First kegging tomorrow, need advice

So, I'm going to attempt to keg some ginger-ale tomorrow. I do not have the ability to stabilize my keg temperature below room temperature. I'm curious about how much time is needed at room temperature (65-70) to either force carbonate (30 psi) or more patiently carbonate (12 psi). I'm shooting for a solid 2.4 volume carbonation.

I read somewhere that it takes 48 hours at 12 psi and 40 degrees to reach 2.4. I used a graph and it seems that it would take ~5 days at room temperature, but I'm not sure if that is accurate.

How much time does it take at 30 psi at 65-70 degrees to carbonate to 2.4 volumes? And how much time at 12 psi would it take (or would it even reach 2.4 volumes)? Is there a mathematical function to relate carbonation with temperature and psi and time?

EDIT: And I guess also, if one cooled a keg after carbonating to desired volume at room temperature, is it necessary to release pressure when it cools to avoid over carbonating?

I've been kegging my beer for 4 years and I've never once used any equations to figure out the time it will take. I'm curious why you can't put your keg under pressure while its chilled in your fridge, but if you can't you can't...I do suggest you chill your beer down as close to 32F in your fridge before you put it on gas. OBviously the colder liquid absorbs more gas, and if you get it chilled down that low before you put it at pressure it'll carb quicker.

That being said, I am able to put it on gas in my keezer. I chill it in the keg for a couple days, then I put it on gas @ 28psi for two days. Then I pull a sample. If its not carbed yet, I leave it on gas longer until it is.

I wouldn't call myself lazy about it, but I'm def not all uptight about it either. IF you overcarb, oh well...take it off gas and bleed it for a day.


Meh....

Good luck!

I don't have a fridge big enough to hold one of my kegs

So I guess from reading charts, it appears that I would need to carb and hold at 27 psi at room temperature to maintain 2.4 volumes. If I chilled the keg to 40 degrees, I would need to also lower the psi back to 12. It also seems that 12 psi would never carbonate to 2.4 volumes at room temp.

I guess the only question left is how long does it take at room temp and 27 psi?

zephaniahsw said:

I read somewhere that it takes 48 hours at 12 psi and 40 degrees to reach 2.4. I used a graph and it seems that it would take ~5 days at room temperature, but I'm not sure if that is accurate.

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The set and forget method takes a lot longer than 48 hrs to reach equilibrium. I keep my keezer around 42* and use 13 psi, the beers are usually drinkable at 1 wk but not fully carbed until 2. I would expect carbing at room temp to take at least as long, plus a day or two to get it chilled. You are correct, at room temp (meaning 65*) and 12 psi it will equilibrate to around 1.5 vols, you can't go higher.

So do you have another fridge on the way or how do you plan to store and dispense the beer?

you need to use a carbonation table to set the pressure depending on what temp you are carbing at and how many volumes you want. Carbing at 12psi at room temp will yield an undercarbed product no matter how long you let it sit.