1st brew done and kegged. How long to wait

[user 337266]

I just kegged my first ever brew. Fermented for 2 weeks. It’s a NB Bavarian Hefe extract. How long does it need to carbonate before ready to drink? Also what PSI should I set regulator to?

 

[mac_1103]

Read this and/or this.

 

[Sammy86]

Depends on your patience level.

You can do the set it and forget it method: set at serving pressure and leave it alone for 2 weeks.

Or Burst Carbonation Method: 40 PSI, roll the keg a bunch and get the co2 into solution.

Or Burst Carbonation Light: Set at 30 PSI for 24 hours, 20 PSI for 48 hours then serving pressure for 4 days and you'll be good to go.

I've done them all in my 10 years of brewing but my personal favorite is the last method.

 

[wepeeler]

Either set it and forget it at 10-12psi and wait about a week or so, or 30psi 24 hours, 20psi 24 hours, then down to serving pressure and enjoy carbed beer in about 3-4 days.

 

[day_trippr]

Or Burst Carbonation Method: 40 PSI, roll the keg a bunch and get the co2 into solution.

I would definitely be very careful going this route as of all the options this one has the potential to totally screw up a keg of beer, which invariably would then lead to having to do this: Overcarbed Keg? Here's an INSTANT SOLUTION!

Less than a handful of times I have fast-carbed a keg with the whole rocking thing but I used the same "chart pressure" as a "set-and-forget" scheme (or, for that matter, what my keezer regs are set for maintaining carbonation). In an afternoon I had a nicely drinkable keg, and one cannot overcarbed a keg that way...

Cheers!

 

[Dland]

Also what PSI should I set regulator to?

What temperature do you have/want the beer at? PSI and temp are two things one needs to calculate carbonation levels.

 

[user 337266]

What temperature do you have/want the beer at? PSI and temp are two things one needs to calculate carbonation levels.

Currently I have it set to about 40 degrees according to a thermometer. I currently have psi at 15

 

[day_trippr]

According to our favorite carbonation table 15 psi at 40°F will eventually reach equilibrium at 2.75 volumes, which would be perfect for a hefe imo though most seem to go for 3 or even 3.5 volumes. Too buzzy for me

Cheers!

 

[KiwiSander]

My approach is more organic / lazy I stick it in the keggerator at serving pressure. Then I normally start tasting some in a day or so. Sure at first it is a bit under carbed, but you can taste where it is going. And it is interesting in its own right to taste how the beer improves with carbonation.

 

[day_trippr]

From the epic "Keg Force Carbing Methods Illustrated" thread...

Cheers!

 

[Clint Yeastwood]

I started brewing again in January, and because I had no beer inventory, I started force-carbing everything quickly. I'm glad I did it, but I am not going to continue with it. As Day_tripper says, you can get over-carbonated, and it's a pain. If you really want to try that beer, you can do what I did and then change your ways later.

 

[doug293cz]

Did you purge the keg headspace of air (and O2) after filling? If so, exactly what was your purging process. Not purging will mess up your carbonation level. Insufficient purging will cause your beer to oxidize more quickly than it should - a particularly bad problem for NEIPAs.

Brew on

 

[BeerHolic]

12psi at 38F for one week and I am happy with carbonation.

 

[user 337266]

Did you purge the keg headspace of air (and O2) after filling? If so, exactly what was your purging process. Not purging will mess up your carbonation level. Insufficient purging will cause your beer to oxidize more quickly than it should - a particularly bad problem for NEIPAs.

Brew on

I did. I purged it about 4-5 times. The. Ran out of gas the next day lol. Luckily I had a spare co2 tank

 

[doug293cz]

I did. I purged it about 4-5 times. The. Ran out of gas the next day lol. Luckily I had a spare co2 tank

That's enough so that carbonation will work properly, but not if you want sub 1 ppm O2 for easily oxidized styles (NEIPAs and other hoppy styles.)

Brew on

 

[hottpeper13]

I find my wheat beers to be ready to drink around 4 weeks GtoG , so 2 weeks primary and 2 weeks at 15 psi and 40* it should be perfect.