Homebrewers - Whats in the fermenter?

[icantbejon]

Finally got my first beer in a keg. Pretty stoked about it! However, I'm still lagering it for a while so I can't really drink it yet. Any input on force carbing vs. cask conditioning?

[Salvelinus]

Originally Posted by icantbejon

Finally got my first beer in a keg. Pretty stoked about it! However, I'm still lagering it for a while so I can't really drink it yet. Any input on force carbing vs. cask conditioning?

You don't technically "cask condition" in a keg. Need a ferkin (spelling?) for that. You can prime a keg just as you would bottles though by racking your beer onto priming sugar and then sealing the keg. Make sure to hit the keg with a quick burst of CO2 to ensure that you got a good seal. Let that pressure off and the yeast will do their thing.

I have friends that force carb all at once by putting a bunch of pressure (20psi'ish) on the keg and shaking it. That is a faster method than putting the keg at serving pressure and giving it a few weeks to reach equilibrium and carb up. Either works. I run the slow method as I typically have my little kegerator full and plenty of time till my next keg is needed. Either way if you are leaving the gas on check for leaks periodically

[icantbejon]

Originally Posted by Salvelinus

You don't technically "cask condition" in a keg. Need a ferkin (spelling?) for that. You can prime a keg just as you would bottles though by racking your beer onto priming sugar and then sealing the keg. Make sure to hit the keg with a quick burst of CO2 to ensure that you got a good seal. Let that pressure off and the yeast will do their thing.

I have friends that force carb all at once by putting a bunch of pressure (20psi'ish) on the keg and shaking it. That is a faster method than putting the keg at serving pressure and giving it a few weeks to reach equilibrium and carb up. Either works. I run the slow method as I typically have my little kegerator full and plenty of time till my next keg is needed. Either way if you are leaving the gas on check for leaks periodically

I think I'm going to go with the quick force carb approach this first time. I know it's horrible, but I'm just too impatient to wait another few weeks on this beer. It is killing me! It's my first lager, so it's obviously been waiting a long time to begin with. Now I'm supposed to wait another few weeks for carbonation????? Never gonna happen. I want to pour my first beer from my hand made kegerator already!