Carbonating kegs at room temp?

I just got another 20lb Co2 tank and would like to carb my kegs before I put them in my kegerator. I know that Co2 dissolves into liquid better at colder temps but was wondering if it would be possible to hook up the kegs I have in my backlog to the Co2. They would probably sit on the Co2 for at least 2 weeks at 12PSI around 68*F. Would they be carbed by the time I put them on tap, or will additional carbing be needed when they are dropped to serving temp?

 

They will carb some but not fully unless you raise pressure as stated above.

 

For 2.5 units of C02 in a keg at 68F you need to carb it at 27.6 psi. The higher the temperature the higher the pressure. The same 2.5 at 40F 12.3 psi

This calculator here should help

It lets you set how much carbonation you want and at what temperature.

 

cool, that makes sense. thanks

 

Just make sure you don't get any new leaks at those elevated pressures and you definitely need hose clamps on the tubing if you don't already have them.

 

+1 on the hose clamps...

 

Ok mine have been sitting at about 28 psi for two days now at right around 70 degrees. Is it anywhere close to being carbed now? Or should I just let it sit for a week. Will it become over carbed??

 

I would leave it about a week at that pressure. I dont think you should worry about overcarbing since that is the proper pressure at 70 deg.
When you eventually put it in the kegerator, take it off the gas and let it sit overnight to chill. Then vent the keg and repressurize it at around 10psi (or whatever pressure you use). If everything worked out right then you should be good to go. Personally, I might want to vent the keg again after a day in the kegerator (just in case i overcarbed it at room temp).

 

It should take at least 10 days to reach the pressure on the chart. As mentioned, when it's ready to tap, remove the gas first, chill it down over night, reset the pressure to the new temperature on the chart to coincide with the volumes you are after, then reconnect. You don't really need to purge the keg at any point here. The lower temperature is automatically going to drop to the new pressure due to the ideal gas law.

 

Well I guess my bigger problem is that I wasn't planning on getting a kegerator. I just wanted to fill up a few growlers every few days and throw them in the fridge. That way I wont drink quite so much Any suggestions? Thanks.

 

In that case, you're going to need about 15 feet of 3/16th tubing and a BMBF. http://www.homebrewtalk.com/f35/we-no-need-no-stinking-beer-gun-24678/

 

i know this thread is a year half old, but if anyone's still on it, do you have an updated link of where that carbonation chart is? i've been googling the land, & can't seem to find it.

(i'm starting to try to force carbonate some still wine, & got my first batch in a 5g corny in the fridge now at about 37'F, for now at 25psi.)

 

Here you go:
http://www.kegerators.com/carbonation-table.php

 

thanks @shortyjacobs! that IS a handy dandy table. cheers!

 

Im glad sombody reserected this thread. It makes jumping out of bed while contemplating brewdeas seem a little more sane.

Like all good addicts I have a problem, and no I dont drink too much...
Its that I cant brew enough!!!
Every few months...imean Month...weeks...week...
OK OK OK... Everyday I think about new, better, different ways and things to brew.
But I've hit a bottle neck, and no not with my teeth.

I prefer to bottle my beer out of a keg, because more uninitiated people will try my craft brew with out the chum in the bottle, and in all honesty when I decide to have some folks over its nice to just hand over several bottles than it is to go through the "Bottle conditioned rite of passage" ritual or, have everyone hudle around my ugly kegerator fridge, and its hard to take the keg fishing

You know how it is... 1st you buy 1or2 more carboys to ferment in, then you buy a bigger kettle, 50# bags of grain, pounds & pounds of hops, then 20 gallon primary fermentors, and before you know it your drowning in unbottled, unkegged beer, UN-Drinkable beer.
Please...Somebody... Tell me "It's not just you[me]"
Ok........I feel better now that I got that off my chest.
:rockin:Here's the problem this old tread solved for me.What I will do is put SEVERAL corny kegs in the basement corner at 30psi for a couple of weeks, instead of letting it sit in the tertiary glass carboys the same amount of time, them move them into the fridge the night before bottling day, so I can bottle 4 kegs at once instead of 2 kegs of the IPA & light ale eveyone likes to drink and get back to trying some new styles ive been wanting to brew.

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