EmberAles

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Am new into home brewing and have already tried my hand at force carbonating two batches and both times the beer was a little under carbonated. I have read dozens and dozens of online resources and opinions on force carbonating and don't know which route to take. I am in no hurry so shaking the keg vigorously to do it overnight is out of the question because I've read enough about that method being unstable. A lot of people suggest hooking the gas line to the black output side of the keg and letting the gas bubble through. Others say hooking up the typical 14 psi and let it sit anywhere from 3 days to a week. Northern brewer who I buy from says on their DVD just put it at 25psi for three days in the fridge and done.

What is the simplest and most accurate method to use? I don't want to prime the keg with sugar I want to force carbonate it. I am willing to wait a week but no longer since my brewing is done every weekend so when I transfer from keg to bottle I'm ready for the next beer to go into the keg for carbonation.

djlee84

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hi mate, i too have had problem after problem with force carbing getting the right level, but mostly getting under carbed beer, having so many times explaining to my buddies "i like it under carbed" seemed simpliest to excuse it. so here is my input, i've beer using kegs for about a year so please dont others judge, this works for me so im also welcome to any other input thats given. i've found the trick is to get and keep the keg as cold as possible, if you dont get it as cold forget about getting the right level. i live in norway so i just leave the can outside during winter, i only have to hook it up at 2 psi for a week then its perfect. i bought a keezer now for the summer month. at 4degrees, 1 to 2 weeks at 10-14 does the job perfect, it doesnt seem to be a science more than tweeking, so after 10 days give it a try, and up the pressure if neceesery.i always always connect through the out stem, so the co2 can travel through the beer. i hate using high psi to force carb as it always results in too much foam. BUT COLD IS KEY, get that can as cold and keep it like that for the whole time.

kal

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The simplest and most accurate way is to set your regular(s) to the pressure you want your beer to be at (say 8-12 PSI) and simply hook it up to a chilled keg and wait. If the pressure's at 10 PSI, the beer after about 2 weeks will have that much C02 in solution. No more.

That's what I do.

Now you say you can't wait more than a week. Be aware that most beers get better (less "green") over time. Whiile some beers like Hefeweizen's are meant to be drunk young, a good month of cold conditioning does a lot to round out the flavours in beer.

So I hook up the gas and don't touch it for 2 weeks. Even then I don't usually touch it as I have multiple kegs available. By the time I go and tap a keg it's usually been at serving temperature and under C02 pressure for a month or two (or longer).

Kal

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luke2080

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That would not be the most accurate way. Simple, just not accurate.

To the OP - read Bobby's thread on this, all of your questions are answered here. I know mine sure were.
http://www.homebrewtalk.com/f35/keg-force-carbing-methods-illustrated-73328/

You need to know how carbonated you want you beer, which depends on the style. More carbonated for a hefe, less so for an ale, etc. There are plenty of charts showing this. Then you need to know at what temperature is the beer that you are carbing.

An example - I'm carbing a Hefe right now. I want it set at 2.8 volumes (I won't pretend to know what that is, others can describe it, but 2.8 to 3 volumes of c02 in the hefe is right for the style) My beer is in my keezer at 45 degrees. Since that is sort of warmer, I need to use more PSI - the new Beersmith has this calculator, so that puts me at 18.5.

From what you are saying, you can set it and forget it. So set it for 2-3 weeks. At 2 weeks, its probably 90% carbed. I usually start drinking at 2 weeks, and after the first few beers and rounding into week 3, I've got some good looking beer. Leave it at that pressure while you serv, just have proper length beer lines.

Again - Bobby's thread, the link that I posted, is a good explanation.

kal

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My method is the set and forget method. I don't understand why that is not accurate. You set the pressure and leave it.

The laws of nature/physics guarantee that whatever pressure you set the regular at will result in that level of carbonation in the beer over time as the two systems (regulator/tank & keg) come to equalibrium. It's impossible to overshoot. It's impossible to undershoot assuming give it enough time.

Both under and over shooting are possible with force carb'ing.

Kal

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blackbear219

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I don't understand how set-and-forget would be "not accurate" either. I would argue that it is the MOST accurate method, but also the slowest.

I've honed in my boost carbing method pretty well at this point, I think. I set to 30 psi for about 36 hours. I find 24 hours to not be quite enough, and 48 hours to be a little too much and I start to taste a little bite.

After 36 hours, I set it back to 10-12 psi serving pressure and that's where it stays until the keg is done. The 36 hour boost carb gets it to an acceptably tasty level of carbonation. I'll steal a few pints at this point, but try to lay off until it is fully carbed which is about another 3-5 days.

When I first started kegging, everyone told me how you could "drink you beer right away" but I want nothing to do with shaking my kegs, that's just a personal decision of mine. So I was disappointed to find that the "set-and-forget at serving pressure" method basically takes just as long as carbing with sugar...2-3 weeks. I knew there had to be a faster way, which led me to experiment in this manner and the above method is the result and what works best for me.

I can get drinkable beer with carb within 36 hours of putting it in the keezer without ever running the risk of overcarbing. I am happy with that.

phelics

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I go by the recommendation in BeerSmith. My fridge is set to 34 degrees so it usually recommends 12-13 psi. I set it at 12.5 and leave it. My beer is hooked up for 2 weeks and it's perfect. Never overcarbed.

Try not to complicate it. There are complicated formulas calculating beer lines, temp, wether the co2 is cold or not, etc. Just go with what works and enjoy the fruits of your labor. You should have a couple of kegs on standby and let the beer age. They are not that expensive.

Everyone has their preferences, but I personally don't like shaking my keg. It does carbonate quicker but it also leaves that metallic taste of co2 that takes a few days to go away.

Patience is key. When I first started brewing I wanted to drink my beer right out of the brew kettle. It's worth the wait.

kal

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+1

One of the other reasons why I like the set and forget method is that if you wait at least 2 weeks, the beer is much better. Wait 1-2 months and it's better still. Most times when I tap a keg it's already been sitting under C02 pressure and chilled for 2+ months so it's fantastic.

They say some beers (like wheat beers) should be drunk when young but even those I find are better after a month or two of conditioning at serving temp.

Kal

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