Keg natural carbonation pressure question

I have always force carbonated in the past, but it is getting more and more a PITA to get my CO2 bottle refilled, so I decided to carbonate with corn sugar this time with my Hefe-Wizen. I boiled a rounded 1/3 cup of corn sugar with water and put it into the 5 gallon cornelious keg I use. Filled the keg with CO2 then transferred the beer to the keg and sealed it up. Just for good measure, I put 5 psi of CO2 in to make sure the seals held, then put my gauge on the line side for monitoring. After almost a week, the gauge has slowly but steadily risen and I am up to a little over 8 psi in the keg presently - so I know the yeast is doing something in there.

My question is this - I know the PSI will be less sitting in a 78 degree house rather than in my beer fridge, but the PSI seems a little low to me for a week of conditioning. Anyone know the "normal" or "standard" psi I should expect to be seeing at 78 degrees for a hefe-wizen? If it won't get high enough, I guess I will force carb - but I really wanted to try and see if I could carbonate it natually.

Thanks,
Dan

I had the same issue with a naturally carbed keg. My buddy told me he just usually primes with the bottling amount of sugar to avoid that, and then bleeds off if it's too much.

Can anyone comment on that as well as Dan's question?

the pressure will go down in the fridge. co2 pressure drops when cold

You know, I have carbed up kegs naturally just by putting in the priming solution and topping it off with a shot of co2 to seal the lid. I left it at room temperature (probably 3 weeks), then stuck it in the fridge. When it was cold, I pulled out a pint. The first couple were yeasty, but the beer was carbed perfectly.

I don't have a gauge or anything, so I have no idea what kind of pressure it would get to. I don't think it matters, though. You're trying to get carbonation into the beer, no matter what the pressure of the keg is. Whether the headspace is higher pressure or not won't affect the carbonation of the beer. I'm not sure if I'm making sense, so I'll have a beer and try to explain it better later!

I've read that when priming a keg you use only 1/2 the normal priming sugar.

Want to know the kegs (inside) pressure? Get/make a splundling valve.

I used a rounded 1/3 cupbased on the standard kegging rate of 1/3 cup for 5 gallons (it was a heaping 1/3 cup because this is a hefe-wizen). I also have a keg pressure tester gauge that attaches to the air in connection to monitor internal pressure.

DD2000GT said:

I used a rounded 1/3 cupbased on the standard kegging rate of 1/3 cup for 5 gallons (it was a heaping 1/3 cup because this is a hefe-wizen). I also have a keg pressure tester gauge that attaches to the air in connection to monitor internal pressure.

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I can see using more for Hefe Weizen...the KPT will do the job.

homebrewer_99 said:

I've read that when priming a keg you use only 1/2 the normal priming sugar.

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The first brew that I kegged, I used the full amount and boy that was a mistake. Half the amount is right.

To the OP, at only 1 week being primed, the beer couldn't have possibly fully carbonated yet and that's possibly why the psi reading is low.

Is there a norm?

I used 1/3 cup for my American Amber and then shot 30psi in it and set it in the basement.

Mike

blk94f150 said:

Is there a norm?

I used 1/3 cup for my American Amber and then shot 30psi in it and set it in the basement.

Mike

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Your basement might be a bit cool, if it's like mine. If it's 70 or so, though, that would be fine.

I don't know how much it is in cups, but I use about 2 ounces of corn sugar (weighed) for most ales. For something I want a little more carbed, I've gone as high as 3 ounces.

It's about 70ish right now in the area where the cornies are. It's a space separated from the bar where the furnace and water heater are as well as being behind the garage that's open a lot.

Mike

A4J said:

The first brew that I kegged, I used the full amount and boy that was a mistake. Half the amount is right.

To the OP, at only 1 week being primed, the beer couldn't have possibly fully carbonated yet and that's possibly why the psi reading is low.

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Is this still the case if I'm going to keg condition for a month or so? I don't want to mess with force carbing right now, I was planning on using the same method for the kegs that I use when bottling. Keg the brew with the priming sugar solution, let it sit for a few weeks then throw it in the fridge. If I use this method, what PSI should I set it at?

mikefranciotti said:

Is this still the case if I'm going to keg condition for a month or so? I don't want to mess with force carbing right now, I was planning on using the same method for the kegs that I use when bottling. Keg the brew with the priming sugar solution, let it sit for a few weeks then throw it in the fridge. If I use this method, what PSI should I set it at?

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If it's already carbed when you put it in the fridge, then just set it at your serving pressure after you purge the keg to release any pressure in there. My system is at 39 degrees, and my carbing/serving pressure is 11 psi.

Thanks for the quick response Yooper. The more I've read, I think I may just do the set and forget method. Hit it with 12psi for 2-3 weeks.

The brew has been in the primary since early August so I think it should be pretty good in the 2-3 week time frame. Does that sound accurate?

Question: I have a corny but no kegerator yet. Only co2 right now is one of those portable keg chargers with the 16 oz co2 cartridges, so not enough to force carbonate. I'm going to naturally carbonate in the corny using 1/3 cup corn sugar solution. My question has to do with sealing the keg. I know these portable chargers cannot generate the psi needed to force carbonate, but will they generate enough to seal the keg to allow it to properly condition naturally? Thanks! Jon