Carbonation problems

I am still experiencing carbonation problems and I feel like I have tried everything, so I wanted to see if anyone had anything else to try. Let me explain:

1st few times kegging I tried the high pressure shake and then bleed off method and my beer got over carbed, I let some co2 out, finally got it right and it worked after a few extra days of messing with it.

This time I decided I was going to do the 12 psi for 2 weeks trick and just wait patiently so that I didn't overcarb it. PUt 2 kegs on at 12 psi and sat and waited.

My 2 weeks is up and now these are overcarbed!

I can sit the beer out for about 5 minutes on the table and drink it and it tastes a lot better, but it pours with a big head and the over carbed taste/bubbles are still there.

Is there anything else to try? Has anyone ever carbed at like 6 psi and got the right carbonation?

I had a lot of trouble getting carb right too. I just (last week) forced carbed (rolled) my keg cold(about 40 degrees) @ 20 psi for 8 minutes then @ 30 PSI for 2 minutes and then let it sit @ 20 PSI(no rolling) for 5 minutes and then bled the extra pressure out. I then put the keg back outside(40 degrees) for a few hours and poured at 2-3 PSI. This is the best I've done at about for 5 kegs,hope it helps you out too. As may people say a cold keg is the best when force carbing.

What carb level are you wanting and what is the temp of your beer? Pressure means nothing without knowing the temp.

mttd1 said:

This time I decided I was going to do the 12 psi for 2 weeks trick and just wait patiently so that I didn't overcarb it. PUt 2 kegs on at 12 psi and sat and waited.

My 2 weeks is up and now these are overcarbed!

I can sit the beer out for about 5 minutes on the table and drink it and it tastes a lot better, but it pours with a big head and the over carbed taste/bubbles are still there.

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What temp was this at?

This beer is a brown ale that beersmith suggests 2.3 vols.

The temp of my fridge is about 45 degrees so my beer temp is between 45-50 degrees. By the chart its showing me 12 psi serving pressure?

Hmm, at that temp you should not be overcarbed. If it was just foaming I might say you're lines aren't balanced but sounds like you are saying there are also way too many bubbles rising in the beer and it has carbonic bite. How are you measuring keezer temp? Is it possible that reading is off or there are cold spots?

It has the bubbles and bite. The only thing I keep reading about it beer lines. What length of beer line do you use? What size? I keep reading 3/16 ID and 10 ft. is the correct length/size. I'm going to measure all of that next, but I think my lines are like 5 ft. instead of 10. Would that add that much of a carb. bite just off the lines alone?

Check this thread running right now where JuanMoore explains the issue quite nicely. I use 10 ft lines for my system at 42 degrees and 13 psi. The short lines would cause foaming from the CO2 being knocked out of solution - the beer has a big head but very few bubbles rising from the bottom of the glass. It shouldn't cause carb bite though.

mttd1 said:

It has the bubbles and bite. The only thing I keep reading about it beer lines. What length of beer line do you use? What size? I keep reading 3/16 ID and 10 ft. is the correct length/size. I'm going to measure all of that next, but I think my lines are like 5 ft. instead of 10. Would that add that much of a carb. bite just off the lines alone?

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Longer lines don't add any carbonation to the beer. Lines that are too short can cause the CO2 to come out of solution as it's poured, which causes excessive foaming. Since this actually causes a loss of carbonation, the resulting beer after the foam settles is usually kinda flat. It's extremely strange that you'd get excessive foaming and the beer after the foam settles would still be overcarbed. Are you sure it's overcarbed tasting after the foam settles?

FWIW 45-50° is really warm, and is going to make it very difficult to pour without a lot of foam. You'll need super long lines to pour foam free at those temps. If I were you I'd lower the temp a few degrees and also lower the pressure so that it still corresponds to your desired 2.3 vol.

I lower the temp of the keg to about 36 degrees F
then set the co2 at about 18 pounds
send it on in through the liquid side, go by qand shake the keg every 10 minutes for about 2 hours and then take off the co2, 2 days later I tap it with great results
been my method for over 17 years now

JuanMoore said:

Longer lines don't add any carbonation to the beer. Lines that are too short can cause the CO2 to come out of solution as it's poured, which causes excessive foaming. Since this actually causes a loss of carbonation, the resulting beer after the foam settles is usually kinda flat.

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I'm new to kegging and the first two kegs I've run are suffering from exactly what you describe. It was driving me crazy trying to figure out how/why I get this pour with a really nice head, but yet the beer tastes somewhat flat.

I know this is probably covered in another thread, but if I'm going to replace those short lines... can this be done with tubing I can get at Home Depot, or does it have to be some special food grade product?

Again... THANKS!

StLouBrew said:

I know this is probably covered in another thread, but if I'm going to replace those short lines... can this be done with tubing I can get at Home Depot, or does it have to be some special food grade product?

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I wouldn't recommend the line at Home Depot. It's thinner walled than beer line, and tends to impart an even stronger plastic flavor to the beer than the vinyl line sold for serving beer. The plastic flavor may or may not be something that you'll notice. If it is, you might consider a barrier line instead of vinyl, like bev-seal ultra tubing.

You've got a measurement issue somewhere. Either the fridge is colder than you think or the pressure is higher than you think. At 45 degrees and 12 psi, you are at the low range of "normal".

Of course, that is assuming you aren't just being crazy and hypercritical of your own brew. Do other people taste the same issue?

StLouBrew said:

I'm new to kegging and the first two kegs I've run are suffering from exactly what you describe. It was driving me crazy trying to figure out how/why I get this pour with a really nice head, but yet the beer tastes somewhat flat.

I know this is probably covered in another thread, but if I'm going to replace those short lines... can this be done with tubing I can get at Home Depot, or does it have to be some special food grade product?

Again... THANKS!

Click to expand...

You need 3/16" beverage line, about 12' of it if you want to keep your fridge at 45 degrees. Home depot line won't work, it has to be beverage line.