Keg serving pressure?

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Tilldeath

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Just wondering, if I use the set it and forget it method to carb, do I just serve it at the same psi?Also what are your thoughts about having the co2 tank and regulator inside the fridge vs outside??
 
Great, that's kinda what I thought but I had heard some people were against the regulator being in the fridge.
 
I had issues with the tank in the fridge as it shows lower pressure due to the cold shrinking the co2.
 
I moved my tank outside the brew fridge to make more room for kegs. Plus the tank PSI shows more true when at room temp. I installed a bulkhead through the side of the fridge to make it easier.I'm using the two weeks at serving pressure method for carbonating. Just need to dial in the fridge temp a bit more now.
 
I have my tank and regulator in the freezer with my kegs. No issues. You can dispense at whatever PSI you have on your kegs, but you have to pour carefully to avoid excess foam. Some people turn the pressure down and then bleed their tanks before serving; I've read that this can cause a loss of aroma.
 
find carbonation chart online, match with your fridge temperature setting, beer style, set & forget for 2 weeks then serve beer with same pressure, do not bleed or lower it or your beer will go flat eventually. If you get too much foam you will need longer beer line.
There is no such a thing as serving vs carbing pressure. There is just one pressure you need for your beer at all times
 
There is just one pressure you need for your beer at all times
^^^^^
This.

Volumes of CO2 is controlled by pressure and temperature. Use a carbonation chart and set for the style of beer you are serving.

Foaming is controlled by line diameter and length, not by bleeding the tank.

The high pressure gauge is no less accurate in or out of the fridge. It reads the pressure of liquid CO2 at a given temperature and is a constant.
 
What's the average temperature beer should be served at? I'm going to be kegging for the first time next week, using a basic American wheat. I do know that generally, darker beers should be served a little warmer.
 
What's the average temperature beer should be served at? I'm going to be kegging for the first time next week, using a basic American wheat. I do know that generally, darker beers should be served a little warmer.

My kegerator is set at 40 degrees. If I'm serving a beer that should be warmer, I just let it sit a few minutes before drinking. But I have a cream ale on tap now, and I think that beer is a great lawnmower beer and I like it cold!
 
^^^^^
This.

Volumes of CO2 is controlled by pressure and temperature. Use a carbonation chart and set for the style of beer you are serving.

Foaming is controlled by line diameter and length, not by bleeding the tank.

The high pressure gauge is no less accurate in or out of the fridge. It reads the pressure of liquid CO2 at a given temperature and is a constant.

I've actually seen a high pressure gauge read 300PSI lower when inside the fridge, compared with outside. Same exact tank, same fillup, etc. This was on a 5# tank, if that makes any difference. I can't fit that tank in my fridge without losing a keg space. Plus I now have a 20# tank that would make me lose two kegs, if I put it inside. IMO it's easier to keep it outside. Plus I can quickly read the gauges with it outside the fridge.

for temperature to keep the keg/brew at... Someplace in the range of 36-45F seems to be more common. I wouldn't keep the kegs any warmer than 45F or any cooler than about 36F. My current target is 40-42F, depending on the brew.
 
My kegerator is set at 40 degrees. If I'm serving a beer that should be warmer, I just let it sit a few minutes before drinking. But I have a cream ale on tap now, and I think that beer is a great lawnmower beer and I like it cold!

Thanks Yooper and Golddiggie!
 
I've actually seen a high pressure gauge read 300PSI lower when inside the fridge, compared with outside. Same exact tank, same fillup, etc. This was on a 5# tank, if that makes any difference. I can't fit that tank in my fridge without losing a keg space. Plus I now have a 20# tank that would make me lose two kegs, if I put it inside. IMO it's easier to keep it outside. Plus I can quickly read the gauges with it outside

This happens because with heat pressure rises. Volume is the same, just at a different pressure.
 
This happens because with heat pressure rises. Volume is the same, just at a different pressure.

So cold makes it look smaller. :eek: I know the amount in the tank remains the same, just the amount of pressure is reduced.

The gauge will READ lower when the tank is cold/chilled. Never said it had less gas in it. For me, it's easier to have the tank outside the fridge for multiple reasons.
 
Plus the tank PSI shows more true when at room temp.
The gauge will READ lower when the tank is cold/chilled. Never said it had less gas in it.
Sorry. By "more true", I thought you meant the guage is more accurate at telling you the amount of CO2 left when the tank is outside the fridge. Or that the PSI reading was more accurate when outside.
 
I have heard that regulators can have decreased lifespan from condensation, potentially, so keeping them outside the fridge might make them last longer.

I keep my beer fridge closer to 50F. I like it a bit warmer -- I enjoy malt and aroma, plus I don't drink a lot of light-colored beers. If I do have bottles of IPA, I put them in the regular fridge so they are bit cooler. :)
 
I set my fridge to 44 and keep my ale CO2 regulator at 8 or 9 constantly. I brew dark, malty beers, so I'm aiming for as close to 2 volumes as I can get. Psi under 6 stops working for me.
 
I keep my beer fridge at 39ºF. I like my Tripel at 19 psi, so that's where my regulator is, and I just give my lower-carbonated kegs a blast whenever they need it.

If I didn't have a Belgian or Hefeweizen on, it'd be closer to 10-12 psi.
 
I had issues with the tank in the fridge as it shows lower pressure due to the cold shrinking the co2.

Late post, but for anyone else wondering about this, you should have more than enough pressure to carbonate and serve your beer even if the tank is in the fridge. If you didn't, something else is probably wrong such as the tank is empty.
 
i vote tank inside the fridge (if you have the extra space). i only say that because then you don't have to look at the tank. out of sight, out of mind.

...and pressure is pressure. if your regulator is showing a lower pressure because it is cold then that is because the pressure is actually lower. you just need to turn the gauge up a little to compensate.
 
I like having mine outside the fridge. Not because the pressure reads lower when inside but for a couple of other reasons. One is I want the room for another keg of home brew. :rockin: Another is since I have a dual body regulator, I can serve two different pressure sets to kegs in the fridge. Another is that I can more easily adjust the pressure going to each manifold when the tank (and regulator) is outside the fridge.

I have two bulkheads feeding two manifolds inside my brew fridge. Works really well this way.

Where you place the CO2 tank really is up to you. There is no right or wrong place to put it, as long as its safe, secure, and you keep an eye on how much gas it has in it. Since it can be difficult to know when it will actually be empty, have a spare, or another, CO2 tank (or several) on hand to swap over to while you get that one filled.
 
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