Force Carbonation Procedure

Beating a dead horse here but first time kegging.
1. Clean and sanatize keg.(No S*** Sherlock)
2. Fill keg with beer.
3. Pressurize keg with 30psi of CO2 and purge to clear out O2.
4. Cool beer at serving temp for 24hrs(36-40degrees)
5. Pressurize keg with 30psi of CO2.
6. Shake/roll to disperse CO2.
7. Store at serving temp for 24hrs.
8. Purge keg.
9. Pressurize keg to serving pressure and store 2-3 day and serving temp.
10. Enjoy

FYI-This is a wheat ale and kegging into a sankey.

5. Pressurize keg with 30psi of CO2.
6. Shake/roll to disperse CO2.

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10. Fail.
11. Start thread "Help! My beer is all foam!"

Cheers!

3. Pressurize keg to 10psi, purge headspace, filling with CO2. If not placing into fridge right away, check keg pressure BEFORE putting into fridge when it's time.
4. Chill beer to serving temperature (~24 hours).
5. Connect CO2 feed and set at serving pressure.
6. Two weeks later, connect to tap and pour a pint to sample. If needed, give more time, or adjust pressure feed to keg.
7. Enjoy keg until it kicks.
8. Rinse (clean keg and lines), repeat.

IME, trying to rapid force carbonate via the high pressure shake and quake method more often results in failure. I've also added the keg pressure check step to my process. This quick step ensures that the keg isn't at too high a pressure at the start of chilling. It also doesn't matter if you use a corny or sanke keg...

I run about 25-30 psi and shake for 10 seconds, repeat, then put away for 24 hours, bleed, set to serving, and its slightly under carbed by then. I leave it at serving from there on.

I wish I had more patience.

tre9er said:

I run about 25-30 psi and shake for 10 seconds, repeat, then put away for 24 hours, bleed, set to serving, and its slightly under carbed by then. I leave it at serving from there on.

I wish I had more patience.

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It helps to have more spots for kegs than you have faucets. I have room for four kegs in my brew fridge, and three faucets through the door. So, I can always have one keg carbonating while enjoying three others. By the time one kicks, the keg in the carbonating spot is ready, and I can put another in it's place.

Golddiggie said:

It helps to have more spots for kegs than you have faucets. I have room for four kegs in my brew fridge, and three faucets through the door. So, I can always have one keg carbonating while enjoying three others. By the time one kicks, the keg in the carbonating spot is ready, and I can put another in it's place.

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My kegs haven't been lasting two Weeks doesn't help that I serve friends too. I'm so nice

I cold crash for 3 days, put in keg, hit with 30 to seat seals, purge, set at 30 for 24 hours, purge, set to serving pressure. Usually ready in 5-7 days. Set and forget at serving pressure for 3 weeks is more reliable and less risky if you can wait that long.

I charge/purge, then put on carbonation pressure for a minimum of two weeks. For example, IPA's are best at 2 volumes, which is about 16-17 PSI at 60F. Wheat beers are best at 3.5 volumes, or 43-44 PSI at 60 F. I calculate at 60 F because that's currently the temp in my "cold room" in the basement. Winter temps are just below 50 F, so I adjust accordingly. I just set it, and forget it, until my next batch is kegged.

I do have quite a pipeline, so the two weeks doesn't bother me. Plus, it fits my brewing schedule.

tre9er said:

My kegs haven't been lasting two Weeks doesn't help that I serve friends too. I'm so nice

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Well, I'm pretty much the only one drinking my homebrew from tap. I do take some to family (mom loves my IPA's and ESB's) but otherwise, I enjoy it. Once in a while, I'll let a friend have a bottle from a tap, but that's rather rare. I do offer to let them drink from the tap, they just need to get up here.

Still, most of the time, it takes me more than two weeks to kick a 3 gallon keg. Although my MO SMaSH is in danger of being finished very fast.

Once I've moved, I plan on getting a keezer where I'll be able to also have 5 gallon kegs. I also plan on brewing larger batches, which will mean filling either three 3 gallon kegs, or two 5 gallon kegs (at a minimum). :rockin: Only a couple of months away from that (fingers crossed)...

I've stepped up to around 9 gallon batches (euro keg-gle) and I have three 5g cornies and 4 ale pails. I've always got another beer ready, but I also really want to start drinking the new model

anteup said:

Beating a dead horse here but first time kegging.
1. Clean and sanatize keg.(No S*** Sherlock)
2. Fill keg with beer.
3. Pressurize keg with 30psi of CO2 and purge to clear out O2.
4. Cool beer at serving temp for 24hrs(36-40degrees)
5. Pressurize keg with 30psi of CO2.
6. Shake/roll to disperse CO2.
7. Store at serving temp for 24hrs.
8. Purge keg.
9. Pressurize keg to serving pressure and store 2-3 day and serving temp.
10. Enjoy

FYI-This is a wheat ale and kegging into a sankey.

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Ok, if you want to carb fast, I'd totally change your procedure. Unless you like sediment filled foamy beer.

1. Clean and sanatize keg.(No S*** Sherlock)- Yep!
2. Fill keg with beer. Yep!
3. Pressurize keg with 30psi of CO2 and purge to clear out O2. Yep!
Here's where it changes:
4. Set in kegerator at 30 psi for 36 hours.
5. After 35 hours, purge and reset to 12 psi.
6. Pour about 3 ounces and discard (it'll be sludge)
7. Drink the keg.

I left off about 3 steps, plus the shaking/rolling part. I can see no advantage to shaking, except that you'll maybe have carbonated beer a day faster. But if you can't wait 36 hours to drink (and it'll take that long to cool anyway), then warm foamy beer with sediment might be good.

If you're not in a huge hurry:
1. Fill keg, and purge with co2 a couple of times.
2. Put in the kegerator at 12 psi.
3. come back in 10 days. Pour off the first three ounces. Drink the rest of the keg.

I have two batches aging in 25L kegs, plus one that's close to when it will come out of primary in a tall 1/4bbl keg. The batch brewed on the 16th won't be coming out of primary for a bit still (will be there for 3-4 weeks), but it's in another tall pony keg. I have one more tall pony keg available for beer. Of course, I also have a 50L keg fitted with a 4" TC ferrule (I have the cap fitted for fermenting and pushing with CO2) that's good for up to 12 gallon batches. Then there's the 1/6 bbl kegs for my meads and other fermentations... I have two 1/2bbl (US size) sanke kegs for my mash tun and boil keggle... So I can easily brew something that will be good for any of my fermenters. :rockin:

Ok, time to pull a pint now...

Ah see, you drink mead and such, too. I don't buy craft if I have home brew and rarely drink anything but beer.

tre9er said:

Ah see, you drink mead and such, too. I don't buy craft if I have home brew and rarely drink anything but beer.

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Of course... I've not bought beer (eating out doesn't count IMO) since I started brewing and having my own beer available. My favorite mead is a traditional that's only 18%. I can't wait for my maple mead/wine to be ready for drinking. The 'skeeter pee' that's in process should be ready soon. Just need to rack to keg and carbonate the sumbich... Of course, that will require an open spot in the brew fridge. Or use of another fridge for chilling and carbonating. :rockin:

I now have 3 fridges...I know what you mean :rockin: