Fining in a Cornelius Keg

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GraemeHM

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I have done a bit of searching on this forum but couldn’t find anyone attempting the same. I would like to know what issues i might have if I rack from FV in to a corney keg with the addition of isinglass. Seal keg and allow a period of maturation (conditioning). Give the keg a good shake, stand the keg and allow the finings to work. Then add minimal CO2 pressure to serve. In essence use the corney as a cask. Sorry if this has been asked before. New to this group. TIA
 
I have done a bit of searching on this forum but couldn’t find anyone attempting the same. I would like to know what issues i might have if I rack from FV in to a corney keg with the addition of isinglass. Seal keg and allow a period of maturation (conditioning). Give the keg a good shake, stand the keg and allow the finings to work. Then add minimal CO2 pressure to serve. In essence use the corney as a cask. Sorry if this has been asked before. New to this group. TIA

Loads of people do this. I think the only issue is the first pint or so will be trub etc that has fallen out of suspension, but after that you get nice clear beer.
 
I think it would make more sense to add the finings to the FV and put clear beer into the keg, unless i'm missing what you are trying to achieve.
 
Some of the Brulosophy team do this, and loads of cask beers put a crazy amount of finings in before they smash in the plug.
 
I do it every time. Works great. No shaking kegs though, too much effort and oxidation hazard. Just pour the finings in at the start and let the transfer mix it in.

Isinglass is very effective but has a short shelf life and smells like Grimsby docks. I use and would recommend Kwik Clear.
 
Thanks for the input. Really useful. To be honest I was trying to find a SS pin or two without success (or at least a wait) so these kegs came up in my search and thought this might be an answer, and a useful addition and able to play with carbonation and Kegging later.

Simon12.. I have never thought of putting finings in the FV. I think you would want a reasonable yeast population in keg to keep a low level fermentation like a cask. Will give it a go and let you know what happens.

Isinglass is foul for sure Foxbat. Just a little question do you purge the keg headspace with CO2 and help to seal the lid once filled? I have seen some advice to do that.
 
Just a little question do you purge the keg headspace with CO2 and help to seal the lid once filled? I have seen some advice to do that.
Yes, always. After filling I pressurise to 15psi and release 5 times then pressurise to whatever's right for the beer style and leave for a couple of weeks.
 
Thanks for the input. Really useful. To be honest I was trying to find a SS pin or two without success (or at least a wait) so these kegs came up in my search and thought this might be an answer, and a useful addition and able to play with carbonation and Kegging later.

Simon12.. I have never thought of putting finings in the FV. I think you would want a reasonable yeast population in keg to keep a low level fermentation like a cask. Will give it a go and let you know what happens.

Isinglass is foul for sure Foxbat. Just a little question do you purge the keg headspace with CO2 and help to seal the lid once filled? I have seen some advice to do that.
OK, I still don't see the point in not just putting the clearest beer you can in a keg and adding the level of CO2 for the carbonation you want and I don't think it will make it any more like cask beer. BTW I have a few spare plastic pin in Edenbridge Kent if your interested.
 
I have done a bit of searching on this forum but couldn’t find anyone attempting the same. I would like to know what issues i might have if I rack from FV in to a corney keg with the addition of isinglass. Seal keg and allow a period of maturation (conditioning). Give the keg a good shake, stand the keg and allow the finings to work. Then add minimal CO2 pressure to serve. In essence use the corney as a cask. Sorry if this has been asked before. New to this group. TIA
As has already been implied; adding the finings to the keg/cask before filling with the beer is a normal practice; I do it, and many breweries do it. The finings get mixed in the process. But isinglass must be prepared (mixed into sterile water) beforehand which is a pain (to add to it stinking, etc). I use Harris "Beer Brite" which is still isinglass but a lot easier to mix into water before use. There is no need to "reactivate" isinglass at a later date, but one of it's special qualities is it will "reactivate" if mixed back into the beer (although wont fine quite as well). If you use isinglass in the FV you do miss out on this quality, but we're not breweries so does that matter?

But as has also been mentioned, isinglass has a shelf life, a very short one when mixed, and will transfer some of that shelf life to the beer. Personally I avoid using it in beer that is kept 6 or 9 months or more. Beer kept that long shouldn't need fining anyhow. Long maturing beer can still be fined if necessary (again, doing what breweries do) by dosing the beer with finings just a few days before it is served: I've done this, by forcing the finings into the Corny keg through the "gas in" disconnect (from a pressurised PET bottle fitted with a "carbonating cap").

As for emulating "cask" beer: https://drive.google.com/open?id=0BwzEv5tRM-5EQUhZbDNPdmV1bWc
 
You don't want to rack to a keg then shake it without purging or you are going to oxidise your beer. Finings work better below 10c and much faster close to zero.
As others have said you are better off fining the fermentor and kegging clear beer. You don't need to shake the leg either. if it's in an fv just pour it in and gently stir the top 6"
 
… You don't need to shake the leg either. if it's in an fv just pour it in and gently stir the top 6"
Aye, this might be especially important for them "Vegan" finings. Apparently (I may have read some over-simplistic twaddle?) it forms a sort of "net" which needs to form near the top (hence stirring it to the top 6" seems a good policy?) and sink through the bulk of the beer (gelatine and isinglass act like little "electromagnets" wherever it is).

I'm just speculating 'cos I find that Vegan stuff a bit hit or miss.


But I've not tried shaking my leg (what, in it?), but @BeerCat doesn't think much of that idea ;)
 
Aye, this might be especially important for them "Vegan" finings. Apparently (I may have read some over-simplistic twaddle?) it forms a sort of "net" which needs to form near the top (hence stirring it to the top 6" seems a good policy?) and sink through the bulk of the beer (gelatine and isinglass act like little "electromagnets" wherever it is).

I'm just speculating 'cos I find that Vegan stuff a bit hit or miss.


But I've not tried shaking my leg (what, in it?), but @BeerCat doesn't think much of that idea ;)

Lol, I have never tried the vegan stuff as I use beer brite like you. Seemed better than when I tried gelatin but I can't really remember. Have poured it through the bung hole in my fermonster and it cleared fine.
 
Am I the only one that dont use finings in kegs. Does it improve the taste or just the clarity?I am not too bothered about a bit of haze in the beer if it tastes alright.
 
Does it improve the taste or just the clarity?
Clarity. And clear beers aren't historically a thing. They were made a thing that signalled they excelled, like "My cornflakes won't give you rabies!" to distinguish them against the other cornflakes that also didn't give you rabies. They latched.

I agree taste is everything; appearance is secondary.

If somebody's house is spotless and they have a little hidden booze cabinet that they giggle about because it's 'naughty' you know they're absolutely f(ck all fun. If it's somewhere where after the kids have gone to bed you just wade through some LEGO to get to one of the nearest bottles of rum that the kids have been using as the towers on part of their castle then that's the people you want to cherish.

You don't want to be with people who are nervous about asking you to leave at 22:15, but ones that are putting a bacon sandwich on your chest at 8:15am as they step over your snoring carcass in their hallway on the way to work.
 
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