Ikegger or similar

[Paul84]

Hey All , 

Has anyone had any luck using an Ikegger keg or similar ? 

If so , do you use it for whole second fermentation with primer, add the hops minus the primer and force carbonate or use the brewart keg for second fermentation and transfer if you fancy taking a keg somewhere else or put into a Kegorator ? 

[Captain 3 Droids]

3 hours ago, Paul84 said:

Hey All , 

Has anyone had any luck using an Ikegger keg or similar ? 

If so , do you use it for whole second fermentation with primer, add the hops minus the primer and force carbonate or use the brewart keg for second fermentation and transfer if you fancy taking a keg somewhere else or put into a Kegorator ? 

I have 2 x 5l and 2 x 10l Ikegger kegs plus a number of the Cornelius 10 and 12 litre ball lock kegs.

With the kegs and in referring to the Ikegger ones you can carbonate via a second fermentation ( using a primer) however I force carbonate with Co2. (There is a recent thread on here under forced carbonation, I think). If using the BrewArt hops they can be added direct to the kegs the same as the BrewArt kegs.

The thread is “Hops addition and force carbonation into 10litre mini kegs” Just search “Force” to find it

 

Edited October 18, 2019 by Barrelboy

[Paul84]

@Barrelboy , do you only force carbonate or do you leave some bottles or second fermentation anything. 

Just thinking and looking into the "homebrew" taste. I have noticed that all my brews so far have the same base notes and differering taste profile. Wondering if that would change with forced Co2 . Not a hinderance the flavor , just wondering if that would bring these beers just slightly closer to the commercial profiles

[Captain 3 Droids]

I only force carbonate with the kegs. You mention the “homebrew taste” and wonder why you are getting that as Rob (as with others) don’t mention it and are satisfied with the outcomes. What are you using for a primer in your bottles?

I’ve only experienced that with tins when using dextrose rather than malt. Note if the ”homebrew” taste ones used X5 in the recipe?

 

[Paul84]

Oh trust me . Not upset with the taste and i think it might have to do with the X5 enhancer or the fact that I have never ages anything over 6 weeks so might be some diacetyl flavor ( have noticed it before in a craft beer that was over produced before they could handle supply) . Primer for bottles is carbonation drops, but will be changing to sugars for cost and ease more then anything . I have also mainly brewed higher alcohol Ales so far so maybe they will all have similar profiles considering they are essentially all working with the same ingredients . Was just wondering if the Co2 just added an extra flavor profile ( like what it does to soda water etc )  .

[Paul84]

But yeah just wanna make it know not upset with the taste . I have had can homebrew before thats been undrinkable. Also done U-brew-it that doesnt match this . More talking about the beers I have done so far have a similar profile while makes subtle changes. But that may be the beer profile and the ingredients going in too 🙂

[Paul84]

I think maybe the Term "Homebrew Taste" is wrong though. Does make it sound negative . The brewart beers are delicious and my journey is far from over. More just finding my feet in conditioning and how the profiles change over time. I am also not the most patient man haha ( most beers get drunk by me in the 4-6 week mark). The funny thing that isnt spoken about is how long commercial beers sit in storage before they come to us , i am sure they dont just take them straight out of the fermenter to the shop lol

[Captain 3 Droids]

10 minutes ago, Paul84 said:

I think maybe the Term "Homebrew Taste" is wrong though. Does make it sound negative . The brewart beers are delicious and my journey is far from over. More just finding my feet in conditioning and how the profiles change over time. I am also not the most patient man haha ( most beers get drunk by me in the 4-6 week mark). The funny thing that isnt spoken about is how long commercial beers sit in storage before they come to us , i am sure they dont just take them straight out of the fermenter to the shop lol

4 to 6 weeks is ok in my book for general brews but high alcohol ones need the maturity. This is a good thing to do, with your next high % brew have at 4 to 6 weeks (to satisfy impatient factor we all have) take a brief as to your opinion and rate out of 10. But save 4 bottles, have one at 7, 8, 10 and 12 weeks - note the differences and rate.

