Help - my first keg hasn't carbonated!

I've brewed for a long time, but just kegged for the first time. My keg has been on CO2 for seven days now - it foams nicely, but doesn't taste carbonated much at all. I've had it at 13 psi since it went in - about 36 degrees, though the temp has been fluctuating a lot as I'm having trouble getting my new fridge set just right.

Am I doing something wrong? Should it take this long?

Thanks

Lane said:

I've brewed for a long time, but just kegged for the first time. My keg has been on CO2 for seven days now - it foams nicely, but doesn't taste carbonated much at all. I've had it at 13 psi since it went in - about 36 degrees, though the temp has been fluctuating a lot as I'm having trouble getting my new fridge set just right.

Am I doing something wrong? Should it take this long?

Thanks

Click to expand...

Nope, all is OK. If the keg is just sitting still, it will take about 2 weeks. You can take it out and give it a good shaking, as you do, listen to the regulator, you'll hear gas going into the keg. you can cut the time down to about a week doing so periodicly. Just be careful not to get beer into your gas line. Cheers

Everyone has their own little technique when it comes to kegging and carbonating. Personally, I usually have a surplus of beer, so, when I keg, I hook it up to the CO2, put it at 35 psi, shake a little, then disconnect, and set it aside. By the time I'm ready to put it on tap, its already about 1/2 there. I then let it sit at 10 psi for a week, and its good to go.

Again, this is just my little technique-- you'll have to figure out what works for you. I wouldn't worry though-- just wait awhile longer-- it'll carbonate unless you have a leak, in which case your CO2 will empty.

You're using the set-forget method and that requires a good 2 full weeks.

For your current keg, here's something that will move things along:

Shut off the gas.
Release the keg pressure and remove the lid.
Take a sanitized paddle and dip it into the beer...giving it about 4-5 gentle stirs while moving the paddle up and down. The idea is to mix the more highly carbonated beer at the top fo the keg with the bottom of the keg.

For future kegs:

Set the PSI at 30 and let sit for 48-60 hours. Then reduce to 12-13 PSI and let sit another 3-4 days. No shaking necessary. That's the method I employ now.

BierMuncher said:

For future kegs:

Set the PSI at 30 and let sit for 48-60 hours. Then reduce to 12-13 PSI and let sit another 3-4 days. No shaking necessary. That's the method I employ now.

Click to expand...

I used this method on my first two kegged batches and had nicely carbed brew in three days. I second the technique. :rockin:

If it is foaming, you may need a longer beer line. I use 10-12 feet of 3/16".

BierMuncher said:

You're using the set-forget method and that requires a good 2 full weeks.

For your current keg, here's something that will move things along:

Shut off the gas.
Release the keg pressure and remove the lid.
Take a sanitized paddle and dip it into the beer...giving it about 4-5 gentle stirs while moving the paddle up and down. The idea is to mix the more highly carbonated beer at the top fo the keg with the bottom of the keg.

For future kegs:

Set the PSI at 30 and let sit for 48-60 hours. Then reduce to 12-13 PSI and let sit another 3-4 days. No shaking necessary. That's the method I employ now.

Click to expand...

I use the exact same method, works like a charm.

OK, maybe I don't have good keg procedures and I'M just SAYING.....that carbonation is not going to be the same as bottle carbonation. There is a taste difference. Others will disagree and maybe my technique is off somewhere, but I've tried all kinds of methods and the end result is the same, there is a difference between bottled and keg brews.

Ok, maybe kegged beer tastes different but that's not the OP's question.

Yup, I've found that the set and forget does take a while. I haven't cared about waiting 2 weeks in the past because I was putting green beer into the kegger. Now that I brew 10 gallons whereby the second keg is well aged by the time it's going into the kegerator, I want to carb as fast as possible. Chill the keg to 35F overnight. Put the gas on it at 20psi until it stops hissing. Disconnect, slosh it upside down and right side up a couple times, connect to gas again. Repeat this until it no longer takes more gas. Leave it overnight now disconnected. Next day, pull the pressure realease until it's empty, turn your pressure to 10-12psi, and attach gas. Now you should be pretty close to your desired carbonation, if not in a couple days.