Sanity check for a new kegger.

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dummkauf

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Just kegged up 2 batched O' beer for the first time tonight, and I think I know what I was doing, but just want to double check.

Kegging procedule went as follows:
1.) Clean kegs
2.) Sanitize kegs
3.) Ran sanitizer through clean beer lines/taps.
4.) Poured sanitizer out of kegs
5.) Racked beers into the kegs and sealed them up.
6.) Looked up pressure setting on table for desired volumes at my fridge temp and set the pressure appropriately
7.) Hooked up CO2 tank to kegs and pulled the little valve thingie a couple times to purge the air out of the head space.
8.) Left the CO2 tank hooked up to kegs with the pressure on.
9.) Closed the fridge and am now trying to patiently wait for my beer to carb up :(

I am supposed to leave the CO2 on right??? eg: I'm not supposed to pressurize and then disconnect.

Can starsan go bad in my beer lines in 2 weeks? The starsan got trapped between the tap and the ball valve thingie, and it's not going anywhere, but rather than draining it out, I figured it wouldn't hurt to leave it, and the beer should push it out anyway(first glass or 2 is the deggs right?? which means the first 1-2 glasses will be going down the drain??) Or should I drain the lines?

Thanks in advance!
 
I just kegged a batch today...Either way you want the beer to be cold before force carbing(I leave my Co2 On) when its nice and cold I set it to 30psi and shake for 30 seconds, Release pressure and turn down to desired pouring pressure and test...If it needs more I'll shake it if not then let it be...If its a little under carbed let it sit for a couple days with the Co2 on, rather than over carbing. Its a PITA to uncarb if you over do it.

And I leave my starsan in my beer lines until the first poor.
 
GillandCo said:
I just kegged a batch today...Either way you want the beer to be cold before force carbing(I leave my Co2 On) when its nice and cold I set it to 30psi and shake for 30 seconds, Release pressure and turn down to desired pouring pressure and test...If it needs more I'll shake it if not then let it be...If its a little under carbed let it sit for a couple days with the Co2 on, rather than over carbing. Its a PITA to uncarb if you over do it.

And I leave my starsan in my beer lines until the first poor.
Click to expand...

30PSI seems like overkill according to this: http://www.kegerators.com/carbonation-table.php

Looking at this thread: https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f35/keg-force-carbing-methods-illustrated-73328/ blasting it with 30PSI for a couple of days sounds like a quick way to carb up without hitting a specific volume. The set it and forget it method is supposed to let me hit the volumes i am aiming for with no risk of over carbing?

Or am I missing something here???
 
https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f35/keg-force-carbing-methods-illustrated-73328/

Read this. It may help

nvm that is the same link you posted haha hold on

To be honest with you I have no way of measuring carbonation levels in my beer so I cant tell you if i hit exactly 2.5 I just do what works for me...Im sure the set and forget method will work fine...For me I turn the keg upside down and shake until I hear no C02 Being absorbed. I haven't had any complaints yet, with my kegged beers and the ones Ive bottled from the keg.

Its all personal preference. Its much easier to get the desired carbonation levels to your taste over priming sugar. What you posted in your first thread looked good. I only use 30psi when I shake the keg then I crank down to serving temps. Like anything with hombrewing there are probably 10 different ways to do things. All of them work but it all comes down to user preference.

Hope this made sense.
 
dummkauf said:
Just kegged up 2 batched O' beer for the first time tonight, and I think I know what I was doing, but just want to double check.

Kegging procedule went as follows:
1.) Clean kegs
2.) Sanitize kegs
3.) Ran sanitizer through clean beer lines/taps.
4.) Poured sanitizer out of kegs
5.) Racked beers into the kegs and sealed them up.
6.) Looked up pressure setting on table for desired volumes at my fridge temp and set the pressure appropriately
7.) Hooked up CO2 tank to kegs and pulled the little valve thingie a couple times to purge the air out of the head space.
8.) Left the CO2 tank hooked up to kegs with the pressure on.
9.) Closed the fridge and am now trying to patiently wait for my beer to carb up :(

I am supposed to leave the CO2 on right??? eg: I'm not supposed to pressurize and then disconnect.

