted my introduction and following up with my first official post.  I've always bottled and have decided to get a kegging system.  But one thing I didn't consider until about 30 minutes into my first Keg Intended batch was conditioning.  I was using the beersmith app and it recommended 30 days at 65F conditioning in the keg.

So.. I haven't installed my keg system yet, but this conditioning in the keg has me wondering.. do I pressurize, and then let the keg sit in a warmer environment.  Do some people actually use corn sugar with a keg (I thought I would get away from this, but not opposed).. or do you just throw it under pressure, at lower temps and let it sit to carbonate and drink away?

I am a kegging newbie, so any ideas, recommendations or just how you do things would be helpful.

Thanks,
Ed

Most folks shill the beer with CO2 pressure on and keep it cold.  You do not need or want to war m the keg.  volume saturation is based on temperature and pressure so changing temp means you need to change the pressure which will be a hassle to get right.  Plus warming beer increases staling rate.

A few folks will "cask condition" with corn sugar for fun, if they don't have CO2 or if they run out of CO2 and can't get more for a couple weeks which it takes to cask condition which will require warming the beer to the mythical "Room Temperature".

For about 2.5 volume, you should set the CO2 regulator for say 12psi and chill the keg to 34 OR 35F and let it set for a week or so.  You can carbonate faster setting the PSI at 30 at the same temp but the new beer benefits from the longer conditioning time so be patient young grasshopper.

cheers!
Joe

Thanks Joe

Let me make this easy for you. (I should just call myself "Let me make this easy for you".) Dude. Fill the keg out of the fermenter. Put the lid on. Connect the CO2. Crank it up to 50 PSI. Pop the little pop-it thing to displace the oxygen. Lay the keg sideways on top of another keg and rock it back and forth about 35 or 40 times. Put it in the fridge and drink it the next day. You can see a video of me doing this at www.freakbrothershomebrew.blogspot.com. I have been doing it this way for over 20 years and have never had a problem. If you want to let it set for a while and clear off, that is fine too. If you want to naturally carbonate (bottle condition) the beer in the keg you can do that too but, that sort of defeats the purpose. Just bottle it if you want to bottle condition it. If you want to make a Belgian Triple or something like that you should bottle it anyway. In addition I never, ever, ever, leave a CO2 line hooked up with the gas turned on over a long period of time because, if there is a leak you will find your brand new tank of CO2 empty one day. Maybe not today. Maybe not tomorrow. But, it will happen. Go check out the video. You will see how easy it is. I have not added to that blog in a while but is there and it's called some smart ass name about Al Gore and CO2. You will find it.

  I have been kegging for years now with 2 corny 19 liter ball locks and a kegerator with draft tap. With me, the beer comes out of the secondary ( glass carboy) at 21 to 28 days.  I take that keg to the kegerator, charge with 30 psi  to seal everything quick, vent a bit through the relief to get air out. WITHOUT connecting the outlet to the draft tap but the co2 still connected so as the beer cools and co2 dissolves into it, more can flow in to keep the pressure up. My kegerator is at 35 degrees f, and the fermenting room is 45f. Gently rocking the keg for 10 minutes will help if you are in a hurry for beer.
After 2 days, close co2, pull relief until almost no pressure. Draw a sample from your clean lines and tap. It pours very slow, and will be slightly carbonated. Turn on co2 and set to 8 psi. Tomorrow your beer will have a bit more carbonation. Keep sampling to ensure all is well. Sometimes if it is too foamy, release pressure to about 2 psi and pour. I find if its too foamy too much, clean the tap if it hasnt been done in a while...
Then if you want to age it more, close the gas and let it sit at 8 psi. I find my pilsner is about right after 3 days, and the first day or two its still tasty. I like to monitor the progression of taste as soon as its kegged. There is something to be said for fresh draft properly made that is young, lots of flavours there that recede with time. With my system using a secondary fermentor,10-12 days in Primary plastic fermenter, then 11-14 in the carboy. Then into the keg with the carboy contents, and transfer the primary contents into the carboy, and make a new batch to fill the primary. Make another new batch  every 12 or 14 days. Get 2 kegs, and I make 23 liters per batch so I bottle off 6- 500 ml bottles and prime them. These come in handy in between kegs, or for competitions or take to a friends house. Also, Yeastwise; If you use this sytem, you will always have a fresh yeastcake to pitch new batches with, as long as the new beer requires the same type yeast . Run off up to 5 at a time with each type.

http://freakbrothershomebrew.blogspot.com/2007/10/dont-believe-al-gore-co2-is-good-thing.html
This is the video I was talking about. Been doing it this way since 1991 without a single bad batch. Trust me. It works and it is simple.