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I just wanted to know how the Brewnosers prepare their beer for kegging.

Typically, I let my beer sit for a few days on the yeast after it finishes fermenting, then I turn the fridge on for a few days (to get the beer down to about 32-34 °F). I then rack it to the keg and put the CO2 on it.

What do you do ? Are there any disadvantages to crash cooling ?

Your doing more then me. I usually forget about it or get busy and leave it in the carboy a week or two longer then planned. When I do get around to kegging, I put it in a part of my place that is not insulated overnight, so it crashes to whatever the room gets too (This morning it was 5C).

Cheers,

I have crashed but that requires more planning than I usually have time for.

Sandy

This.

I usually crash for a minimum of 2 days sometimes up to a week depending on my schedule. Around 5 deg c

I'm super lazy...

Leave it in an air-locked primary usually for 2-4 weeks depending on if I have time and/or remember that I've got stuff fermenting. Rack it into a keg, purge and pressurize the keg and let it sit in my basement until such time that I have a spare tap (0-12 months). Then I enjoy.

Fishdisease wrote:I'm super lazy...

Leave it in an air-locked primary usually for 2-4 weeks depending on if I have time and/or remember that I've got stuff fermenting. Rack it into a keg, purge and pressurize the keg and let it sit in my basement until such time that I have a spare tap (0-12 months). Then I enjoy.

That's pretty much what I do as well. Once kegged, I do cold condition them in my fermentation fridge (or in my garage now that it's colder).

I will generally transfer from the carboy to a keg with a cask widge installed (it floats so pulls the beer from the top to bottom), dry hop in there (if dry hopping), add some gelatin that's been dissolved in a bit of boiling water, crash cool over night and transfer off. It's a bit of effort, but I think it's worth it.

i syphon from my primary to a keg. that's it.

in one instance, i sucked up too much trub and my diptube clogged, so i had to syphon into another keg. that was a pain, so i am more careful not to pick up much trub now.

i generally am not concerned in the least about the clarity of the final product (generally, they are hazy)

Great input everyone...

My main concern with crash cooling was oxygen intake through the air lock.

The more I think about it, the less I think this a real concern, as I don't think the slight vacuum in the carboy is going to overcome the airlock head pressure.

oh it can, but I make sure the beer is done and use my carboy nipple plugs.

Yes - I've had it happen. I was using a blowoff tube and it picked it up from the bucket of starsan that the tube was submerged in. It actually sucked about 2 cups into my fermenter. Lesson learned and I started using buckets with the lids snapped on to ferment.