Can starsan go bad in my beer lines in 2 weeks? The starsan got trapped between the tap and the ball valve thingie, and it's not going anywhere, but rather than draining it out, I figured it wouldn't hurt to leave it, and the beer should push it out anyway(first glass or 2 is the deggs right?? which means the first 1-2 glasses will be going down the drain??) Or should I drain the lines?

Thanks in advance!
Click to expand...

Sounds like you're well on your way to success. I'd say stick with what you're doing and set it according to the chart and leave it alone for 2 to 3 weeks (sampling along the way for... education purposes ;)).

Once you've done a few this way, you may want to speed up the process by blasting it at 30 for a day or two up front, but I'd say use the chart method first. It's easy to over-carbonate by blasting it. Early on my beers had a bite to them that I now believe was from overcarbing and not allowing that initial CO2 acidic bite to subside. I monkeyed with the pressure settings too much.

I bled off some with release value (losing aroma by the way)... adjusted gauge... waited a few days... changed the settings... too much foam... too flat... not quite right, etc.

Save yourself the hassle and exercise patients. You'll be rewarded in the end.:mug:

Edit: Oh, and I wouldn't worry about a little starsan in the line. You're fine.
 
Kegging is pretty KISS really. You'll get it down with a little experimenting. You are correct with your above statement; force carbing to 30 CAN lead to overcarb'ing, but only if you really go nuts and overshake the keg or leave it at 30psi for a week or longer.

If you have time, carbing to 12psi at 39degF is commonly what I have been reading around here. It just takes longer for the liquid to absorb the C02 without shaking/high pressure, maybe a couple weeks. If you want it to be drinkable within 1-3 days, shake for 5 mins and leave it pressurized to 30psi for just the first couple days. After that lower it down to 12psi.

Dont try to serve from the tap right after shaking.

Please elaborate on the need to cool the keg BEFORE applying pressure? I know many people pressurize kegs while warm, and leave them warm outside of the fridge for a couple weeks to 'condition' the keg. Then they are ready to cool and serve at any time.
 
GillandCo said:
...Either way you want the beer to be cold before force carbing...
Click to expand...

MikeRoBrew1 said:
Please elaborate on the need to cool the keg BEFORE applying pressure? I know many people pressurize kegs while warm, and leave them warm outside of the fridge for a couple weeks to 'condition' the keg. Then they are ready to cool and serve at any time.
Click to expand...

Within context, GillandCo is describing a initial blast of CO2 @ 30 psi to quickly get you to target. Based on a carb chart, doing this at room temps, isn't going to get you there quickly because it's not really that high for that temperature. 30 psi at lager temps on the other hand is extremely high and will get you there quickly.
 
not clear on the response to part of the OP's original question. i'm set @ 12psi and willing to wait for carbination - let's say a week later the carbonation is where i want it. if i am NOT going to be pulling any pints for a few days and then maybe not again for another week do i leave the pressure set at 12psi?

i really just want to be clear, if that keg takes 6 months to empty then during those 6 months the pressure will always be on and always be set at 12psi?
 
edie said:
not clear on the response to part of the OP's original question. i'm set @ 12psi and willing to wait for carbination - let's say a week later the carbonation is where i want it. if i am NOT going to be pulling any pints for a few days and then maybe not again for another week do i leave the pressure set at 12psi?

i really just want to be clear, if that keg takes 6 months to empty then during those 6 months the pressure will always be on and always be set at 12psi?
Click to expand...

Same here, I am planning on using the set it and wait technique. One of the kegs is set at 13psi, the other at 11psi. So when it's done carbing up in a week or 2, do I just leave it, or do I reduce the pressure for serving?
 
dummkauf said:
Same here, I am planning on using the set it and wait technique. One of the kegs is set at 13psi, the other at 11psi. So when it's done carbing up in a week or 2, do I just leave it, or do I reduce the pressure for serving?
Click to expand...

If you reduce for serving, the head pressure will be lowered as the keg emptys and your beer will start losing CO2.

