Poll: Which Post do you Force Carb With?
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JonK331
Well-Known Member
i force carb on the gas side just so I don't run that risk and so I don't have to switch stuff around. If I need to carb a beer quickly, I use the out side.
Inlet, set and forget method 
Inlet side. Safe, don't have to worry about screwing things up. But I don't have a fancy manifold, just Ts and four kegs, so I am extra careful. It is my understanding the liquid side achieves better results, but I'd rather wait longer and not have to worry about wrecking a regulator, or worse mixing all my beers.
I've used gas posts, liquid posts, they both work about the same rate unless you're shaking. One of these: http://www.ontariobeerkegs.com/Carbonation_lid_p/carbonation-lid.htm
is my next luxury purchase. I figure it's less hassle to move it from keg to keg, than having the carb stone attached to the liquid dip tube.
is my next luxury purchase. I figure it's less hassle to move it from keg to keg, than having the carb stone attached to the liquid dip tube.
Golddiggie
Well-Known Member
I'm thinking about getting one of the carbonating lids and giving it a ahot soon. If only for when I dknt have any carbonated kegs ready and a faucet runs dry.
well the theory is that when gas slowly trickles into the dip tube on the liquid side, it bubbles up from the bottom and agitates the whole column of beer on its way up. it doesnt work nearly as well as if you were using a carbonation stone, the bubbles are too big. however the fact that it causes the beer to move around some would probably promote faster carbonation. how much faster than just putting gas in from the top? probably not too much. it might not even be a noticable difference, but the theory makes sense atleast.
also if you are shaking the keg, the longer dip tube on the liquid side puts more of a distance between the beer and your CO2 line, so its harder to get beer to splash up in the line and contaminate it. if you shake the keg while its hooked up to the very short gas dip tube, its possible for beer to splash up into the gas ball/pin lock, and i know i dont clean the gas fittings nearly as much as the liquid ones... its not really possible for beer to splash up 20-something inches of liquid dip tube and reach the gas system while shaking.
all that being said- i just hook my kegs up the normal way and let them carb on their own.
I hook up normal (gas side0 and let sit for 3 weeks. No rush, no fuss.
So, your both saying carbonating from the Gas side is normal. Anyone know where this came from?
Yes, i realize it says Gas on it but gas also is used to serve, so its not clearly saying both gas steps are for one post.
Yes, i realize it says Gas on it but gas also is used to serve, so its not clearly saying both gas steps are for one post.
I agree here, but i also think waiting 3 weeks for some beers to carbonate can be detrimental. Over here, we drink our wheat beers from grain to glass:4 weeks. Amber and Pales: 4 to 5 weeks. Also 4 to 5.5% ABV and im pushing to serve it quick and fresh. My philosophy is knowing what style your dealing with and how to treat it makes the best experience. One process for all beers isnt the best way id say.
Looks like people are happy Carbonating with the CO2 going in the gas side.
Does anyone think the CO2 is blocked at all by sediment if you carb on the liquid side?
Excellent response
bigbeergeek
Well-Known Member
I hook up to the gas post and give the keg 48 hours at 30 PSI (no shaking), then back the regulator down to normal carbonation/serving pressure. Carbonation is totally acceptable the next day and is dialed in at around 5-7 days.
goosegrease
Well-Known Member
If thats the case than the liquid side is really not carbing faster. Mine isnt ready until 8 days at 20PSI, liquid side. And im probably stirring up sediment that could be dropping out.
Im very close to switching my technique. Any more voters? I hope to see more premium and lifetimers voting, this way we can end the issue with numbers, once and for all.
voodoophil
Member
I gas liquid side, shake and drink 20min later.
Kegged my first beer a few weeks ago using the set it and forget it deal. But even after 3 weeks it was under carbed. My beer is a German style light ale, and my keezer is set to 38 degrees. I have my pressure set at 10psi. I had it on the gas side, but after talking to my LHBS, they recommended carbing through the liquid side. They told me to leave it on the liquid side for a week and it should be good to go. I will be checking it out tonight.
mountainman13
Well-Known Member
This
Until I get around to building my keezer and only have 3 taps, one of which is nitro, I will continue to cold crash overnight, hook up to liquid post, gab a beer and roll it in my lap for 5-7 minutes. Works every time, and the keg will settle out eventually if you are worried about that sort of thing.
spearko520
Well-Known Member
i have a liquid QD hooked up to a gas line for quick carbing and for scrubbing DMS by bubbling and off gassing, so when i do that i hook to the liquid post, as i kind of agree that pushing the co2 through the liquid seems to get it into solution a little faster. This line is external to my set up, and the keg will be sitting in the middle of the room, so there is really no chance of problems due to post confusion. if i am just throwing the keg in the cabinet to forget it, i will only hook up to the gas post, and let it take the 5 or 6 days to carb up.
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I found the liquid side much quicker, however I WILL NOT Use the liquid side again! Let me preface that I was not thinking when I did the following, and I (stupidly) DO NOT have check valves on my manifold! I have a gas outlet between the regulator and the gas manifold, so I can easily purge kegs, bottles, etc.
The other day, shortly after I hooked up a newly kegged beer to the gas via the liquid post, I used the gas outlet to purge a carboy with CO2. Shortly after opening the valve on the outlet, beer started coming out of the gas tube purging my carboy! Yikes! If I hadn't had the gas connected to my liquid side, I wouldn't have had this issue.
So, I'd only recommend using the liquid side to force carb if you have check valves on your manifold.
The other day, shortly after I hooked up a newly kegged beer to the gas via the liquid post, I used the gas outlet to purge a carboy with CO2. Shortly after opening the valve on the outlet, beer started coming out of the gas tube purging my carboy! Yikes! If I hadn't had the gas connected to my liquid side, I wouldn't have had this issue.
