pale ale fermentation

Me and my buddy brewed an American pale ale 2 weeks ago. We transfered it to the secondary, and dry hopped it on Saturday (ten days into fermentation). Everything looks and smells great, but I just picked up a kegging system and was hoping to force carb it on Wednesday (16 days into fermentation) so I can serve it to friends and family on Thursday (4th of july). Would that be too soon? I'd usually let it sit for at least another week in secondary before bottling, and I don't want to serve yeasty beer and basically waste the batch. Maybe I should cold clash tonight to kill the yeast and let them settle out? Any advise would be helpful.

You should be fine. I always keg my IPA's around the 14 day mark and cold crashing will help it clear.

I appreciate it, I'll cold crash tonight and keg it Thursday and hopefully all will be clear

Would it be better with more time and a cold crash? Probably. Will it be fine to serve anyway to your family and friends on the 4th? Probably as well. It seems like making the date in this case is more important to celebrate the occasion. Up to you completely but I don't think you will disappoint anyone in having homebrew available for the occasion.

What yeast did you use? Might be the biggest factor. I just did a pale with cal ale. Did about the same but no secondary. Dry hopped for week after a fermenting for a week, kegged and carbed for a week. drinking now as i type. Sooner than i usually would. It turned out great, probably would not win the AHA, but its clean. I think with a cold crash should help. Taste it after you crash it. I am sure some would disagree, but your not entering a contest! Might not be clear.. Tradeoffs..

Sometimes "burst carbing" (what it's called when you give big shots to the keg to carb it up fast) cause something called carbonic acid bite, which is a strong tangy flavor from the carbonation being young.

Instead of waiting until Wednesday to keg and then shaking the keg or whatever you're planning, I'd keg it today and put it in the kegerator at 30 psi for 36 hours, then purge and reset to 12 psi. It will be possibly a little undercarbed, but should be really good. If you shake the keg to carb it up, you may have a ton of sediment suspended in the beer and a murky beer. That's sort of yucky, especially in a young beer with so much sediment that can in it.

If you keg it, carb it up as I described, and let it sit (don't move it!) the first pour on Thursday will have some sediment but after that it should clear up.

Also, you may have some chill haze so chilling the beer sooner rather than later can only help.

Yoopers advice is exactly how i would advice you to go. I have never done the "shaking at warm temperature and high pressure" technique that others have done successfully. However, "juicing" for 36 hours at 30 psi and then drop to 12 psi is how I carb every single batch and have had great success every time. It seems like you have time to pull this off if you so choose.

Big thanks to yoopers for the advice, going to keg tonight and let rest for 36... Hope everyone has a great 4th of july... i know i will