Frankfurtvr4
Well-Known Member
My kegs are due to arrive this afternoon according to UPS. I have my hoses, regulator and CO2 standing by. Any tips or advice on these first two kegs? One is an Amber Ale the other is a Porter.
Hit em with at least 30lbs to seal good. I use a sprayer with soapy water to check for leaks. Some gasket lube is good to solve small leaks. Reduce the pressure once they are sealed good. Set to serving pressure and forget works always. Force carbing is iffy but I do it sometimes.
I have a sidebar question about carbonating on- and off-line...does the rule of thumb of 2 days at 30, then reducing to 12 apply if the keg isn't hooked up to the gas? I have a dual-tap kegerator, with 2 active kegs on; if I want to have another keg on deck and ready to drink, will giving it 30 and then taking it off the gas require more than 2 days to get to drinking carb? I'm no scientist, but I imagine that when the gas goes into solution, the "head" pressure will decrease...true?
I'm fairly new to kegging too, with just two batches brewed, kegged and nearly gone (so can't be too bad). I think I went overkill on these first two; I both gave 'em 30 psi/rocked them for 15 min, AND left them at 30 for two days and reduced to 12 psi. They were pretty darned foamy; a gently-tilted pitcher would be 3/4 head, so took some patience to serve (and filling a growler was nearly impossible). I think for the next keg, I'll forego the rocking and just do two days at 30 and see how it comes out.
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