Once it's carbed to the desired level, ideally you would keep a constant pressure on the keg until it's empty. You may have to adjust your beer line length until it serves at the desired flow rate at the given pressure. There's a calculator somewhere for figuring that out. Mine stays at 9# and my serving lines are about 6.5 feet.
 
dummkauf said:
Same here, I am planning on using the set it and wait technique. One of the kegs is set at 13psi, the other at 11psi. So when it's done carbing up in a week or 2, do I just leave it, or do I reduce the pressure for serving?
Click to expand...

You just leave it. Each time you draw a pint, the keg needs to fill the void with more CO2. If it didnt it would reduce the pressure in the keg.

Like the guy above me says, pressurize to serving pressures (13 psi for your one keg and 11 psi for your other) and leave it there until the keg is empty. And really, it doesnt take 1-2 weeks to carb, more like 3-4 days I would say before it is drinkable. However, the extra time will help to clear the beer up/get rid of cloudiness/let particles float to the bottom to get washed away in your first pint.

Don't worry about the starsan in the lines it will be fine. I usually pull a pint after 1-2 days because I am the most impatient person ever and I dont mind flat beer. I would rather know how it tastes.

Cold liquid can absorb more CO2 than warm liquid can. Its science. If you carb at high temps, when you cool it you will be at a lower pressure for a few reasons. Regardless, you want to carb at whatever temp you are going to serve at.

Also, don't worry. This stuff is easy and after the first 2-3 kegs you will have it all figured out. My best advice is set your proper pressure and remeber that line length is VERY important. Use the calculators and make sure it is right (or too long, it will just pour slowly) for your serving temp and CO2 level or you WILL get foaming. I dont mind my beer pouring slowly, so I use 15 feet of line. Its over kill, but I dont end up with half a glass of foam and it allows me to run at higher CO2 levels if I want. Also I live at high elevation.

HTH.
 
carrotmalt said:
Within context, GillandCo is describing a initial blast of CO2 @ 30 psi to quickly get you to target. Based on a carb chart, doing this at room temps, isn't going to get you there quickly because it's not really that high for that temperature. 30 psi at lager temps on the other hand is extremely high and will get you there quickly.
Click to expand...

thanks for clarifying, that is exactly what I meant...Co2 will absorb way quicker when the beer is cold. Everyone has there own methods, I do what gets me there the quickest. I do however let my beers cold condition for a little to drop any yeast still floating. This insures a Nice clean beer with no yeast suspended. For all you "Homebrew makes me fart people".

if i put 15 feet of line on all my taps my fridge would look like a jungle.

And it already does. If i had the room I would do this...I have mine set around 8-10 psi at the moment
 
Carrot can you suggest a better psi to force-carb at please? For ales at 70f.

I have been filling my keg, putting into fridge and carb'ing. Cold conditioning for 1-2 weeks. Is this okay or should I carb and condition at room temperature?
 
If your going to carb and condition at room temperature you might as well do it with priming sugar...And if your planning on doing it with Co2 its going to have to be somewhere near 40psi.

this is only for carbing at room temps which I do not recommend.

refer to the thread earlier in the post, I think on page two Bobby M talks about it.

if your method is working and your happy with carbonation lvls why change it?

I fill the kegs, Seal it, Blast any oxygen that might be in it still. Let the keg sit for 8hrs in the fridge, Set pressure to 30psi, And shake the hell out of it. Let it sit to reduce foam, reduce to serving pressure, pour beer to see if Im happy. Then once Im satisfied with the carbonation lvl, I let it cold condition depending on the beer style.
 
cruelkix said:
You just leave it. Each time you draw a pint, the keg needs to fill the void with more CO2. If it didnt it would reduce the pressure in the keg.

Like the guy above me says, pressurize to serving pressures (13 psi for your one keg and 11 psi for your other) and leave it there until the keg is empty. And really, it doesnt take 1-2 weeks to carb, more like 3-4 days I would say before it is drinkable. However, the extra time will help to clear the beer up/get rid of cloudiness/let particles float to the bottom to get washed away in your first pint.

Don't worry about the starsan in the lines it will be fine. I usually pull a pint after 1-2 days because I am the most impatient person ever and I dont mind flat beer. I would rather know how it tastes.

Cold liquid can absorb more CO2 than warm liquid can. Its science. If you carb at high temps, when you cool it you will be at a lower pressure for a few reasons. Regardless, you want to carb at whatever temp you are going to serve at.

