Keg beer didn't carb :(

[Len_Andov]

Coming up on my 1st anniversary as a home brewer. Myself and others are pleased with the results. I used to think I was gonna be good at this... Until now.

I bought the 2.5 gallon mini keg system from Midwest. I filled the keg first then bottled the rest in ez-cap flip-top half little bottles. Bottles sat in the dark on the porch around 65*F. I put some pressure in the keg for a leak-proof seal and put it in the fridge same day.

Two weeks after bottling and the bottles were very nice. Not much head retention in the glass but very bubbly on the tongue, and almost no sweet.

I tapped the keg last night and was surprised; disappointed even. This beer was slightly sweeter and did not
Have the carbonation the bottles beer did.

I know sweeter than means less fern conditioning. This is the second keg and the first one same scenario was perfect.

Pls share your experience, thoughts, and suggestions. Thanx!

-A-

 

[kh54s10]

You need to keep the keg on the gas. If you just fill the headspace with co2, it will go into solution but that will not be enough to fully carbonate the beer.

You can burst carbonate using something like 30psi for a day or 2 then lowering to serving pressure, it may take a few more days to equalize. Or you can set to serving pressure and waiting for a couple of weeks.

 

[smccarter]

It's a pretty easy process, but it's very easy to over carb your kegs. Many people, many different techniques... this is mine, and it works for me without failure.

Fill and seal the keg. Put 30 lbs of CO2 pressure on the keg for 24 hours. Turn the CO2 off and realease the pressure from the keg. Set the regulator at 8 lbs and open it back up.

Works every time for me. Not very technical, but it works.

 

[schematix]

Fill and seal the keg. Put 30 lbs of CO2 pressure on the keg for 24 hours. Turn the CO2 off and realease the pressure from the keg. Set the regulator at 8 lbs and open it back up.

You can do the same thing without purging the 30lbs from the headspace (waste of perfectly good CO2). Just turn the regulator down. 30 psi @ fridge temps for 1 day won't overcarb. 2 days is about the limit. If you go to 3 you're gonna have really foamy beer. Then you'll leave it around 10 psi +/- a few pounds depending upon how spritzy you like your beers. Personally I keep mine at 14 psi (@35F) because i like my beers well carbonated.

 

[Gavin C]

You can do the same thing without purging the 30lbs from the headspace (waste of perfectly good CO2). Just turn the regulator down. 30 psi @ fridge temps for 1 day won't overcarb. 2 days is about the limit. If you go to 3 you're gonna have really foamy beer. Then you'll leave it around 10 psi +/- a few pounds depending upon how spritzy you like your beers. Personally I keep mine at 14 psi (@35F) because i like my beers well carbonated.

Very similar to myself. 36 hours at 30 psi and then lower it to serving pressure. I purge just enough to insure the regulator and head space pressures are equal. Usually serving at 10-15psi depending on style although I tend to err toward a style's higher range.

 

[peterj]

From your post it sounds like you put priming sugar in the whole batch right? And it also sounded like you put the primed beer in the keg and immediately put it in the fridge? If that is the case then that is your problem. You can carbonate a keg naturally with priming sugar, but you have to keep the keg at room temp just like you do with bottles to allow the yeast to ferment the added sugar. This would explain why the beer tastes sweeter and not carbed.

You should pull the keg out, warm it up to room temp, and let it sit for 2-3 weeks to allow the yeast to process the priming sugar.

 

[Zepth]

From your post it sounds like you put priming sugar in the whole batch right? And it also sounded like you put the primed beer in the keg and immediately put it in the fridge? If that is the case then that is your problem. You can carbonate a keg naturally with priming sugar, but you have to keep the keg at room temp just like you do with bottles to allow the yeast to ferment the added sugar. This would explain why the beer tastes sweeter and not carbed.

You should pull the keg out, warm it up to room temp, and let it sit for 2-3 weeks to allow the yeast to process the priming sugar.

This was my thoughts exactly. Would also explain why the keg tastes notably sweeter than the bottled brethren.

 

[Len_Andov]

Than for the replies.

Two things:

1st, this keg has the paintball size gas injector. I haven't stepped up into the regulator big gas bottle phase.

2nd, I erred on the side if caution both times I've kegged by refrigerating. Most people I've talked to said a keg of beer will go bad at room temp.

I'm gonna pull the keg and set it on the counter. It's probly gonna be empty before two weeks from now hahah.

Anyone care to comment on how long 2.5 gallons will keep at room temp (65f) before spoiling? Kinda frustrating that my bottles can keep for a year or two but OMG chill the keg.

-A-

 

[blackbeer]

keg won't go bad at room temp. i routinely drink the whole keg at room temp for Real ales. game room temp anyway. use an online priming calculator and prime the keg with corn sugar and put the lid on and then purge it a few times with c02 and then put about 8-10 lbs of gas on it and watch what it does. it may drop and then start rising after a few days. thats the way i do mine anyway.

 

[ArkhamAsylum]

If you "burped" the keg to displace the O2 with CO2, then your beer should (theoretically) remain as stable as it would in a bottle. If you didn't do this, then I might recommend a keg party with your friends in the next 24 hours...

Carbonating a keg is both a science and an art, and there is plenty of knowledge on this forum that I will not attempt to recite. Remember that a beer's carbonation has a noticeable impact upon the flavor; something about the CO2 going into solution as carbonic acid lends its own flavor profile, which might potentially give the appearance as a sweeter brew.

If peterj's assumption is correct, then that would explain the disproportionate sweetness. Otherwise, remember that adding a pure fermentable sugar (such as corn sugar) to a brew will have the effect of drying it out (as it adds alcohol without any residual sweetness). All other things being equal, adding priming sugar will effectively decrease the sweetness of a beer.

 

[Bobby_M]

Anyone care to comment on how long 2.5 gallons will keep at room temp (65f) before spoiling? Kinda frustrating that my bottles can keep for a year or two but OMG chill the keg.

-A-

You can keep a keg of beer at room temp for as long as you need to, certainly at least as long as it would take to have the yeast carb it. A keg is a large container not much different than a bottle. No, you cannot naturally carb a keg by keeping it cold. The yeast hate that.

 

[schematix]

I had a keg of black IPA for over a year. It moved halfway across the country with me, then spent a few months at room temp in the basement before I put it on tap finally. Good to the last drop.

 

[Len_Andov]

Thank for the replies.

I'd prefer to leave it room temp. I'll try this next batch as well.

Cheers
-A-

 

[fantomlord]

You can do the same thing without purging the 30lbs from the headspace (waste of perfectly good CO2). Just turn the regulator down. 30 psi @ fridge temps for 1 day won't overcarb. 2 days is about the limit. If you go to 3 you're gonna have really foamy beer. Then you'll leave it around 10 psi +/- a few pounds depending upon how spritzy you like your beers. Personally I keep mine at 14 psi (@35F) because i like my beers well carbonated.

except that your keg would then be at higher pressure than your regulator, and if you have no check valves in place...

 

[schematix]

except that your keg would then be at higher pressure than your regulator, and if you have no check valves in place...

Good point. When I made that post I took for granted that I have check valves on every one of my gas QDs.

I learned that lesson the hard way and fixed it long ago. Without check valves there exists the possibility to back suck the keg and even flow keg to keg. Some regulators will bleed the excess pressure on their own, but that is back sucking in action.

So yes don't take my initial advise if you don't have check valves. My revised advice is to recommend check valves. Then take my initial advice.