Growlerwerks 1 gallon UKeg

1: Kegging your beer

• Dissolve half a sanitizer packet with a gallon of water in a container.
• Unscrew the cartridge seal (the long black cylinder) from the bottom of your regulator cap.
• Soak the ukeg along with all other equipment you’ll be using, including the CO2 cartridge. Unscrew the cartridge seal (the long black cylinder) from the bottom of your regulator cap and soak inside.
• Next you will siphon your beer into the ukeg. (It all happens pretty fast. You may want to practice on a pot of water a few times.) To see it in action first, watch the How to Bottle video at brooklynbrewshop.com/instructions.
  • Attach open tubing clamp to tubing.
  • Fill tubing with sanitizer.
  • Attach sanitized tubing to the short curved end of your sanitized racking cane. Attach the black tip to the other end - it will help prevent sediment from getting sucked up. It will probably be a snug fit, but you can get it on there.
  • Pinch tubing clamp closed.
  • Remove screw-cap stopper and place racking cane into jug, just above the sediment at the bottom (“trub”).
  • Lower end of tubing not connected to racking cane into sink. Suction will force beer up and through the racking cane and tubing. Open tubing clamp, let sanitizer flow into sink until beer just starts to flow out of the tubing, then clamp shut. Open clamp on tubing, allowing beer to flow into UKeg. Tilt jug when beer level is getting low, but be careful in not sucking up the trub.
  • Fill your uKeg to the fill line at the bottom of the neck. You want at least 4 inches of space between the beer and the top of the uKeg. 

2: Carbonating your beer

• Place your CO2 cartridge in the cartridge seal so that the tapered side points up.
• Make sure the dial on your regulator cap is turned down all the way before screwing the cartridge seal on to the bottom of the cap. You will hear a slight hiss as the CO2 cartridge is opened by the regulator cap.
• Make sure the tap is closed and tap lock is in the lock position.
• Screw your regulator cap on to the uKeg. Turn the dial on the regulator until you hear a hiss of CO2 gas then turn it off.  Unscrew the regulator cap to release pressure.  Repeat this step 3 times.  This is purging your headspace and makes sure CO2 pushes out any oxygen in your uKeg.
• Turn your regulator dial up to 15 psi and Keep the uKeg refrigerated. Agitate the keg by tilting it on its side or upside down 2-3 times a day.  Don’t shake the uKeg.  This could cause beer to seep into the regulator cap.

3: Serving your beer

• After 2 days your beer should be carbonated and ready to drink. You’ll have used all the CO2 in the cartridge carbonating your beer, so you’ll have to replace the cartridge before pouring.  Be sure to have sanitizer handy to sanitize your hands, the regulator cap and new CO2 cartridge.
  • Turn the dial all the way to off and unscrew your regulator cap. Once the cap is off the uKeg turn the dial all the way up to allow any remaining CO2 to escape.
  • Unscrew the regulator cap from the cartridge seal. Sanitize both
  • Add CO2 cartridge to cartridge seal with the tapered side up.
  • Make sure the regulator dial is all the way off and reattach the cartridge seal.
• There will be plenty of CO2 still on top of your beer so you don’t need to purge the head of your uKeg again. Screw the regulator cap back on to the uKeg and turn the dial to 7-10 psi.
• You are now ready to enjoy your beer. Open your tap lock and pour away!