Racking from Primary to Kegs via Co2

The commercial ones I have read about use some darned high PSI to shoot the hops in. I think we would need a special container and hoses, along with different regulators to handle 300+PSI.

 

yeah...but your IPA ain't ranked #1 of BA (a well known hop-crazed rating system)...just say'in
agree with wickedsluggy, it's the loss of aroma, not the classic oxidized flavors that we are trying to tackle...

 

Hmm...you're probably right, but was thinking 30-50psi might work as we don't need to blast them against gravity, we can use gravity

 

Yeah, but I don't drink mine out of a can either (as recommended) Cheers

 

I have thought about using a Hop Rocket with no screens and pellets, put the CO2 at 30 PSI and try and shoot them in. Never done it, as I think the pellets might jam tight.

 

I think I would use about 10 psi ...just in case it did get clogged

I have a hop rocket I've never used...ever since my brew buddy borrowed it and discovered that it makes a great coarse filter. He liked it so much he went out and bought himself one (and he doesn't even like hops)

Shooting pellet hops into a keg...hmmm Might have to try it next time I get drunk

 

Hopjammin.

 

Did my first close system transfer last night via the carboy cap and racking cane. Worked like a champ!

 

was that a subtle Big Lebowski reference?

 

Yes, watched it again recently.

 

I will likely buy a couple of the Speidel fermmenters, and so I was wondering if you had a clever way to change tubing ID in going from the Speidel valve to the liquid disconnect when transferring to a keg. At least it appears to me that this needs to be done. Very much related, what tubing ID do you use to hook up to the Speidel valve? Cheers!

 

wish i would finally take the initiative to set up photo account so i could post pics...but the way i rigged mine up (I'm sure a person could do it easier though) was so that it is all fairly interchangeable between multiple fermenters (carboys & buckets). First off, I've used these type disconnects for a while on my utility gas line and really like them.
Basically I'm using 1/4" ID hosing but step that up to 3/8" ID hosing to connect to the speidel valves. I have a valve at the bottom and the top of the fermenter just by buying an extra one of these.
I use flare fittings to step up from the 1/4" to 3/8", like this. I have that on both the liquid and gas line. This allows me to switch back and forth between liquid & gas easily so I can purge, flush & fill all with a few simple adjustments. It also allows me to easily exchange it with the racking cane on my carboy cap which is 3/8" as well.

 

Does anyone pull the dry hops out of the keg after a set time period, before carbing? Is that just a bad idea after all the work we did to minimize o2?

 

Yes. I remove the hops after 4-5 days. The keg gets inverted a few times during the dry hop to agitate the hops. Plenty of hop aroma remains for longer than my keg typically lasts. The beer is exposed to o2 for less than a minute to remove the hops, then the head space is purged with co2. That is how I've always done it, so I can't say it's better or worse than leaving the hops in the keg.

 

If I remove the hops from the keg it is via keg jumping, ie, after dry hopping, crashing cold, carbonating, and pulling the sediment from the bottom of the keg, I push the beer into a new sanitized and purged keg leaving the dryhops behind. New keg has the beer in it that has not been exposed to any O2, and then I remove the hops from the empty keg and clean that keg.

 

This was my plan as well. Think Ill give it a shot. Ive also heard of people doing it jbaka's way, but I only have 2 kegs and one of them is usually tied up with something. Well see. Thanks for the responses guys.

 

Keg jumping is pretty easy too. You just need a short length of beer tubing and two out-posts.

 

For those who rack via co2 from carboy to keg, where are you placing the racking cane? I've always siphoned and been able to get nearly every last ounce by tilting the bucket/carboy. Are you losing a little bit of beer by doing this method or is there a trick to get about the same volume? thanks

 

I intentionally leave a little trub behind.