can a pressurized keg keep its pressure?

Hi all,

I'm in a pickle with two batches, and one co2 tank.
One batch is 5 gal and should be ready to corny keg in the next few days. This one needs to stay with me at home.
One batch is 15 gal and is ready to (full-size) keg now. This one is getting transported to the desert at the end of the month.

I only have one co2 tank. If I give the full-sized keg 20# now, will it carbonate and keep its pressure until the end of the month without the tank, so I can use the co2 for the smaller batch?
Or should I do this the other way around, carbonate the 5 gallons, then bring the 15 gal with the co2 to the desert, in which case will the 5gal keep its pressure?

discoross said:

Hi all,

I'm in a pickle with two batches, and one co2 tank.
One batch is 5 gal and should be ready to corny keg in the next few days. This one needs to stay with me at home.
One batch is 15 gal and is ready to (full-size) keg now. This one is getting transported to the desert at the end of the month.

I only have one co2 tank. If I give the full-sized keg 20# now, will it carbonate and keep its pressure until the end of the month without the tank, so I can use the co2 for the smaller batch?
Or should I do this the other way around, carbonate the 5 gallons, then bring the 15 gal with the co2 to the desert, in which case will the 5gal keep its pressure?

Click to expand...

As long as two conditions are met the keg should hold pressure... 1) Equilibrium has been reached... e.g. the batch is fully carbed. 2) There isn't a leak.

You can carb two kegs off one tank.

I'm a little confused by your post. It takes time to fully carbonate a keg, up to two weeks.

Once it's fully carbed up, it will keep it's pressure (assuming no leaks!). But it might take about 2 weeks to fully carb up.

If you just give a big blast of co2 now, the beer will absorb the co2 in there, but not carb up. You have to keep the gas on the keg until fully carbed.

Or, you can add priming sugar and keep it at room temperature. (Give it a blast of co2 to make sure the lids/seals are not leaking). Then, it will remain carbed indefinitely until you tap it.

discoross said:

Or should I do this the other way around, carbonate the 5 gallons, then bring the 15 gal with the co2 to the desert, in which case will the 5gal keep its pressure?

Click to expand...

Keep in mind, regardless of which method you use, you will need the CO2 tank to push the beer from the 15 gal keg when you are in the desert.

I would buy a 'Y' or 'T' adapter and some gas line and a gas disconnect and get them both up to the proper carb level. The 5 gal keg will holld pressure while you are in the desert as long as it isn't leaking.

I'd go directly to Craigs List and find a used CO2 tank. Often you can pick them up super cheap. It is convenient to have 2 - 5# tanks, even better with 3.

Thanks all for your input. This is my first time kegging, and it unfortunately seems a little non-standard to me.

So plans have changed a bit, and with it, my question.
We now are bringing two cornys out with us, forgetting about the stuff at home. To avoid leaving a co2 cylinder in direct desert sun, I'm going to get a pack of ten 12oz co2 injector capsules, but force carb it now.
My question is more about temperature. I have the ability to force carb in a fridge, but out there we'll just have an ice bucket (no time to build a jockey box). When looking at a chart, I have no idea what temperature I should expect to be serving at.
Here's my current plan: I still need to cut out the door padding on my kegerator, so until tomorrow I can't fit both. I think I'll keep them both at a high pressure tonight on their sides, then tomorrow fit them in the fridge at 12psi on "low" temp setting (i.e. highest fridge temp), or really whatever temp is close to 45F. This will remain like this until early monday, at which point I disconnect everything and use the co2 injector to serve.

a) is it right to assume an ice bucket in hot temperatures can maintain 45F? I'd rather it be under-carbed than way too frothy - hence the 12psi.
b) since I'm changing temps a lot, is there anything I should be concerned about?
c) Brewfat mentioned 2 weeks, but will the overnight-on-its-side plus a few days in the fridge give me a decently-carbed beer by monday?
d) what else am I doing wrong? (there must be something )

discoross said:

a) is it right to assume an ice bucket in hot temperatures can maintain 45F? I'd rather it be under-carbed than way too frothy - hence the 12psi.
b) since I'm changing temps a lot, is there anything I should be concerned about?
c) Brewfat mentioned 2 weeks, but will the overnight-on-its-side plus a few days in the fridge give me a decently-carbed beer by monday?
d) what else am I doing wrong? (there must be something )

Click to expand...

I doubt you can maintain 45 degrees, but maybe you can.

Changing temps, moving the keg, burst carbing (not giving it time and trying to carb it in three days) = foam city. I don't know how to prevent this.

There seems to be a lot of confusion about serving pressure. We talk about all this stuff in regards to an in-place kegerator. Once you get that beer carbed up and out in the wild, the pressures and temps are going to be all over the place. You can't dial in a pressure using the CO2 chargers. You just pour out of the faucet into your cup until it's not flowing too well anymore, then give it a quick shot. Repeat. You're not going to be able to really progress any more carbonation because you'll have no idea what the carb level is.

It sounds like you have a month. Split your CO2 line, hook it to both kegs and find the 2.5 volumes box in the carbonation chart based on the temp that the beer is currently sitting at and use that pressure. Leave it connected for 21 days. Disconnect the gas on the one you're taking with you, take it with you, chill it down in ice, hook up your CO2 charger and bev lines and have a party. Again, don't let people play with the CO2 charger because they'll likely overpressurize the keg and start blowing the beer out like a firehose. Just give it a little shot of gas when the pour slows down.