quick but not too quick carbonation

[basilchef]

i have read about force carbing a good amount and understand the set it and forget it method of setting to serving pressure and waiting two weeks. i have also heard of the quick method of turning up to 30 psi and rolling the keg, yadda yadda yadda. I was wondering if there was an in between way of force carbing? like maybe 30 psi for 24 hrs then turning it down? Or 15 psi for a few days? any pointers for a first time force carber?

 

[nealperkins]

Of course there is. In fact, because over-carbing is such a PITA, I now under-carb and finish up over a short period of time.

 

[Yooper]

For many beers, I keg them (room temperature beer) and place them in the kegerator at 30 psi for 36 hours. Then I purge and reset to 12 psi, and the beer is pretty well carbed in 3 days or so. It works great, and never overcarbs the beer the way shaking can.

 

[Bobby_M]

Yup, Yoopers method is a solid way to do it but you absolutely cannot forget and leave the keg at 30psi for more than 2 days. Set up a calendar reminder on your phone or whatever.

 

[TheDarkChemist]

I never really understood what an overcarbed beer was like, until I cracked open and poured an IPA by Natty Green. Full glass, poured gently, 1/4 inch of liquid at the bottom, the rest foam.

3 days seems reasonable, what benefits does the two weeks method have over it?

 

[basilchef]

For many beers, I keg them (room temperature beer) and place them in the kegerator at 30 psi for 36 hours. Then I purge and reset to 12 psi, and the beer is pretty well carbed in 3 days or so. It works great, and never overcarbs the beer the way shaking can.

What if i decide to cold crash the carboy before the transfer? Also, whats the point of letting out all of the co2 and then setting to serving pressure? Lastly, is 12 psi a warm or cold temp serving pressure? Sorry and thank you.

 

[Komocabo]

I put mine at 30 psi for 24 hours, then purge and drop it to 15 psi for 2-3 days. Its usually carved by then so I turn it down to 10ish psi and let it sit until I'm thirsty.
The reason you purge is because if you set to 30 psi and just cranked the gauge down you would still have 30 psi in there. The pressure won't decrease just by turning the knob. Hope that makes sense.

 

[basilchef]

I put mine at 30 psi for 24 hours, then purge and drop it to 15 psi for 2-3 days. Its usually carved by then so I turn it down to 10ish psi and let it sit until I'm thirsty.
The reason you purge is because if you set to 30 psi and just cranked the gauge down you would still have 30 psi in there. The pressure won't decrease just by turning the knob. Hope that makes sense.

Yes, what temp do you do it at? And thanks

 

[JayDubWill]

Take a look at this chart, it will help you. I shoot for the green at 42F. My fridge is a little cooler than ideal (for me) but it doubles as my lager chamber as well.

 

[Komocabo]

BasilChef, When I keg my beer it is coming from the fermenter at 65-70 depending on the season. So right from the fermentation vessel to the keg at 68*, then straight to the fridge (normal fridge temp) put the gas on as explained above. Hope this helps.

 

[basilchef]

These are all great answers but, what about those who cold crash due to free floating dry hops?

 

[Bostonbrewin63]

I force carb, let it set at 20 psi for the first night. Then down to 15 psi for one night then to 10 psi for a week or so. After that I shut the co2 completely off, only Turing it on if I'm going to pour a few beers. Saves on co2 an over carbing. Never had a problem. Seems to work for my system.

 

[MNDan]

36 hours with 36 PSI on beer at 36F works every time for me.

 

[evandena]

For many beers, I keg them (room temperature beer) and place them in the kegerator at 30 psi for 36 hours. Then I purge and reset to 12 psi, and the beer is pretty well carbed in 3 days or so. It works great, and never overcarbs the beer the way shaking can.

Been practicing this method for all my beers, never had an over-carbed one yet.
As Bobby, said, make sure you remember to turn it back down.
I also let mine sit at serving pressure for at least 5 days after burst carbing to let the carbonic bite dissipate.

 

[Cajun_McChicken]

I too usually do 36psi for a day and a half before dropping down to serving pressure, but last time I forgot a super important step: disconnect the serving line from the keg. My picnic taps couldn't hold back 36psi and just about a whole 5 gallons dripped into the bottom of the fridge, out the door and pooled in the back corner of the garage. Nightmare.

 

[basilchef]

I too usually do 36psi for a day and a half before dropping down to serving pressure, but last time I forgot a super important step: disconnect the serving line from the keg. My picnic taps couldn't hold back 36psi and just about a whole 5 gallons dripped into the bottom of the fridge, out the door and pooled in the back corner of the garage. Nightmare.

Oh no! Thats too bad. Lesson learned thanks. Still haven't got a straight answer about carbing an already cold beer. Still go with 30 psi for 24 hrs?

 

[rkorn74]

Basil, I'm the odd one out here. I keg at room temp and burp the keg with 10 psi then put it straight in the kegerator at about 33 degrees for 24 hours. Next day I put 30 psi on and roll for no more than 5 mins. After that I let it sit for an hour then purge. Lastly I put it to serving pressure. Hope that answers your question on cold carbing.

 

[Yooper]

Oh no! Thats too bad. Lesson learned thanks. Still haven't got a straight answer about carbing an already cold beer. Still go with 30 psi for 24 hrs?

Yes.

 

[AnOldUR]

The reason you purge is because if you set to 30 psi and just cranked the gauge down you would still have 30 psi in there. The pressure won't decrease just by turning the knob. Hope that makes sense.

Personally, I don't purge at all. It's a waste of CO2. If you dial back the regulator after 24 hours it will reach equilibrium in less than a day. The small amount of gas at 30psi in the head space of a full keg will be absorbed and not even affect the overall volumes much because no new CO2 will come in until it's needed.


edit to say, be sure you have a functioning check valve

 

[basilchef]

Yes.

Thanks

 

[basilchef]

Personally, I don't purge at all. It's a waste of CO2. If you dial back the regulator after 24 hours it will reach equilibrium in less than a day. The small amount of gas at 30psi in the head space of a full keg will be absorbed and not even affect the overall volumes much because no new CO2 will come in until it's needed.

edit to say, be sure you have a functioning check valve

Interesting, thats the first i have heard of not purging.

 

[AnOldUR]

Interesting, thats the first i have heard of not purging.

Not to be confused with purging the O2 from the keg before starting the process. That is still required. Purging during carbonating is not, unless you over shot the amount of gas needed. I prefer to under carb at the 30psi for 24 hours and let it reach final serving pressure over the next couple of days at the proper pressure setting.

 

[tre9er]

I always carb at 30PSI (I cold crash my beers before racking to keg, too, FWIW) with shaking. After 24 hours they're mostly carbed but I'll put them on 15-20 for another 24. I can drink them as soon as I want, or let them sit at serving. Never really had an issue with overcarbing. I set the regulator as low as I need it to avoid foamy pours. I think it's an art that you learn and stick with your method.

 

[eluterio]

From my experience of using kegs has been all over the map. I first started out with force carb at 30 psi roll it like a mad man, purge, roll it, purge let it sit for 24 hours then drop it to 10ish depending on temp of my kegorator. However, I was not consistent in getting perfectly carbed beer until 3 weeks down the road. So, I switch it to just putting it to 12 psi and let it sit for 2 weeks then drink. I usually have one on tap and one waiting so i dont go thirsty.

Now that I have acquired 7 kegs my philosophy has shifted to using priming sugar in the keg. I was always getting different results from when I bottled and did the forced carb keg. I use 2.0 oz of priming sugar, rack into keg, purge out o2 with co2 at 10 psi, check for leaks, no leaks leave at 10 psi and let it sit at 70 degrees until im ready for it. I have two sitting in my closet now should last me all summer. I have one on tap, on that in the kegorator ready, two in waiting on brewing one the month of may, june, july to keep the beer stocked!


On Tap - Blonde ALe
In waiting - Hulk-E Amber
Carbing - Split Tail Hef
Carbing - Six Finger Pale Ale
Next Brew Session - Summer Amber

 

[tre9er]

I should note that I like to drink my beer ASAP, even if just to sample it. I brew 9.25g batches and I have probably 2 beers a night, maybe more on weekends or if throwing a party, so they don't last too long. My wife has one every few days, too. Sometimes my beer get's better with age, but mostly I brew hoppy PAs and IPAs, some lighter beers for SWMBO. I like beer, be it slightly green, slightly hazy, etc. Everyone's different.

 

[eluterio]

I should note that I like to drink my beer ASAP, even if just to sample it. I brew 9.25g batches and I have probably 2 beers a night, maybe more on weekends or if throwing a party, so they don't last too long. My wife has one every few days, too. Sometimes my beer get's better with age, but mostly I brew hoppy PAs and IPAs, some lighter beers for SWMBO. I like beer, be it slightly green, slightly hazy, etc. Everyone's different.

NICE! Dont get me wrong with in 12 hours I will do "taste samples" as I like to call them. Just to make sure there is nothing wrong.

 

[tre9er]

NICE! Dont get me wrong with in 12 hours I will do "taste samples" as I like to call them. Just to make sure there is nothing wrong.

I admit they're a bit hazy/semi-yeasty at first (S-05 doesn't fall out well after just 48 hour cold-crash) but I'm after the malt/hop mix/taste. It's the first time the beer really tastes like beer. I mean, the hydro sample at FG does, but it's flat. This way it's cold, foamy, and mostly carbonated. It's like a sneak preview...but you can extend it as long as you want!

 

[AnOldUR]

I suggest making some extra beer and using this to carbonate it while the keg conditions properly.





Fill a couple of two liter bottles to hold you over.

 

[basilchef]

Im with you too. Although i have only naturally carbed before this, i drank it the sec i thought "hbtsa" (home brew talk socially acceptable).

 

[tre9er]

If I conditioned an IPA it would lose most of it's hop aroma. They're better young. Some styles are not.

