Carbonating my keg

So I keg my beers and over the last 8 months that I have been doing this, I get carbonation. It turns out tasty. I really enjoy them and drink them down. I think however, that I am currently drinking all of my beers around 2vols. I say I think because I have no way of testing, and because they all are very creamy and not really sparkling. Sure, I have bubbles. Sure, there is head formation. Yeah, it is carbed.

My typical process though is this. Beer into keg -> Keg at 30psi @ room temp -> Shake keg or leave for two days -> Place keg into fridge, remove CO2 which is outside fridge and can't go inside yet (need to drill a hole in fridge)-> drop the psi to 10-15psi and when the beer pours slowly from the tap, hit it with the CO2.

Currently I don't have the ability to carb in the fridge, so this works and I am just fine with it really. I do however want to have a lighter crisp beer at 3.5-4vols and don't think that this method will allow me the ability to acheive this goal. So now I am thinking of bottle conditioning 5gals of it and kegging the other 5, but this also makes a problem because for the two cases of bottles will run me about $75. Guess I could grab a couple of cases of american sparkling wine for less, but I don't know.

Point is, does anyone else have a similar keg setup that I do and what do you do?

I did that when I first lost my CO2 and was afraid of it happening again. Works ok. Eventually the loss in pressure will lead to the beer going somewhat flat, especially when the headspace is minimal. If you don't mind it, I would keep doing until the bottle can go in there.

I actually only have one gas line for two kegs, so one of my kegs is set up that way. One day I will get a manifold for the gas supply.

Why can't you just put the CO2 tank into the fridge without drilling holes at this point?

Also chilling the keg first will help with the carb process.

Not enough room for the keg and bottle. I could put only those two into the fridge and nothing else, but that isn't much of an option.

I keep telling myself that I will do up a hole in the side of the fridge and one in the door. Then I can have gas in from the side and a tap out the front. Only problem that I have heard of is that there may be a problem drilling the side. The door is just insulation so no worries there.

have you tried looking online for a schematic of your fridge? You might be able to determine where the lines are and thus avoid them.

I don't think you're ever going to get 3-4vols by carbing at room temp. At least, not at 30psi.. You'd almost be better off chilling the keg in a tub of ice outside the fridge while you carb to get the higher vols of CO2, then move it in the fridge and dispense like you're doing now.

.. of course, the easier option would be to drill the holes and carb the keg while it's in the fridge

I am totally thinking of firing up the drill sooner rather than later. I have wanted to put the gas in there for a while.

I'm in the same boat. My bottle will fit in there, but when I get my 2.5 gallon keg set up, the gas will be coming out. Lucky for me, I think the cooling coils are only in the back.

Regulator Operating Instructions for Draft Beer Systems

You can test...but I'd keep with trail and error to find the level of carbonation that you like. And keep the $196 in your pocket for other homebrew supplies...

You're off the .XLS spread sheet that I have for carbonation. The highest temp that it shows is 70 degrees...and 30 psi would give you about 2.2 vols. If you're like me...your house is set for more than 70 degrees in the summer.

I'd take a nail and just poke a small hole in the fridge liner (plastic inside)...careful not too deep. Then with a peice of coathanger or something...fish around in the foam to make sure you don't hit anything hard before you get to the steel cabinet outer.

That little explorative survey will make sure you don't drill into a freon line.

I'd definately drill the hole...just cautiously.