Another New Kegger: Need Some Guidance

Hello Brewers! I got my kegging setup finally and just got my FRC 445GB fridge off craigslist. I have read many forums on carbing, and still need some guidance. I plan on doing a coffee stout for my first kegged brew! My questions are should I try the set it to 30 psi for a day and then drink it. Or should I set it to 12 psi that I have read many others do for a week and then drink it? Also when u set it to the 12 psi for a week is that more or less your serving pressure and u are just leaving it set for serving until fully carbed? Also is cold crashing a good idea to do first if u want to force carb your beer since it has to be cold anyways? I know this is sort of a mouth full of a post, but I would appreciate the input of all you fellow keggers. cheers!

All will work, and everybody carbs their beer a little different. Me, I have a beer out fitting on my Co2 reg and a 1 way valve. I carb (after my beer is COLD) from my beer out port from the bottom up and only use as much Co2 pressure as it takes to hear it bubbling in the keg, then I slowly turn it up as it carbs. I can Carb a beer this way in less than a day and its perfect (IMHO). But thats just me and what works for me. Find what works best for you, and go with it.

Cheers
Jay

Welcome to kegging. Aftrr you dial in your setup, you'll wonder what took you so long.

I set my psi to between 10-12 and let it force carb for 2+ weeks before trying.

Its best if you cold crash your beer before racking to the keg to minimize sediment. Also, it's said that cold beer carbonates better.

How long are your lines. Typically, the setups are sent with 5' lines. I found that I had excessive foaming troubles with that. I replaced them with 10' lines and haven't looked back.

There are so many ways to keg. lol. I believe my set up came with five foot of lines so I'm hoping that the foaming will not be a huge issue I guess time will tell with this one. Do you guys find that force carbing it at 30 for a day is not the best carbed beer? Also if I set it at 12 psi for the week will be carved enough to drink, or is 2 weeks ideal just as if you were bottling? Jaybird that sounds like a very good way to carb,sounds like I will have to know my system pretty well for that route. Thank u both for your help! cheers!

Congrats on getting going with kegging! I am finishing up my keezer build at the moment, and will be working my way through these issues shortly.

Not to hijack the thread, but I have a followup question: If I use the "set it and forget it" technique, for example leaving it on serving pressure for 1-2 weeks, do I need to turn off the co2 on my distributer for that keg once it's ready, or can/should I keep co2 pumping into it indefinitely?

Thanks!

Keep the co2 on from start to finish

dshay said:

There are so many ways to keg. lol. I believe my set up came with five foot of lines so I'm hoping that the foaming will not be a huge issue I guess time will tell with this one. Do you guys find that force carbing it at 30 for a day is not the best carbed beer? Also if I set it at 12 psi for the week will be carved enough to drink, or is 2 weeks ideal just as if you were bottling? Jaybird that sounds like a very good way to carb,sounds like I will have to know my system pretty well for that route. Thank u both for your help! cheers!

Click to expand...

30 psi for one day will NOT carb up your beer, but it will give you a good headstart. There are two really easy ways to do this. One is to set your beer at 30 psi for 36 hours (while you first put it in the kegerator), and then purge it and reset for 10-12 psi. Keep it there, and the beer will be carbed up the next day. It will be good enough to drink, but will improve in carbonation and mouthfeel for another week or so.

jer084 said:

the moment, and will be working my way through these issues shortly.

Not to hijack the thread, but I have a followup question: If I use the "set it and forget it" technique, for example leaving it on serving pressure for 1-2 weeks, do I need to turn off the co2 on my distributer for that keg once it's ready, or can/should I keep co2 pumping into it indefinitely?

Thanks!

Click to expand...

Keep the co2 on. You can turn if off, like if you're going out of down and are worried about a leak from an opened tap, but for the most part just leave it on all the time.