[Paul84]

8 minutes ago, Barrelboy said:

4 to 6 weeks is ok in my book for general brews but high alcohol ones need the maturity. This is a good thing to do, with your next high % brew have at 4 to 6 weeks (to satisfy impatient factor we all have) take a brief as to your opinion and rate out of 10. But save 4 bottles, have one at 7, 8, 10 and 12 weeks - note the differences and rate.

Yeah this is what i mean and I am going to see how I go ageing them a touch longer. I have been very patient from the pineapple crush . Only 2 bottles in 4 weeks for ... science . And yeah the lowest ABV so far has been the Spoke Amber and that at 2 weeks was nice , keen to see in another 2 weeks 🙂 . Also after Xmas I have some Lagers coming to see how they differ too 🙂 . 

Edited December 22, 2019 by Paul84

[Paul84]

Now want to apologise about the "homebrew taste" . I will say all the brewart beers I had tonight had a similar "profile" is the right term but every beer was different . To be honest i had them all one after the other , the pineapple crush had a sweet yet hoppy bitterness to it, the spoke amber ale had a much more more malty sweetness ( bordering on honey taste) . And the RIS ... wow haha.  It had the chocolate-toffee notes i want in an Imperial Stout but had a sultana sweetness ( i think the Makers Mark addition) . 

[Captain 3 Droids]

19 minutes ago, Paul84 said:

Now want to apologise about the "homebrew taste" . I will say all the brewart beers I had tonight had a similar "profile" is the right term but every beer was different . To be honest i had them all one after the other , the pineapple crush had a sweet yet hoppy bitterness to it, the spoke amber ale had a much more more malty sweetness ( bordering on honey taste) . And the RIS ... wow haha.  It had the chocolate-toffee notes i want in an Imperial Stout but had a sultana sweetness ( i think the Makers Mark addition) . 

Agree with a lot of the recipes having a similar “profile” but there being a difference. If you look at the ingredients for particular recipes some are not much different at all other than the hops and/or the yeast. But hops and yeast do do there bit in flavour development. 

[Paul84]

Yeah i was looking at that through the week . I do think the lion city i have in now and weissbier that is following it will be chalk and cheese to what i have previous . Today was an eye opener though , three different beers together all different to each other . 

[Captain 3 Droids]

On 02/01/2020 at 10:29 PM, Barrelboy said:

Agree with a lot of the recipes having a similar “profile” but there being a difference. If you look at the ingredients for particular recipes some are not much different at all other than the hops and/or the yeast. But hops and yeast do do there bit in flavour development. 

A good example of yeast and hops influence to a same recipe base is Bohemian Lager & Coopers Sparkling Ale. Both have a base of E1, 2 x E2, 2 x X1. However  the lager has a hop addition and uses Y7, a lager yeast whilst the Sparkling Ale has no hop additions and uses Y2, an ale yeast.

[Captain 3 Droids]

Obviously BrewArt would not like people going down the stainless steel keg path however like me my keg setup was well up and running before Beerdroid or Beerflo and the associated keg system were on the market.

However sales of the Beerdroid should be promoted for people with such kegs.(and IKegger for one do that). I have said before I would go the Beerflo system if available when I started brewing or changed from bottling. A stainless steel keg system is not cheap, there are the kegs, co2 bottles, dedicated fridge(s), taps, beer lines, co2 lines, storage and a heap of odds and sods.

So if your already kegged up and going the droid way (smart move) then questions ect can be done here.

Cheers Mark

[Don Bacon]

Hi i have been kegging into 9.5 and 19 l corny kegs i have 3 droids going. i normally keg and then put into fridge at 3or 4 degrees on gas at 10 psi, is this ok or should i be leaving them at 18 degrees first any thoughts would be appreciated.

[Captain 3 Droids]

53 minutes ago, Don Bacon said:

Hi i have been kegging into 9.5 and 19 l corny kegs i have 3 droids going. i normally keg and then put into fridge at 3or 4 degrees on gas at 10 psi, is this ok or should i be leaving them at 18 degrees first any thoughts would be appreciated.

Greetings Don. Nothing wrong with what your doing, I take it you are consuming them early so there would be too much maturing. I keg, leave at room temp for a couple of weeks then proceed to chill etc.

How have you found them when drinking, that is the main thing really?

Cheers