Keg Force Carbing Methods Illustrated

[Bobby_M]

It's just not enough surface area to make any difference. The alternative is to put a diffusion stone on a piece of tubing in the gas in port, but that's another sanitation concern for little gain. If you want to hurry, increasing the pressure for 2 days or agitating the keg for a few minutes is just as easy. I do know that a few people around here have played with a special corny lid that has an aux gas in port where the pressure release valve normally goes and that had a tube with stone on it. You'd put that on for carbing, then replace with a normal lid later.

 

[petep1980]

Let me get this straight.

For burst

1. Set bottle to 3x desired psi.
2. Wait 48-72 hours.
3. Then you say "purge", does this mean I should disconnect and bleed all the gas out of the keg?
4. Then I would assume once 3 was complete I would put it back onto the desired pressure and wait.

 

[Bobby_M]

Yes, you have it right. The purge is to make sure you don't stay at that elevated pressure for too long. Perhaps the word "vent" is more appropriate.

 

[petep1980]

Perfect, thanks.

 

[BROWN]

ok, i've got a question that touches on a lot of things covered, but i want to make sure i do it right...

kegged a beer and hit it with 10-15psi every couple days for two weeks at room temperature. then hit is with 30psi and agitated it, again at room temperature. i put it into a fridge a couple days later at 38degrees. a week later i let out all the co2 and poured my first glass. a decent amount of foam, but the beer was flat.

did the co2 not take well to the beer because it was warmer? should i hit it with a constant 30psi for 24 hours in the fridge for better results? after i keep it at 30 for a day, should i purge all the gas again, and reset the co2 closer to a desired psi, like 10ish, depending on the carb chart? i'm hoping to have it right by a party on saturday. i've got 5 days...

 

[Bobby_M]

My initial post and the pressures/times listed were assuming cold beer. Hitting a warm keg with 10-15psi in short bursts just about does nothing. Well, let's say that 10psi applied constantly for 2 weeks would end up at 1.21 volumes. So, I'd disregard the lower pressure activity you performed.

30psi at room temp under agitation could get you to 2 volumes of CO2, but I think it would take a couple rounds of shaking over the course of a few minutes until no more Co2 would flow in.

Once you get the beer cold, the CO2 that has been previously dissolved in should stay in during a pour if your lines are balanced well. That's where I'd start troubleshooting. How long is your serving line and what's the inside diameter?

 

[BROWN]

My initial post and the pressures/times listed were assuming cold beer. Hitting a warm keg with 10-15psi in short bursts just about does nothing. Well, let's say that 10psi applied constantly for 2 weeks would end up at 1.21 volumes. So, I'd disregard the lower pressure activity you performed.

30psi at room temp under agitation could get you to 2 volumes of CO2, but I think it would take a couple rounds of shaking over the course of a few minutes until no more Co2 would flow in.

Once you get the beer cold, the CO2 that has been previously dissolved in should stay in during a pour if your lines are balanced well. That's where I'd start troubleshooting. How long is your serving line and what's the inside diameter?

it seems like getting the beer cold first made a huge difference. i kegged my first beer before i got my freezer and i ended up with all those problems. i kegged my second after i got the freezer and the process went a lot more smoothly. i basically ended up carbing the first (warmly carbed) beer again from scratch at 30psi using consensus ideas from this thread, this time cold, and it's coming up much closer to where i want it to be.

 

[Bobby_M]

Well think of it this way, if you go with 30psi when cold, that's approximately 3x the recommended "set and forget" pressure for cold beer. If you do the same thing with the beer at room temp, 3x the pressure is closer to 90psi which is dangerous.

 

[BROWN]

Well think of it this way, if you go with 30psi when cold, that's approximately 3x the recommended "set and forget" pressure for cold beer. If you do the same thing with the beer at room temp, 3x the pressure is closer to 90psi which is dangerous.

yeah, that makes sense. when i first started carbing at room temp, i was doing it with advice from a friend and didn't really do much research own my own beforehand. i was just taking his advice for it all. knowing that cold beer absorbs CO2 a ton better makes a world of difference. i'm glad this thread has been stickied. haha.

 

[bamcken]

hey I am new here, been reading alot on force carbing. I just kegged for 2nd time and tied a way that worked very well for me. I looked up the correct serving pressure for my style of beer, chilled the keg down to serving temp and applied the 10lb pressure while rocking the keg for 20 to 30 minutes then put back in fridge with the co2 at the same 10lb pressure. I let it sit for 2 hrs and had nice carbination. I was surprised as my 1st round at force carb. I way over did it. It takes a bit longer this way but you don't overcarb. Has anyone else done it that way. I found a post on another webpage that said to try this and it worked great for me.

 

[jeremysavoy]

I just ordered my two keg kegging setup with a dual body regulator from keg connections yesterday, this post has been extremely informative for me as I mentally prepare for the shift from all bottling to mostly kegging.

I do have one question though - I don't have a kegerator yet and planned to store my serving temp kegs in a normal upright fridge, but lying on their side. I obviously don't plan to dispense that way, my thought was to pull the keg out and dispense each beer, or for gatherings put the chilled keg in a tub of ice. I'm just wondering, can I keep it the keg on gas or under pressure while lying on its side, or will the gas that may get into the dip tube cause issues when I go to serve?

I do have a kegerator lined up, but it may take a month or so to get it. My kegging equipment will likely take 2 weeks to get shipped and arrive, and I may let the beer age before gassing it anyways so I may have the kegerator in time -- but assuming I don't, what do you think about lying on its side in a normal fridge?

I apologize if this question has been asked and answered multiple times elsewhere -- this seemed like the right place to ask.

