Kegging and carbing question

Im pretty sure you can but want to make sure, can you pressurize a keg and then disconnect it from the co2 tank. Im going to have 3 kegs ready for a party but only have 2 taps so want the 3rd ready to drink to switch out when one empties

Yes, but be aware of some things.

First off, if u pressurize to say 15 psi and then disconnect, even if your kegs dont leak much of the Co2 will absorb into the beer, causing the interior ambient pressure to drop. I would carb up at 12-15 psi initially, then check the next day. You will see the pressure has dropped. So to carb three kegs, i would fill each to 12-15psi, disconnect, then check each the next day. I would imagine you want to maintain around 8-10 psi, depending on your beer type and the length of your lines.

Ok now keep i mind that when the ptessure drops on your keg, it decreases the integrity of the seal ( higher psi means more pressure inside your keg, means more pressure on your lid/orings) so make sure you dont have leaks or let the psi drop too low, otherwise the pressure will drop enough to cause the remainder of your C02 to leak out= flat beer, possible beer leakage= no one happy! You also dont want to overcard...

I have carbed up, disconnected, transported my kegs, and reconnected without issues many times, so just find a method that works and you should be fine.

I have one keg sitting out of my kegerator that is currently carb'd. What I did was blast it with 30psi for a couple days, bleed that out, brought it up to 12psi (serving pressure), and I have been checking it every day and adding more C02 to account for what has been absorbed. The past couple days the bottle doesnt seem like it is adding any C02, so I would say it is good. Now that the beer is carb'd at serving pressure, I should be able to leave it pressurized at serving pressure without any more absorbing. All I need to do is throw it in, chill and serve. If you are thinking you might want to switch it out mid party, I would have it chilled already. Hopefully you have a place (or outside) where you can keep it cold.

Ok, thanks for the responses, didnt think about the absorbtion actually lowering the pressure, just thought it would disperse it into the beer, but good to know. And I have multiple options for cooling, right now I have a kegerator for two kegs, a mini fridge im using for lagering, but will be empty by then, and a 12 cu ft freezer for ferm chamber that might be usable.(depending on what I have brewing)

JoshuaW said:

I have one keg sitting out of my kegerator that is currently carb'd. What I did was blast it with 30psi for a couple days, bleed that out, brought it up to 12psi (serving pressure), and I have been checking it every day and adding more C02 to account for what has been absorbed.....

Click to expand...

How do you bleed the pressure out?