Serving from corny keg without co2 connected

I was wondering if anyone had any experience serving carbonated beer out of corny kegs, without the co2 connected to the keg? I know it is possible but I am curious how long the beer will stay carbonated if left disconnected from the co2 connection while still attached to a tap. Is there enough co2 in the beer to serve the whole keg, or will it stop pouring as the pressure in the keg goes down? Will the beer just go flat? Does it depend on how long it takes to drink the keg?

It will eventually stop pouring, sooner than later. Depending on how frequent you pour, most of the CO2 will dissolve into the beer, meaning no more flow. You are going to need more gas

First couple of glasses will pour well. Then it will get slower, and slower until it eventually stops pouring. So, if you are just trying to put off refilling CO2 for a few days it will be fine. But if you are hoping to nix the CO2 and try to push a whole keg at a party or something without it, then good luck!

It also depends on how full your keg is, and what it's pressurized to. If its only a third full, you have 2/3 of it full of co2, which means if it's maybe 10 psi, you could most definitely push the rest of the beer. The less co2 to beer ratio you have, the harder it'll be to push out the beer out. Also, I bet if you pull the keg out of the fridge, having a warmer keg will mean less co2 is absorbed in the beer, and the pressure will rise. You'll also have to deal with warm beer though...

Thanks for all the good info!

Does anyone know the best method for carbonating a keg quickly? I want to carbonate beer that is in my keg in less than 2 days so I can bottle it for a competition using my counter pressure bottle filler.

30 pounds of pressure and shake the hell out of it

After 30 psi and shaking the hell out of it, is it ready to pour immediately or do I need to let it settle or drain the extra co2 from the pressure release valve? How long do I shake it and what psi do I leave the regulator at for serving?

From HBT: https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f35/shaking-keg-carbonating-131324/#post1477450

david_42 said:

Three basic methods:

1. 30 psi and shake for 30 minutes.
2. 30 psi and sit for 48 hours.
3. Serving pressure for a week.

If you use the first two, you need to give the beer a week to adjust to the pH change carbonating causes.

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Also cold liquids carbonate faster than warm, so get that keg cold! 2 days is pushing it, but its possible

i prefer to shake at your desired PSI level instead of 30psi - you can easily over carb the beer shaking at 30psi

1. Serving pressure psi and shake for 30+ minutes.
2. 30 psi and sit for 48 hours.
3. Serving pressure for a week.

30 PSI, shake for 5 minutes (beer at 37 degrees F), disconnect gas, let it sit overnight, re-attach CO2 at 12psi and serve.

The first two pints will come out pretty foamy (depending on the style, but it will smooth out and be delicious).

Here's the deal...
I must chime in this one because I am curious.
I have 3 cornelius kegs made up for a friend's wedding. I am handing them off to a bartender who I am not sure is familiar with beer carbonation with CO2; actually handing them off to someone handing them off to them.

I have the beer slightly overcarbonated. I figure if they are not comfortable using the CO2... the first guests will get fairly foamy beer, 5 gallons of beer will go really fast at a wedding reception, and hopefully it is not too flat for the last guests.

I can come to the rescue with CO2, but I'd rather avoid that moment.

Has anyone ever served at a large party without keeping the beer 'gassed'?

Has anyone ever served at a large party without keeping the beer 'gassed'?

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This just is not possible. It will work for the first few pours; however, as beer is displaced, C02 will degas from the beer to reach equilibrium. It will quickly be insufficient pressure to push beer.

If you are going to have the bartender serving beer, why not just bring your CO2 system with you? If all the beer will be consumed that evening, you could leave the beer at a low PSI to alleviate any foaming issues and it will have very little impact on the carbonation, especially if it is already a little over-carbed