Storing in a keg..

[Stinkfist]

HI Guys,

I am working on putting together Kegging equipment, but I need to wait like 2 weeks for the fridge and the other Co2 and other equipment to come in. However I have a cider that I am fermenting that I want to force carb so I can back sweeten it. My question is can I move the cider out of the Fermenter into a Keg and store it in there. until the other equipment comes in? Or will I not be able to seal the keg without some CO2 pressure? If it still had a little fermentation to do would this be enough to seal the keg? Or am I screwed until I get the CO2 in?

[EvilFrog]

I think you really need the CO2 tank and regulator to get it to seat properly. Now my kegs are a little beat up but I usually hear a good 2 to 3 seconds of hissing before I get a good seal on the main o-ring. This is with the regulator set to around 14 PSI. My guess is that there is not going to be nearly enough pressure with natural carbonation (especially at the later stages of fermentation) to make the initial seal on the lid.

Again, my experience is with somewhat beat up kegs. If yours makes a really good seal just with the mechanical pressure, it might allow the fermentation pressure to build. Even if that worked you still would not be able to purge the O2 from the keg before the transfer and you would have your cider sitting in there with the O2 pressurized or not.

I would think you are safer to leave it in the fermenter under the natural blanket of CO2 until your gear arrives.

[Stinkfist]

Could I just use one of these to pressurize the keg and clear the O2...

http://www.northernbrewer.com/brewing/s ... arger.html

[EvilFrog]

Could I just use one of these to pressurize the keg and clear the O2...

http://www.northernbrewer.com/brewing/s ... arger.html

If you have one of those, I don't see why not. That should work great.

[BrewChemistinCO]

So my understanding is those small charges are just enough to push out of the vessel to serve.

I question whether or not there is enough to fill the head space to actually pressurize anything.


If it does initially, it might seal but as the CO2 dissolves into the beer and CO2 reaches equilibrium you will lose your headspace pressure. I think this might work for 2-3 days but not more than that if at all

[Stinkfist]

That is a good point except i will be keeping this at room temperature so my understanding is it would not absorb much co2 at that temperature, is that a correct assumption?

[BrewChemistinCO]

At room temperature CO2 doesn't go into soution as easily but it still does. According to the carbonation chart in the back of BCS the same head pressure produced half the volumes of dissolved CO2 at 70 F compared to 30 F (approximately). So you are somewhat right but I still think you are going to have issues keeping your keg charged with the cartridges. If you try it I would buy 2 or 3 just to be safe. Really there's only one way to find out.

[Ozwald]

In addition to all that's been said, I NEVER fill a keg that I haven't fully purged with CO2, including the lines that lead from the fermenter to the keg. (10-20 seconds at 15-20psi). My interpretation is probably slightly overkill, but I won't go any less. Better safe than sorry. I wouldn't trust those charges to hold head pressure let alone purge an empty, sanitized keg.

EDIT: If you insist on using those charges, I think the 2 or 3 suggested earlier is a little slim, especially when you consider what it'll take to purge. I would think more like a dozen. To me, not worth it.