How to use a Cornelius Keg Properly?

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SPR

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Hi Guys

Following your advice and tips on another thread I've taken the leap and purchased a brand new Cornelius Keg with fittings etc from Brew UK and hopefully I've bottled my last bottle.

Any tips on how to use it, and prepare the beers etc would be greatly appreciated.

On the beer/cider itself (i use kits mainly festival pilgrims hope etc) do I ferment it as normal in a bucket, and then transfer it to another bucket to clear under airlock, and only then once clear add it to the Keg?

I assume I don't need to add sugar for carbonation as the CO2 will do that?

Should or can I still use heading solution to help retain the beer head?

Also do I have to leave the beer for an extended period in the clearing bucket to 'age it' to make it better or does some magic happen in the Keg so its drinkable faster. I've read the kegs take a week to 2 weeks to carbonate ?

Also the kegs are I think 19l were as the kits are 23litres. Do I just bin the left overs as part of the process I assume ?

Ive never used one of these before as just used bottles, so any advice would be great.
 
Bottle up your leftovers, no point throwing good beer away, with only 1 keg you will be limiting yourself a bit with what you can drink and there will be a delay between you emptying it and filling it and it being ready to drink. If you want the beer as clear as possible then force carbonate it and make sure you rack into the cornie as clear as possible, the dip tube inside them has a low tolerance with the bottom of the keg and it will gunge up if you don't keep the beer clear.
 
To get it to seal easily hold the lid in place and pressure up with CO2, then close the lever clamp.
I wouldn't buy new ones myself, HBC usually have them for around £120 for three.
You will probably need at least six, I have twelve which gives me plenty of choice of conditioned beer.

Brian
 
bottle the first few litres from your fv and prime with a little sugar to condition. then dump the remaining beer in the keg.

its way easier to bottle first and drop the remaining beer into a keg than try and bottle the last runings clear.

when serving its crucial to remember the kegs are only the container aspect of a dispensing system. you also need a regulated co2 supply and at least an appreciation of the relationship between temperature pressure and condition level which is best represented by the information in a kegging chart.
https://www.google.co.uk/url?sa=t&r...=xbA22cKg6g1riDhoRe225w&bvm=bv.58187178,d.ZG4

So keg temperature is a crucial aspect, if you dont house your keg in a fridge to maintain a constant temp you will need to do your best to maintain a stable keg temp and adjust your serving pressure accordingly. It can be done as i do it.. but come summer i need to employ a shelf chiller to serve a pint.

then you also need to consider how to reduce the pressure contained in the keg to a nominal level when you crack the tap as a lage drop in pressure will stimulate a foam out. most of us use restricting 3/16" micro line between the tap and keg to do this simply and cheaply.. upt 5-6ft should drop the keg pressure to a nominal difference at release for the most conditioned of brews..

it can take a bit of tweaking and fettling to sus out how to get the best from kegs in your situation but its worth it ;)
 
Hi Guys

Following your advice and tips on another thread I've taken the leap and purchased a brand new Cornelius Keg with fittings etc from Brew UK and hopefully I've bottled my last bottle.

Any tips on how to use it, and prepare the beers etc would be greatly appreciated.

On the beer/cider itself (i use kits mainly festival pilgrims hope etc) do I ferment it as normal in a bucket, and then transfer it to another bucket to clear under airlock, and only then once clear add it to the Keg?

I assume I don't need to add sugar for carbonation as the CO2 will do that?

Should or can I still use heading solution to help retain the beer head?

Also do I have to leave the beer for an extended period in the clearing bucket to 'age it' to make it better or does some magic happen in the Keg so its drinkable faster. I've read the kegs take a week to 2 weeks to carbonate ?

Also the kegs are I think 19l were as the kits are 23litres. Do I just bin the left overs as part of the process I assume ?

Ive never used one of these before as just used bottles, so any advice would be great.
you don't need to sugar prime for carbing
you can still use header powder but why is the question I never found it worked very well
most cornie users tend to leave the beer to clear in the FV and a second bucket before transferring the clear beer to the cornie and force carb where it is usually ready to drink,GET MORE CORNIES and rotate, job done and forget a second bucket
bin 4 litres of good beer OMFG:ugeek::roll::nah:I use 1 litre used soda water pet bottles to take up the excess which are good as you can squeeze all the air out before capping them
 
I now have 14 x 25L. I drop straight into the Keg and as said pressurize then clamp the top. I use KY gel on all connects. I have a ss brewers mash ladle that I fasten a non scratch pan cleaner to for scrubbing our the bottom of the keg. Lost on brew as I had missed some previous crud :doh: Got a LED spotlight on a bendy arm for inspection.
I love my kegs! brilliant piece of well designed and supported kit :grin:
 
I now have 14 x 25L. I drop straight into the Keg and as said pressurize then clamp the top. I use KY gel on all connects. I have a ss brewers mash ladle that I fasten a non scratch pan cleaner to for scrubbing our the bottom of the keg. Lost on brew as I had missed some previous crud :doh: Got a LED spotlight on a bendy arm for inspection.
I love my kegs! brilliant piece of well designed and supported kit :grin:

Off topic but...

Dude, are you a kitesurfer ? I'm fairly sure you know this place :whistle:

41217_10150265571480506_7308950_n.jpg
 
Thanks for all the replies guys, didn't now about drops in gas pressure when serving etc !

I think when the Keg arrives on Tuesday all will become a bit clearer when I see what's what.

If it works well I'm going to get some more, so the single one is just a trial run.

So in the replies you mention getting more kegs. I assume I can't let the beer clear in these because the sediment will block up the pipe when I start serving it ? Or can I - which would be much easier ?

So what's your beer making process for using multiple kegs and rotating etc?

Sorry if I sound a bit thick but never done kegs before and it's great to get tips from you chaps with the knowledge

PS. Any tips on best CO2 supplies?
 
Thanks for all the replies guys, didn't now about drops in gas pressure when serving etc !

I think when the Keg arrives on Tuesday all will become a bit clearer when I see what's what.

If it works well I'm going to get some more, so the single one is just a trial run.

So in the replies you mention getting more kegs. I assume I can't let the beer clear in these because the sediment will block up the pipe when I start serving it ? Or can I - which would be much easier ?

So what's your beer making process for using multiple kegs and rotating etc?

Sorry if I sound a bit thick but never done kegs before and it's great to get tips from you chaps with the knowledge

PS. Any tips on best CO2 supplies?

Ive recently jumped on kegs, bought three and run them off a 3 way manifold with check valves.

I typically ferment for 12 days, cool crash for two days then:

Fill the keg with starsan solution, leave for 15 mins. Connect to co2 gas and pump out all the starsan in theory leaving only CO2, I then disconnect the gas off the tap (mfl screw on connection) and connect my auto syphon to the liquid out connector.

Had no issues with clogging as i'm transferring fairly clear beer from the FV
 
Thanks for all the replies guys, didn't now about drops in gas pressure when serving etc !

I think when the Keg arrives on Tuesday all will become a bit clearer when I see what's what.

If it works well I'm going to get some more, so the single one is just a trial run.

So in the replies you mention getting more kegs. I assume I can't let the beer clear in these because the sediment will block up the pipe when I start serving it ? Or can I - which would be much easier ?

So what's your beer making process for using multiple kegs and rotating etc?


Sorry if I sound a bit thick but never done kegs before and it's great to get tips from you chaps with the knowledge

PS. Any tips on best CO2 supplies?
Depends on the quickness if your consumption but for me with 3 cornies and 2 KKs I tend to brew around every 3 weeks and leave in the FV ( conicle)for 2/3 weeks before packaging but if I seem to be lagging behind(empty kegs) I utilise my extra FV(bucket)
I do fret a bit if I have more than one empty keg knocking about
 
So in the replies you mention getting more kegs. I assume I can't let the beer clear in these because the sediment will block up the pipe when I start serving it ? Or can I - which would be much easier ?

So what's your beer making process for using multiple kegs and rotating etc?

Sorry if I sound a bit thick but never done kegs before and it's great to get tips from you chaps with the knowledge

PS. Any tips on best CO2 supplies?

Yeah, they tend to breed if left in cupboards,,, :whistle: I'm fairly new to this. But, I do FG's then cold crash my beer (get it cool to coagulate the trub) in a fridge at the end of 2ndry. I think It helps clearing as I do not use clearing agents. I drop in the beer to a scrubbed/inspected/sanitised/inspected keg. Then stick the top on and gas, releasing the pressure so it floods the airspace. I then over pressurise (20psi?) then back in the fridge for three days topping with CO2.

All my kegs have serial numbers and are logged in use, cleaning and in storage.
You can transfer from one keg to another with a jumper lead. (Out to Out) using a tap to release the pressure and let the bright beer transfer. Leaving any trub.

Loads of calor suppliers do 6.5kg CO2. You pay a deposit and then just pay for fills. The tricky bit is some only sell to the trade,,,, Sodastream bottles are the other alternative, but expensive,,,, but you can refill from 6.5's if you are careful and end up with the perfect party combo of bright beer and portable kit!!:thumb:
 
Ive recently jumped on kegs, bought three and run them off a 3 way manifold with check valves.

