[redrocker652002]

It's in the keg and in the fridge.  We will see.  The hops ended up floating to the top so I guess I overreacted.  Smelled very citrusy, so I hope that is good.  It was a very hazy liquid, but I am going to go with it.  It was fun to try, and I will do it again if it turns out ok.  I tried to attach some photo's but I could not get it to work.  Anyway, thanks to all who helped.  I really appreciate it.  Next, the taste in a day or two. 

[BrewBama]

If it is hazy, and that bothers you, drink it from a stoneware stein.



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[redrocker652002]

Doesn't bother me at all.  It smells Lemony, not sure if that is good or not.  LOL.  For force carbination, tomorrow when the keg is cold, I am going to connect the CO2 line, set the pressure at about 30 to 35 psi and rock the keg back and forth.  Anybody done this and can tell me if I am on the right track?  I saw it on youtube, so I am going to give it a try. 

[BrewBama]

The quick carb ‘set it high and shake it’ technique does work but it is difficult to know when to stop and therefore you can easily over carb your beer. I have found that a cpl weeks under lower pressure works best for me.



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[redrocker652002]

When you say low pressure, what are you looking at?  Northern Brew has a video where they pressure it at about 25psi, and it takes a day or two.  Do you think, as a newbie, it would be better to do it that way? 

[tommymorris]

IMHO, patience (set to 12 PSI and wait) is better than rocking the keg. Even if you carb the beer perfectly (not at all guaranteed), the beer will not be properly conditioned. Conditioning allows yeast to flocculate, beer to clear, and I think perhaps more (chemical reactions?). I always find peak flavor occurs 2-4 weeks after packaging depending on the style and recipe. Set it and forget it carbonation takes less time than proper conditioning,  so, nothing is gained by rushing carbonation.

[redrocker652002]

Awesome.  Thank you for that.  I am going to do what I did the last keg, check it in about 2 days and then adjust as needed.  I might have to get another keg so I have one ready at the helm.  LOL.  Noting the times and dates on this one, so I get an idea of what I am doing time wise.  Thanks to all for the input.  I appreciate it. 

[RC]

When you say low pressure, what are you looking at?  Northern Brew has a video where they pressure it at about 25psi, and it takes a day or two.  Do you think, as a newbie, it would be better to do it that way?

I fill my sealed, purged kegs until they overflow the PRV, that way I know it's a full 5 gallons. Then I bleed just enough beer to get the level below the gas-in dip tube. After cold crashing, I put the keg on 40 psi for 24 hrs. This gets me to ~2.3 vols CO2 without fail. Then I put the beer on the carb-chart pressure needed to inch it up to 2.5 vols. Doing it this way makes the beer drinkable (and enjoyable!) 24 hrs after carbing. No rocking/shaking of the keg needed. Works like a charm every time.

I adjust the psi as needed depending on desired carb level or fill level in the keg. It's a linear thing; if I only keg 4 gal, then I use 32 psi (80% of 40). If I want 2 vol instead of 2.5, I just ratios to calculate the psi.

If you go this route, it would be useful to be conservative the first time or two. 30-35 psi is a good target to start with.

Patience works also but is not required. It does not yield a better or smoother type of carbonation (carbonation is carbonation and it is a common misconception that the CO2 bubbles are different depending on how you carbonate). Nothing is lost by rushing carbonation, and the gain is that you can be drinking any beer 24 hrs after carbing it.

[BrewBama]

When you say low pressure, what are you looking at?  Northern Brew has a video where they pressure it at about 25psi, and it takes a day or two.  Do you think, as a newbie, it would be better to do it that way?

I usually set mine ~10-11 psi and wait.



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[redrocker652002]

OK.  so I could not wait, so I poured a glass.  It was a bit darker than I thought, but the aroma was good.  Taste was a bit on the bitter side, so I am wondering if I leave it be for a week or so if it will lose some of that.  The darker I am going to attribute to the mess up in the grains at boil, so that I am at fault for.  Gonna let it be in the kegerator under 10psi of CO2 and wait a week or so an see what happens.  It is pretty good though, all in all. 

[dmtaylor]

Gravity reading currently at 1.040.  I am thinking of adding the hops now, what do you guys say?  Let them sit in the fermentor for about a week and then transfer to my keg and carb and cool.

You're measuring with a refractometer, right?  If so, FG as measured with a hydrometer would have been closer to about 1.018.  Alcohol messes with a refractometer reading, but there are conversion calculators online such as the one at brewersfriend.com/refractometer-calculator/ .

The dark color comes from the additional crystal malts, and the concentrated ~3 gallon boil.

The high bitterness is mostly just because it's a little young yet, this should mellow out in a couple more weeks (if it lasts that long).

Glad it turned out pretty good, sounds like.  Cheers.   

[redrocker652002]

Gravity reading currently at 1.040.  I am thinking of adding the hops now, what do you guys say?  Let them sit in the fermentor for about a week and then transfer to my keg and carb and cool.

You're measuring with a refractometer, right?  If so, FG as measured with a hydrometer would have been closer to about 1.018.  Alcohol messes with a refractometer reading, but there are conversion calculators online such as the one at brewersfriend.com/refractometer-calculator/ .

The dark color comes from the additional crystal malts, and the concentrated ~3 gallon boil.

The high bitterness is mostly just because it's a little young yet, this should mellow out in a couple more weeks (if it lasts that long).

Glad it turned out pretty good, sounds like.  Cheers.   

From what I have been reading, that is exactly what I thought.  I go back to work tonight so the next glass won't come out until thursday or friday.  I have to deal with the dip tube clogging though, so I am thinking of ordering a floating dip tube.  They are about 20 bucks and to me would be a pretty good investment.  Other than that, I think next time I am going to go with pellet hops and pay more attention to what I am doing  LOL.  The grain part messed me up a bit I think and that is why it is a bit darker, but smells a lot like Blind Pig to me.  Either way, I think once it mellows it will be a great beer.  Thank you for all your help.  RR

[redrocker652002]

Update:  Pickup tube kept clogging, so I am trying one of those floating tube things.  20 bucks and what the heck.  Got the filter too, why not.  LOL.  First thing I notice, what a pain in the butt to get on.  You have to try and squeeze the tubing onto the pickup tube while it is in the keg.  Not fun with a keg full of beer.  Once I got that worked out, it wasn't too bad.  Gonna let the dust settle as I am sure I disturbed the stuff on the bottom.  Another thing I noticed is the filter is not sitting fully in the beer, it is also floating on the top.  My hope is once I pour a glass or two, it will fill up the filter and fully submerse it.  But we shall see. 

Thanks to all who commented.  I am still learning, but it has been fun so far. 

Another question to ask though, if this doesn't work, can I take my carbed beer and put it into bottles and seal them for later consumption?  Or is this opening a whole other can of worms, so to speak.  LOL 

[redrocker652002]

Quick review or thought on what I have.  It is not bad, actually pretty good.  I am looking for a bit more of a citrus style though, so what can I add to this to make it a bit more citrusy (is that a word?)  LOL.  But all in all, a good brew.  Thanks to all who commented.  I appreciate all the info  Next up, a side by side taste test with actual Racer 5.  But in all honesty, it tastes and smells alot more like Blind Pig.  LOL.   Be safe all.  RR

[redrocker652002]

Quick side by side blindfold comparison with Racer 5, results?  The homebrew was a tad stronger flavor wise, and when I say a tad, I mean a tad.  Both were good, and with a bit of tweaking I think this could very well be my go to beer.  Thank you all for input and thanks to DMTaylor for putting the recipe here for me to try.  I think I have something here that could work out pretty well.