Tilldeath

Recipes 

How does carbonation progress in the keg? I put it on gas at 10 psi at about 38 f on Monday shoke it and set it away shoke the next day and let it sit sampled yesterday and today and I feel the carbonation is about the same. Is this normal?

__________________
“If we will disbelieve everything, because we cannot certainly know all things, we shall do much what as wisely as he who would not use his legs, but sit still and perish, because he had no wings to fly.”

Wildrebel

Recipes 

It usually takes my beer to carb up in about 2 to 3 weeks. I wouldn't shake the keg up. Just set it and forget it and you will be happy that you waited.

Montanaandy

Recipes 

I set and forget at 10 or 12 PSI and after 1 week it is drinkable but green but is best after 2 weeks or 3. Montananady

Tilldeath

Recipes 

Quick question but how many kegs do you usually get out of a 5 lb tank? I filled before I started this first one and am at half a tank. I did run oxy clean for about 3min through the lines and star San and water so in all I think that lowers it a bit, but is this typical?

__________________
“If we will disbelieve everything, because we cannot certainly know all things, we shall do much what as wisely as he who would not use his legs, but sit still and perish, because he had no wings to fly.”

shortyjacobs

Recipes 

6-8 kegs per 5 lb tank.

Don't trust the gauge that tells you how full it is. The gauge will read 900 PSI if the tank is at room temp for the entire life of the tank, then suddenly drop down to 0 almost instantly when you run out of gas. The gauge will read 400-500 PSI if the tank is in the fridge, (even if it's FULL), and will continue to read the same until moments before you run out of gas, at which point it will drop to 0. The ONLY way to tell how full a tank is is to weigh it.

As for carbonation, at 10-12 psi, yeah, it takes weeks. Shaking it at these pressures can speed up the process though, (and you run NO risk of overcarbing if you keep the pressure at 10-12 PSI). Increasing pressure to 20 or 30 PSI will carb faster, but you run the risk of overcarbing.

__________________
Itchy Dog Brewery.

(As of 10-24-2011)
Primary - Steppe 112 PA, 2x Monday RyePA
Aging - None :-(
On tap - Big Dog, Apfelwein, Steppe 112 PA

My invisible AG sculpture, with no actual sculpture and a tiny footprint.
My Kegerator goes offroading!
My Coors Home Draft dispenser for boating/beering on the go.

guinsu

Recipes 

Out of curiosity why are the gauges for CO2 tanks so bad? As a scuba diver I don't see why gauges should be so inaccurate.

bmbigda

Recipes 

The CO2 inside the tank is in liquid form. As the level of that liquid goes down, the void inside the tank is filled with CO2 gas. Thus, the pressure remains constant. Unless the temperature changes (Gas Law).

Bobby_M

Recipes 

Right, the gas in a scuba tank stays gas so the pressure drops in a linear fashion based on the volume removed. CO2 condenses at about 1000psi so it becomes liquid in the tank. The gauge will continue to read at its boiling point until the liquid is gone, then it acts like a scuba tank from there.

__________________
BrewHardware.com
Sightglass, Refractometer, Ball Valve, Weldless bulkhead, Thermometer, Decals, Stainless Steel Fittings, Compression Fittings, Camlock Quick Disconnects, Scale, RIMS tube, Plate Chiller, Chugger Pump, Super Clear Silicone Tubing, and more!

Personal Website, All Grain Primer, Keg Polishing, etc... | Youtube Channel