Fast Force Carbing

I usually hit a newly filled keg with 30psi overnight, then set it at 12psi for about 10 days. This gives good results.

I need to speed that up a bit for this weekend. I kegged 10 gallons of wheat last night (5 of Hefe and 5 of cherry). I have them at 30psi and need them drinkable by Saturday.

Since they are wheats, they need to be good and fizzy, but not overcarbed. How soon should I drop the pressure?

If I'm in a hurry, and they are already at cooler temperature, I'll set for 30 PSI and rock them back and forth like a teeter-totter for a while. Then put them back in the cooler at serving pressure for a bit and test. You can repeat that until you get close, but just short of carbed. Then let them go at serving pressure for the last bit.

If you're careful, and creep up to proper carbonation, you can get there in a few hours probably...

+1

I did this just yesterday with a pale ale. I kegged it on Saturday night and let it cold crash on Sunday with only a layer of CO2 and no coupling head on it. Yesterday I drew off half a pint to clear it a bit and then set the psi to about 25 and did the teeter totter thing about every 10-15 minutes or so for an hour or so (you can see how carefully I took notes. LOL ). That all started about 1:30. I then let it sit for the rest of the afternoon at 10 psi.

When I drew a couple of pints last night they started a bit too foamy but the beer was carbed and quite drinkable.

I don't normally do this, I'm much more a set and forget person but I blew a keg on Saturday night and wanted some homebrew on tap for a gathering of homebrewers this evening at my place. It seemed to work fine so I may do it again if I'm in a hurry. The only thing I don't like about it is the fact that I have to pay attention to it! I would much rather just have the keg sit there and carb on it's own. YMMV

I purged and sampled both kegs last night. After two days at 30psi, they are fairly well carbed. SWMBO thinks they are fine, but I want more fizz. I dropped them to 20psi. If they are carbed tonight, I will just drop them to 12psi and be done with it.

The cherry needs more cherry extract, though. Can't even detect it now.

You could always buy a carbonation stone, that will carb your beer up anywhere from a couple hours to 24 depending on your pressure. I have heard of people using a carb stone and getting it carbonated in 1 hour.

COLD keg
30 PSI
Lay it on the floor with the gas line down
Roll it with your feet (shoes are recommended..........its COLD!)

4 minutes for English beers
5 minutes for most anything else
6 minutes for German Wheats and Belgian beers

I start with the keg cold, hit it at 30psi for ~24hrs. After that i bleed, adjust to 12-14psi and shake that about 3-4 time during the day, about 3min each time. Let it sit overnight and it's good to go. Nice thing about this is there's no chance of overcarbonating when you shaking at the desired psi (based on temp/desired CO2 volume)