Also, don't worry. This stuff is easy and after the first 2-3 kegs you will have it all figured out. My best advice is set your proper pressure and remeber that line length is VERY important. Use the calculators and make sure it is right (or too long, it will just pour slowly) for your serving temp and CO2 level or you WILL get foaming. I dont mind my beer pouring slowly, so I use 15 feet of line. Its over kill, but I dont end up with half a glass of foam and it allows me to run at higher CO2 levels if I want. Also I live at high elevation.

HTH.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the advice, where is the chart, or calculator, for line length? I've currently got 5ft on there as that was what was recommended by my LHBS when I bought all the equipment
 
MikeRoBrew1 said:
Carrot can you suggest a better psi to force-carb at please? For ales at 70f.
Click to expand...

You can check out this chart to get an idea of what pressure to use at various temps. It doesn't include 70, but you can get an idea based on the other numbers.
MikeRoBrew1 said:
I have been filling my keg, putting into fridge and carb'ing. Cold conditioning for 1-2 weeks. Is this okay or should I carb and condition at room temperature?
Click to expand...
Sounds like you're on track. I rack from primary to keg, flush the headspace of any O2, hook up to 30psi and disconnect (mainly just to seal the lid/ not to carbonate). I keep it at 65ish for another week, then move to fridge and hook up CO2 at 9#. Wait a couple weeks and get after it. On occasion I'll set it at 30 for the first day in the fridge first just to pick up the pace, but I never shake. To each his own I suppose.

Bobby really does a good job explaining this stuff if you haven't read it yet.
 
GillandCo
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If your going to carb and condition at room temperature you might as well do it with priming sugar...And if your planning on doing it with Co2 its going to have to be somewhere near 40psi.

this is only for carbing at room temps which I do not recommend.

refer to the thread earlier in the post, I think on page two Bobby M talks about it.

if your method is working and your happy with carbonation lvls why change it?

I fill the kegs, Seal it, Blast any oxygen that might be in it still. Let the keg sit for 8hrs in the fridge, Set pressure to 30psi, And shake the hell out of it. Let it sit to reduce foam, reduce to serving pressure, pour beer to see if Im happy. Then once Im satisfied with the carbonation lvl, I let it cold condition depending on the beer style.

what do you mean by "blast it?" also, sorry but one more thing i still not clear on despite all my reading. once either in bottle or keg ONCE IT HAS BEEN REFRIGERATED will the beer continue to change taste? i understand that the few bottles that i have left that have never been cold will continue to change flavor but am i pretty much set with the taste after chilling? forget all about the carb process, speaking strictly about how much the taste will change in a keg in a keezer.
 
Thanks I dont know why but this discussion got my asking too many questions lol. I appreciate the extra information!

By "blasting" out the extra air, he means turning on low pressure 5-10psi, then vent the pressure out. Repeat two or three times to make sure any oxygen in the keg from filling is removed.
 
edie said:
what do you mean by "blast it?" also, sorry but one more thing i still not clear on despite all my reading. once either in bottle or keg ONCE IT HAS BEEN REFRIGERATED will the beer continue to change taste? i understand that the few bottles that i have left that have never been cold will continue to change flavor but am i pretty much set with the taste after chilling? forget all about the carb process, speaking strictly about how much the taste will change in a keg in a keezer.
Click to expand...
Here, blasting the O2 means pulling the pressure release valve a few times while hooked to CO2 in order to move any O2 in the head-space out of the keg.

The taste will change. I think it changes slower at colder temps, but it will change. Some styles age better than others. I wish when my beers got to their peak, I could stop the clock, but unfortunately they continue to change. Lots of folks say the last pint from the keg is often the best, but it probably depends on the style and how "best" is defined.

You may not find it's much of an issue with BMC type beers, but they're pasterized and don't have much flavor to start with. You will see this with craft beers. A Sierra Nevada Pale Ale tastes different (less yummy) after it's been sitting on a shelf for a while.
 
thanks for the "blasts" answers. didn't do this with the first kegged batch, hopefully won't effect things too much. won't forget to do it on the next!

thanks again for all the input.
 

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