So, I'd only recommend using the liquid side to force carb if you have check valves on your manifold.
Yes, in my experience.
For, example movie theater soda machines have CO2 mix right at the tap so everything happens all at once. But this is with syrup bags, not kegs.
Im going to do an experiment with my 8 QD's. Im going to change half to grey and keep half black. Than i will take two of the same pale or ambers and see if theres a difference in carbonation, clarity, etc...
Sorry to hear friend.
You know i always thought purging containers with gas first was odd.
I have two ways to carb up my beer, after much trial and error. One is the good old fashioned easy way- stick my beer in the keg, and my keg in the kegerator with the other kegs and put it on the gas (12 psi). In about 7-10 days, it's good but improves for about three more days.
If I'm in a huge hurry, I stick it in the kegerator at 30 psi for 36 hours, then purge and reset to the same as the rest of the kegs (12 psi). It's ready the next day.
I will never shake again as I've had a few foamy cloudy beers by doing so and I hate that. It also tends to have a carbonic acid "bite" from doing that.
The thing is, even in 10 days in the kegerator, the beer may still be a bit cloudy so I still like to wait until the beer is clear. The beer I'm drinking at this moment was kegged on Saturday, and it's pretty clear (and well carbed) but not 100% there yet. But I was desperate for homebrew as I was out, and the beer is a hoppy APA that is very good young. The yeast strain I used (Denny's favorite) is not flocculant, though, and it takes about 10 days at fridge temps to really clear. It's still good, but it's really not as good as it's going to be in about4 more days. I can't imagine drinking this beer 20 minutes after shaking it! It would be very cloudy, and there would be sediment in it. That's not something I want in my beer.
If I'm in a huge hurry, I stick it in the kegerator at 30 psi for 36 hours, then purge and reset to the same as the rest of the kegs (12 psi). It's ready the next day.
I will never shake again as I've had a few foamy cloudy beers by doing so and I hate that. It also tends to have a carbonic acid "bite" from doing that.
The thing is, even in 10 days in the kegerator, the beer may still be a bit cloudy so I still like to wait until the beer is clear. The beer I'm drinking at this moment was kegged on Saturday, and it's pretty clear (and well carbed) but not 100% there yet. But I was desperate for homebrew as I was out, and the beer is a hoppy APA that is very good young. The yeast strain I used (Denny's favorite) is not flocculant, though, and it takes about 10 days at fridge temps to really clear. It's still good, but it's really not as good as it's going to be in about4 more days. I can't imagine drinking this beer 20 minutes after shaking it! It would be very cloudy, and there would be sediment in it. That's not something I want in my beer.
Let me first say im honored that you replied to one of my threads Yooper, thanks! Now a good word from Revvy and were set.
Second, i agree with everything you said. So far, the results seem obvious, whether you carb liquid or gas post doesn't really matter, its best to wait at least a week for decent carbonation, clarity, conditioning, etc... and drink.
Im not forgetting Bobby M's sticky, but 3 weeks set and forget is just not the law with session beers. Also, if your like most of us and do 2, 3 or 4 week primaries, the "conditioning" phase has clearly already begun before racking to keg.
JuanMoore
Getting the banned back together
The idea that forcing gas through the liquid diptube carbs your beer any faster is a myth. In fact, if you don't put pressurize the keg prior to connecting gas to the liquid post, it will actually force some of the residual CO2 out of solution and slow the carb process slightly.
If you're able to break the gas into super tiny bubbles through the use of something like an airstone, then pushing gas from the bottom of the keg will carb it much faster. The size of the bubbles coming through the liquid diptube however are so large that there's not appreciably more time or surface in contact with the gas than just using the gas diptube.
Since it takes extra time and effort, and make no difference in carbonation speed, I don't use the liquid post for carbonating, but to each their own. I have however bubbled gas through the liquid side while pulling the pressure relief valve to instantly degas overcarbonated kegs. It works like a charm.
The agitation actually knocks a tiny bit of CO2 out of solution. It's the increased surface area and contact time that's supposed to help speed the process. IMO whatever minor differences they make pretty much cancel each other out, and the beer carbonates at the same speed either way.
I bought an extra SS airstone when they went on clearance at my LHBS. I connected it to the gas post on one of my corny lids with about 20" of silicone tubing to make my own carb lid. I've only used it a couple times since I'm a fan of letting my beers condition with the set and forget method, but it will carb up a beer nicely in just a couple of days without any worry about overcarbing.
If you're able to break the gas into super tiny bubbles through the use of something like an airstone, then pushing gas from the bottom of the keg will carb it much faster. The size of the bubbles coming through the liquid diptube however are so large that there's not appreciably more time or surface in contact with the gas than just using the gas diptube.
Since it takes extra time and effort, and make no difference in carbonation speed, I don't use the liquid post for carbonating, but to each their own. I have however bubbled gas through the liquid side while pulling the pressure relief valve to instantly degas overcarbonated kegs. It works like a charm.
The agitation actually knocks a tiny bit of CO2 out of solution. It's the increased surface area and contact time that's supposed to help speed the process. IMO whatever minor differences they make pretty much cancel each other out, and the beer carbonates at the same speed either way.
I bought an extra SS airstone when they went on clearance at my LHBS. I connected it to the gas post on one of my corny lids with about 20" of silicone tubing to make my own carb lid. I've only used it a couple times since I'm a fan of letting my beers condition with the set and forget method, but it will carb up a beer nicely in just a couple of days without any worry about overcarbing.
ArcaneXor
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I'll have to keep an eye on that. Most of my beers will eventually drop clear (but I also usually add Isinglass) and I find that the flavor tends to improve for day or three after shaking the CO2 into solution. I'll have to do a side-by-side at some point.
Excellent reply