 

[basilchef]

I suggest making a little extra and using this to sample you beer while your keg conditions properly.

http://www.bargainfittings.com/index.php?route=product/product&path=51_66&product_id=213

Dont quite understand how it works. Can you explain how you use it. Why does it carb faster in a 2L?

 

[eluterio]

I suggest making some extra beer and using this to carbonate it while the keg conditions properly.





Fill a couple of two liter bottles to hold you over.

is there a thread on this? im not sure how its used?

 

[tre9er]

is there a thread on this? im not sure how its used?

It's a kent disconnect, IIRC. I have one, just never used it. You clamp a liquid hose to the blue barb (the other end would go to a gas QD on your keg, obviously). When you disconnect the two pieces shown, nothing flows, so you can carb a 1L or 2L bottle, twist the disconnect and transport it somewhere with you or open it and have a sample, then screw lid back on and reconnect the fitting and it's back on the gas. BargainFittings.com has them.

 

[AnOldUR]

If I conditioned an IPA it would lose most of it's hop aroma. They're better young. Some styles are not.

Here's my thought on the subject. Conditioning an IPA is not the same as conditioning a Barleywine. An extra week to carb and clear won't loose your hop aroma. On the other hand, the large bubbles formed by shaking will carry hop aroma out of the beer. Even more so if you purge the keg after it's been at high pressure. It seem to me that the beer that I shake the bejesus out of in a PET bottle with a carbonator cap never has the same hop profile as what comes out of the keg a week later.

 

[AnOldUR]

is there a thread on this? im not sure how its used?

Like tre9er says. Hook it up and charge your PET bottle of beer with 20-30 psi of CO2. Disconnect and shake. Repeat until you get the level of carbonation that you want. They're great for sampling your beer at different stages of the process.

 

[eluterio]

Like tre9er says. Hook it up and charge your PET bottle of beer with 20-30 psi of CO2. Disconnect and shake. Repeat until you get the level of carbonation that you want. They're great for sampling your beer at different stages of the process.

Interesting might have to pick one up.

 

[eluterio]

Here's my thought on the subject. Conditioning an IPA is not the same as conditioning a Barleywine. An extra week to carb and clear won't loose your hop aroma. On the other hand, the large bubbles formed by shaking will carry hop aroma out of the beer. Even more so if you purge the keg after it's been at high pressure. It seem to me that the beer that I shake the bejesus out of in a PET bottle with a carbonator cap never has the same hop profile as what comes out of the keg a week later.

For clarification on my end when you mention shaking AKA force Carb at 30 psi, your opinion you lose hop aroma? Same goes for when you purge at 30 psi after its sat for 24 hours or 36 hours to 10 psi you lose more hop aroma?

This is interesting to me and to ask others opinions, would it be the same if you just dumped in 12 psi and let it sit at 44 Degrees for 2 weeks to carb, then purge to 3 and use a poor mans bottle filler, fill bottle(s), could lose your hop aroma?

This might be need to go on a new thread cause this is interesting and frankly I think I have experienced this before.

I had bottle conditioned a batch kegged 1/2 bottle the other using priming sugar. The keg did not taste like the bottle and I forced carbed it.

 

[AnOldUR]

For clarification on my end when you mention shaking AKA force Carb at 30 psi, your opinion you lose hop aroma? Same goes for when you purge at 30 psi after its sat for 24 hours or 36 hours to 10 psi you lose more hop aroma?

I don't think that force carbing is the same "AKA" as the shake method or high pressure with purging. I've heard those called burst carbing. Setting at 30 PSI for 24 hours before dropping to serving and not purging is kind of a hybrid. It's not true set-and-forget force carbing, but speeds up the process without the negitives and risk of over carbing.

Simply burping your properly carbed keg to get the pressure down for bottling is not the same as charging to 30psi, shaking and then purging like some people do when burst carbing.

 

[tre9er]

Here's my thought on the subject. Conditioning an IPA is not the same as conditioning a Barleywine. An extra week to carb and clear won't loose your hop aroma. On the other hand, the large bubbles formed by shaking will carry hop aroma out of the beer. Even more so if you purge the keg after it's been at high pressure. It seem to me that the beer that I shake the bejesus out of in a PET bottle with a carbonator cap never has the same hop profile as what comes out of the keg a week later.

I neglected to mention I dry-hop in the keg

 

[tre9er]

I don't think that force carbing is the same "AKA" as the shake method or high pressure with purging. I've heard those called burst carbing. Setting at 30 PSI for 24 hours before dropping to serving and not purging is kind of a hybrid. It's not true set-and-forget force carbing, but speeds up the process without the negitives and risk of over carbing.

Simply burping your properly carbed keg to get the pressure down for bottling is not the same as charging to 30psi, shaking and then purging like some people do when burst carbing.

I only purge after 24 hours if/when I want to pull a sample (so I don't shoot foam everywhere). Otherwise I might just crank the pressure down a turn and leave it another day.