force carbonation ????????

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morbid53

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I force carbonated my first keg today and have been looking for the best procedure's but everyone has a different method. Should I age my keg at storage temp mine usualy is around 60 farenheit or should I refrigerate , also there are conflicts as wether to leave the keg on gas for several days or quick fill by (the method I used) turn pressure up close to 22psi and rock keg until it will accept no more gas this should give me about 2.4 volume any suggestions as to wich is the best method :tank:
 
If you're force carbonating, there's no reason to leave it at cellar temperature unless you intend to serve it at that temperature. Go ahead and refrigerate it (that will also help with force carbonation). Rocking the keg at 22 psi (or even a touch more) until it seems that it's no longer taking CO2 is a fine method. I find that if I do that, then let the keg rest for at least a day or two at serving pressure, I get good results.
 
I know of no method that will give you more consistent results than chilling to your serving temperature, connecting the gas at serving pressure and waiting five days. You don't hear too often from people who do this complaining of over-carbonation and foaming problems. However, the same cannot be said from many who use the 'shake the crap out of it' method.

For those of you who do this with good results, please disregard this message. :D
 
johnsma22 said:
I know of no method that will give you more consistent results than chilling to your serving temperature, connecting the gas at serving pressure and waiting five days. You don't hear too often from people who do this complaining of over-carbonation and foaming problems. However, the same cannot be said from many who use the 'shake the crap out of it' method.

For those of you who do this with good results, please disregard this message. :D
Click to expand...

Set it and forget it. Unless you REALLY need the beer fast, I don't understand why you'd use any other method.
 
johnsma22 said:
For those of you who do this with good results, please disregard this message. :D
Click to expand...

Disregard button....[ENGAGED] ;)

I have great luck shaking, but tend to take a step-up approach and modify based on the style of beer.

1) Chill completely.
2) PSI set to 30lbs.
3) Keg laying flat across lap.
4) Shake keg left to right (top to bottom) for 60-90 seconds.
5) Stop and listen and wait for bubbling to stop.
6) Repeat steps 4 and 5 about five times.
7) Return keg back to fridge and set PSI to 10-12 (serving)
8) Let sit overnight or for 3-4 hours
9) Draw off glass and taste test.
10) Repeat entire process as necessary.

My higher carb'd beers (Wit, Blond Ales...) I'll usually repeat three times.

My lower carb'd beers (Stout, Bitters...) Maybe I'll have to repeat a second time.
 
I have no doubt that shaking it works, and can work well. I have done it many times when I needed something ready for an event that was only a day away. What I was really talking about was consistent, repeatable results, which I think you would agree is more achievable by setting and forgetting.
 
If I use this method (set it and forget it) do Istill have to hook the gas line up to the discharge line or should it be hooked up as normal?
 
Hook it up to your gas in post. Some people believe that you can carbonate faster by pushing the CO2 into the liquid out post, but all the testing that I have done does not prove that out. Two kegs, 10 gallon batch split between them, chilled to 40˚F. One keg was connected via the gas in post, the other, the liquid out post.

Checked the level of carbonation every day. There was no discernible difference in the level of carbonation. Both were fully carbed by day six. To me, there is no benefit to carbing through the diptube, only risk. The risk of backing up beer into your gas line and regulator if your check valve doesn't hold.
 
Only problem is that your beer ages better at room temperature. So you get it cold to carbonate it faster, but it ages slower.

I'm doing some testing right now. Me and my buddy did a ten gallon, he's leaving his in the fridge. I chilled mine and carbed it and then took it out of the fridge. I'm going to leave it for three weeks and see which is better. If it's his, I'm going to try again but carb it with taking it from the fridge.
 
If you don't like the shaking method you can employ a beer stone, set to serving pressure and your beer will be carbonated within 48 hours. Assuming you gave it ample time in the secondary, you can drink it right away, although i find it definitely Co2 conditions over a period of two weeks. To be honest, it is kind of interesting to taste the flavor differences in those first ten days and I ussually sample in teh name of science, but more often than not it gets better later so one must exercise restraint, which can be difficult when staring down the barrel of a loaded keg.
 
God Emporer BillyBrew said:
I'm doing some testing right now. Me and my buddy did a ten gallon, he's leaving his in the fridge. I chilled mine and carbed it and then took it out of the fridge. I'm going to leave it for three weeks and see which is better. If it's his, I'm going to try again but carb it with taking it from the fridge.
Click to expand...

Did you notice a difference between these two techniques?
 
BierMuncher said:
Disregard button....[ENGAGED] ;)

I have great luck shaking, but tend to take a step-up approach and modify based on the style of beer.

1) Chill completely.
2) PSI set to 30lbs.
3) Keg laying flat across lap.
4) Shake keg left to right (top to bottom) for 60-90 seconds.
5) Stop and listen and wait for bubbling to stop.
6) Repeat steps 4 and 5 about five times.
7) Return keg back to fridge and set PSI to 10-12 (serving)
8) Let sit overnight or for 3-4 hours
9) Draw off glass and taste test.
10) Repeat entire process as necessary.

My higher carb'd beers (Wit, Blond Ales...) I'll usually repeat three times.

My lower carb'd beers (Stout, Bitters...) Maybe I'll have to repeat a second time.
Click to expand...

Yeah, I do a similar, simplified process. I gas it up to about 35 psi to seat the lid, and don't rock. Then I leave it at 10 psi for 5 days, and serve.

Works fine, doesn't get too much foam.
 

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