Racking from Primary to Kegs via Co2

@FATC1TY same here. My IPAs are awesome, and after this time I would expect to have lost some hop aroma at least, but no.

 

Were you still planning to post that pic?

Do you hhave a way to get your dry hops out of the keg if you dont finish it before its time? Ive been trying to figure a good way to do this but dont see anything in my kegs to tie a line to.

 

Jump it. Grab 2 liquid out QDs and a couple feet of beer line. Attach one to the liquid out post on the keg the beer is in. Attach the other one to the liquid out on the empty keg. The CO2 will push the beer from keg one into keg 2. Just burp the second keg every so often to let off a little pressure. Then remove keg one from the fridge/keezer, and put in the new keg of fresh beer free of hops and yeast sediment. Hook it up to the CO2 and you will have great beer the next day.

 

Just thought I'd throw this fun pic into the thread...

Closed transfer and hopbacking from carboy to keg via hoprocket

NOTE: Ignore the "Mild" tag as that was the previous batch. This is a Cedar Aged IPA

 

Your method is similar to mine. I'll often purge my kornies by filling them water (sani) and pumping CO2 to empty. It doesn't take long. I pump CO2 under very low pressure into the fermenter, and it exits a SS racking cane (cut straight) and tubing to fill keg through the keg's liquid (out) post. The gas (in) valve leads from the keg to a small bucket of water which bubbles as keg fills. I also have a "T" connector with a picnic tap for taking samples as I fill the keg.

Dry hopping O2 reduction. I typically dry hop with whole cone hops when available. So after I add the hops to muslin bags (long with SS fittings for weight), I put the filled bags in a plastic bag and purge the bag of air using a tube. Then I fill the bag with CO2 and fluff the hops within the CO2 filled bag. I try to add the muslin dry-hop bags to the keg without working air into them. Of course I purge the keg's head space after adding the dry hop additions.

 

This is very similar to filtering process. As when you filter beer, I'm sure you purge that system, otherwise you would severely oxidize the beer.

 

That picture shows the technique.
You can also "torpedo" the beer by going from keg to keg through the hop rocket later, adding more hops if desired.

 

I purge with CO2, and for good measure draw the first runnings through the hop rocket into a pint glass for QC.

 

Yes I do. The keg is prepurged, as are the transfer hoses and the hop filled hoprocket. The method I came up with seems pretty sound and is definitely easy. Comments, critiques, and/or questions appreciated.....

Keg:

1. gets a standard purge
2. 3-5 psi flow of co2 added
3. pressure relief valve burped every so often (allow time for co2 to settle below oxygen)
4. repeat until entire keg is evacuated

Transfer hose from co2 tank to carboy cap:

1. just turn on co2 for a while prior to connecting the hose to the carboy cap to flush it
2. turn off co2 when the line is adequately flushed and connect hose to carboy cap

Racking cane, hose to hoprocket, hoprocket, hose to keg: (basically the remaining transfer assembly)

1. Insert racking cane through carboy cap but not pushed into the beer just yet. (bottom of cane only in carboy headspace)
2. Then I blow 2-3 psi of co2 into the carboy allowing the gas to enter through the gas line connected to the carboy cap and flow out of the fermenter up through the racking cane continuing through the assembly.
3. NOTE: At this point, do not have a beer post quick disconnect on the end of the transfer hose.
4. Give the upper portion of the pre-sanitized racking cane (which is predominantly outside/above the carboy) another santization with a spray bottle while doing the purge
5. Stop the co2 flow and add the beer post quick disconnect to the end of the transfer hose
6. Lower the racking cane into the beer inside the carboy
7. Make sure the keg is depressurized sufficiently
8. Connect the beer line quick disconnect to the keg
9. Apply co2 and slowly push beer through the system

 

I indeed do that from time to time. I've even taken it further by doing the following:

1. do the technique I've demonstrated in the photo and broken down in my last post
2. have dry hops in the purged destination keg that the beer enters after getting hopbacked in the hoprocket
3. after dry hopping in that keg, push the beer to another "serving keg" sometimes hopbacking again (as you mentioned) during that final transfer

#2 might have been a given, assuming you thought my first dry hopping was in the keg. Often it's in primary (I drop them in at the tail end of gas off, allowing for oxidation reduction and biotransformations of hop compounds via yeast interaction if I want that type of flavor). So, when going for the cold side full monty, it's double dry hop and double hopbacking via closed loop!

 

A slight simplification of @koopa process. Attach the liquid QD ahead of time, hook it up to the purged keg, leave the racking cane above the beer level, push CO2 through carboy cap to the top of the beer filling headspace, up through the racking cane, through the line, through the hop rocket (if using) into the keg, and out the keg through the PRV or the gas out into a bucket of water/sani. Should flush the whole thing without having to attach another part. Then when purged, slowly push the racking cane into the beer to start the flow.

 

I did that the first time and then decided that pushing the o2 I was flushing from the system into the keg I had already purged was self defeating. But, with the addition of the gas QD and blow off hose on the gas post of the keg, it seems like a good idea if the keg hasn't been flushed yet, thanks!

The only reason I think I might rather do it my way is because purging the keg "inline" takes much longer than simply popping on the QD disconnect and, while doing that extended purge, the racking cane is spending more time above the carboy exposed to the elements. Again, sanitizer spritzing should resolve that, so it seems to come down to a matter of personal preference more than anything.

 

Flushed the keg well, pushed all the starsan out, then flushed the lines and racking cane ...

Closed transfer and hopbacking from carboy to keg via hoprocket ...

I pump CO2 under very low pressure into the fermenter, and it exits a SS racking cane (cut straight) ...

You can also "torpedo" the beer by going from keg to keg through the hop rocket ...

Attach the liquid QD ahead of time, hook it up to the purged keg, leave the racking cane ...


Looks like I'm not the only kegger who sleeps with his CO2 bottle

 

I may have missed it, but how are ppl connecting their CO2 to the carboy cap?

 

I have a flare to barb in mine. The flare is the same as a standard swivel nut so I just hook my tank line up to it. I have a buddy who uses a wider tubing that slides onto the carboy cap, never tried it that way though.

 

My tubing (1/4" i.d. I believe) slides right over the carboy cap side connector.

 

You can't expect to purge a keg by simply blowing CO2 into it. The densities are too close. You'll just create a turbulent mixture of air and CO2. Eventually you might end up with a fairly purged system but not until you have wasted a few volumes of CO2. Water density is much higher. If you fill a keg with water and remove it using CO2 then you.know you have a keg filled with CO2 and no air. And you will have only used a single volume of CO2.

 

while I also follow the flood and push method to purge my vessels, my question has to do with a physics principle other than just atomic weights regarding CO2. When you open your valve and push CO2 out of your tank, the air will rapidly expand from 500-600psi down to basically atm pressure. This cools the CO2...wouldn't the fact that you're adding chilled CO2 into the mix help create the "blanket effect" if you dump it on the bottom since it is denser when it's cold? or would it just chill the whole mix?

 

Not sure I'm following you here . . . where are you seeing 500-600 psi of air pressure reduced to zero?

Also, if the CO2 is added to the bottom it will still diffuse (mix) with the air.