I typically ferment for 12 days, cool crash for two days then:

Fill the keg with starsan solution, leave for 15 mins. Connect to co2 gas and pump out all the starsan in theory leaving only CO2, I then disconnect the gas off the tap (mfl screw on connection) and connect my auto syphon to the liquid out connector.

Had no issues with clogging as i'm transferring fairly clear beer from the FV

So basically your fermenting in a bucket and once done transferring the beer to the Keg to continue clearing/developing before you drink it, rather than letting it clear for weeks and then putting in Keg? So when the Keg is empty there may still be just be a layer of sediment?

What I'm trying to ask I suppose is are you using the extra kegs as final clearing vessels for the beer prior to just connecting them up to the gas to finally drink the beer?

I follow you up to 'I then disconnect the gas off the tap (mfl screw on connection) and connect my auto syphon to the liquid out connector' - what are you doing here ?

Sorry if I'm sounding thick, it's just new to me as always used bottles and would sooner be clear in my mind.
 
So basically your fermenting in a bucket and once done transferring the beer to the Keg to continue clearing/developing before you drink it, rather than letting it clear for weeks and then putting in Keg? So when the Keg is empty there may still be just be a layer of sediment?

What I'm trying to ask I suppose is are you using the extra kegs as final clearing vessels for the beer prior to just connecting them up to the gas to finally drink the beer?

I follow you up to 'I then disconnect the gas off the tap (mfl screw on connection) and connect my auto syphon to the liquid out connector' - what are you doing here ?

Sorry if I'm sounding thick, it's just new to me as always used bottles and would sooner be clear in my mind.
Think of your keg/cornie as just a big bottle and sure unless you use a brightening tank prior to kegging you will have a layer of trub at the bottom when you have drunk it
 
Some sediment in the keg is unavoidable its a live beer after all.

all it results in is a dirty first draw, as you drawing from the keg bottom via the long dip tube, any sediment is the first to get evacuated.

you can fit a keg float the caskwidge offerings are popular (but not cheap) which will draw beer from the liquid surface within the keg, and therefore leave the sediment behind. Theoretically you can sup a few days quicker/earlier as the beer clears from the top down?? though this dosent take maturing of the brew into consideration.

even if you do opt to naturally condition with a priming charge or kegging a few gravity points early the sedimant will simply get sucked out with the first drawings, you would need a very very hard settling yeast and probably even longer than i would stash a keg to mature to achieve an impenetrable solid sediment at a keg base..
 
Think of your keg/cornie as just a big bottle and sure unless you use a brightening tank prior to kegging you will have a layer of trub at the bottom when you have drunk it

Thanks godsdog, that's what I needed to hear and makes it clear now. I was thinking the beer had got to be crystal clear before I used the Keg.

I can see now why I will need a few separate kegs ready with beer in clearing even more.

Many thanks once again
 
Some sediment in the keg is unavoidable its a live beer after all.

all it results in is a dirty first draw, as you drawing from the keg bottom via the long dip tube, any sediment is the first to get evacuated.

you can fit a keg float the caskwidge offerings are popular (but not cheap) which will draw beer from the liquid surface within the keg, and therefore leave the sediment behind. Theoretically you can sup a few days quicker/earlier as the beer clears from the top down?? though this dosent take maturing of the brew into consideration.

even if you do opt to naturally condition with a priming charge or kegging a few gravity points early the sedimant will simply get sucked out with the first drawings, you would need a very very hard settling yeast and probably even longer than i would stash a keg to mature to achieve an impenetrable solid sediment at a keg base..

Thanks for the tips here Fil, very helpful, especially the caskwidge. I hadn't even thought of one of these

It's all becoming clear now.

Can I just ask another question of you guys.

When I put the beer in the Keg to clear/condition for a few weeks, due I need to add any CO2 or sugar to prime it, or do I just leave the beer in the sealed Keg?
 
When I put the beer in the Keg to clear/condition for a few weeks, due I need to add any CO2 or sugar to prime it, or do I just leave the beer in the sealed Keg?

I prefer to flood with CO2 with the pressure release open. Then 20psi and in the fridge for a couple of days topping off with C02 then leave for a month 12-14*c (if possible:whistle:)
Don't see the point of priming sugar and it messes with yer ABV's.
 
Yep I just seal it charge with CO2 then vent a few seconds and re charge usually to 30 PSI I have on many occasions sugar charged it with 3 ounces of table sugar and give it a low 10 PSI shot of CO2 just to prove the seal and vent once more and leave it then for the sugar to do its job but if you run a pub size 6 KG bottle of CO2 theres plenty in there for well over a year for over 35 brews with serving use as well
 
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