question about the rocking method of carbonation

I need to force carb a stout and have a question about the rocking method. Yesterday I cranked the pressure to 30 and shook the cold keg for about 90 seconds. I then dialed down the regulator pressure and tried to pour a beer. As I was pouring I noted the stout that was spewing from the regulator. So this involved pulling apart the air system, cleaning and reconnecting. So, short of getting a check valve (I am getting one, just don't have time right now) how do I keep this from happening?

Here is what I was thinking...

Pressure to 30psi and shake.
Remove gas line, turn regulator back to serving pressure.
let keg rest a few hours with the 30psi head.
bleed pressure from keg.
reconnect gas line to keg.

good?

Thanks,
-J

Yes, any time your keg pressure exceeds the pressure elsewhere in the system you run the risk without check valves. Setting to a lower pressure requires bleed pressure from keg.

is there a reason you can't force carb slowly? rapid fast carbing tends to give the beer a 'bite' for several days due to the excessive carbonic acid.

I set mine to 10-12psi for 5-7 days and its perfectly carb'd. 6' of tap line = no altering pressure to pour a beer.

malkore said:

is there a reason you can't force carb slowly? rapid fast carbing tends to give the beer a 'bite' for several days due to the excessive carbonic acid.

I set mine to 10-12psi for 5-7 days and its perfectly carb'd. 6' of tap line = no altering pressure to pour a beer.

Click to expand...

Yep, sure is... Under normal circumstances I would wait for a week at serving pressure, but I want to take some out of town for family this week. It's either no beer, flat beer or force carb beer.
-J

gotcha...just had to ask. some people only read the 'quick carbing' articles and don't realize there's a 5-day method of doing it too.

one trick I was told for fast carbing...lay the cold keg on its side and roll it. you get more surface area exposed to the CO2 that way.