There are lots of posts about how it is possible and easier to skip a secondary on many beers and go right from primary to keg. I need further clarification on two points:
I don’t speed carb, so can I just set the pressure at serving level right when I rack to the keg, or is a period of time necessary where the beer isn’t under constant pressure in order to effectively settle the beer and give it the attributes that a real secondary would impart? I see lots of people purge any air and give the keg a brief dose of CO2, but then they wait for a couple of weeks before pressurizing for serving. Can’t both procedures occur simultaneously?
Also, is this procedure the same for ales and lagers, or do most of you transfer lagers into a carboy for secondary and then keg and pressurize?
You can go straight to the keg, put it on the gas, and let it go until it’s ready to drink, however long that is. It’ll clear and condition just fine. Doesn’t matter whether it’s an ale or a lager.
I like to transfer most of my beers from the primary to the keg then purge the oxygen using CO2 to about 10-12psi. Sometimes I’ll start force carbonate at serving pressure immediately but most of the time I’ll allow the beer to condition before force carbonating.
That is the heart of my question. Why won’t the beer condition while it is carbonating? I have seen nobody explain why the conditioning won’t occur while the beer is under constant pressure.
that’s because it will. However most people have a limited number of spots on the regulator. Add to that the temptation to sample while it is conditioning if it is carbed p to serving pressure and you can see why. I don’t think anyone is saying that you can’t condition while carbing. after all if you were naturally carbonating you would need to be fully carbed before you could rightly call the beer conditioning.
Take most bottled Belgians for example…they bottle condition while carbonated. The oxidation and aging process will occur in carbonated beer just as it will in uncarbonated beer.
Now I like that: “speed carb”. Isn’t that better than force-carb as Denny pointed out years ago “all beers are force-carbed” regardless of method. ;D
It’s just more convenient and pragmatic to go to the final pressure-vessel sooner than later. Conditioning happens and time is a primary factor before the beer’s ready and fit to drink.
that’s because it will[/b]. However most people have a limited number of spots on the regulator. Add to that the temptation to sample while it is conditioning if it is carbed p to serving pressure and you can see why. I don’t think anyone is saying that you can’t condition while carbing. after all if you were naturally carbonating you would need to be fully carbed before you could rightly call the beer conditioning.
Take most bottled Belgians for example…they bottle condition while carbonated. The oxidation and aging process will occur in carbonated beer just as it will in uncarbonated beer.
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Makes sense. I wasn’t thinking about having limited space on the regulator since I only have two kegs.
Speed carbing a keg and tapping it for extended QC works just fine. In fact at some point it will become crystal clear, perfectly carbonated and you will stand in awe of your accomplishment. Five beers later it will kick.