 

[Bobby_M]

You can leave them on their side with the gas hooked up but make sure your regulator is up higher so beer doesn't want to gravity drain.

 

[Kronin]

great post, thanks!

 

[motobrewer]

I have a few questions-

Does anyone have a step-by-step guide on how to keg?

So, I rack to my keg. Now I want to cool before force-carbing. But I also want it on a blanket of CO2. So do I rack, seal, blast with 15lb, cool, then proceed with carb?

 

[Bobby_M]

Sanitize.
Flood with a bit of CO2.
Rack beer in.
Seal
20 psi of CO2 applied for a second. Vent. Pressurize to 20psi.

Now you can either store it warm for a while, leave it on serving pressure while you chill it, or chill it and perform a rapid carbonation method.

 

[motobrewer]

Thanks Bobby!

So, if I had two weeks to carb, I would take my 20psi keg, put it in the fridge, then when it gets to temp pressurize to serving pressure then just leave it alone? I'm assuming taking a 20psi keg at room temp and putting it in the fridge will leave me with a very low pressure keg, is this accurate?

 

[Bobby_M]

Yes, assuming you mean that you have the gas disconnected between room temp and the chill down, the pressure will drop quite a bit so you can just set the reg to serving and let it go for 2 weeks. My tip is to leave the serving line off the keg that whole time too otherwise you'll be down a gallon by the time the thing is carbed up.

 

[motobrewer]

leave the "serving line" off.....leave the gas line off?

so chill it, pressurize to, lets say, 12 psi, then disconnect the gas?

why would i be down a gallon of gas, just leakage?

 

[Bobby_M]

No, I really meant serving line. There's something about having easy access to the contents of the keg (like the faucet) that makes a brewer regularly "test it out" every day during the carbonation process. You figure, it's just an ounce or two. Bam.. two weeks later the keg is light.

 

[motobrewer]

hahaha, I kind of thought that's what you meant.

i have a moderate amount of patience. plus both these kegs are for new years, so they aren't to be touched until then.

but, yeah.....good idea. thanks!

 

[duffman2]

No, I really meant serving line. There's something about having easy access to the contents of the keg (like the faucet) that makes a brewer regularly "test it out" every day during the carbonation process. You figure, it's just an ounce or two. Bam.. two weeks later the keg is light.

Ok well I'm brand new to this as well so here's my question. I'm way more interested in this beer tasting right than anything so I want to condition properly. I've seen how bottles can go from good to great in a matter of days. So, is it the same thing in a keg? If I force carb a little early (just because I'm dying to try this all out), will my beer continue to condition the way it should with time? Specifically, if my beer has been kegged at room temp (60) for a week and I want to try to accelerate the process and burst it, will it continue to get better if I let it go at serving psi after that? Should I be refrigerating it to absorb more CO2 this whole time? This whole waiting period is just like I bought myself the best Christmas present in the world, and I refuse to let myself look in the box just one little time!

Of course I do believe in the beer gremlins and their sneaky little underhanded ways. So, I promise myself to taste a couple of times and then let it go to fruition. I wouldn't lie to myself, now would I?

 

[Bobby_M]

Yes, the beer does continue to get better while it's cold and carbed. There's a period shortly after burst carbing where it's sharp from the carbonic acid that is produced. It seems to dissipate in 1-2 weeks.

 

[motobrewer]

OK, so, another scenario-

I have two homebrews, both have 10ft lines. I was gonna "set and forget" at 12psi, serve at 12psi.

Now, i have a 3rd tap, which I'm gonna run a micro out of. I don't have 2 regs, so it will also be at 12psi. The issue is, (for some reason) that tap has only a 5ft (if that, probably closer to 4) line. Will I get nothing but foam out of that line?

 

[flyweed]

I have a quick carb question. I have a fridge out in my garage (unheated) and right now temps outside are about 20F...my fridge as a thermometer in it and the temp inside the fridge goes from about 32F to 34F where my kegs are. I just kegged a BLackberry blonde ale..what pressure and for how long should I carb this keg at those temps??

Dan

 

[flyerwire]

my serving pressure is 10psi at about 42F, i usually boost (and have missed twice and been pissed) so i tired just letting it sit and forget about it, i came back a little under 2 weeks later and it was barely even carbed... i have no idea why when it seems everyone else says it works . I boosted it up to 30 for 24 hours or so and all was better.

 

[Bobby_M]

I have a quick carb question. I have a fridge out in my garage (unheated) and right now temps outside are about 20F...my fridge as a thermometer in it and the temp inside the fridge goes from about 32F to 34F where my kegs are. I just kegged a BLackberry blonde ale..what pressure and for how long should I carb this keg at those temps??

Dan

7-8psi for 2 weeks should get you around 2.4 volumes of CO2 which is pretty typical of American styles.

 

[Bobby_M]

my serving pressure is 10psi at about 42F, i usually boost (and have missed twice and been pissed) so i tired just letting it sit and forget about it, i came back a little under 2 weeks later and it was barely even carbed... i have no idea why when it seems everyone else says it works . I boosted it up to 30 for 24 hours or so and all was better.

Well, a little under 2 weeks isn't quite enough to hit the target volumes.
10psi at 42F will get you to 2.2 volumes at full equilibrium which takes 2-3 weeks. At 12 days (assumption), it might only be at 1.7 volumes or something and you might not consider that carbed enough.

Just to clarify, you did keep the gas connected the whole time right?

 

[flyerwire]

Well, a little under 2 weeks isn't quite enough to hit the target volumes.
10psi at 42F will get you to 2.2 volumes at full equilibrium which takes 2-3 weeks. At 12 days (assumption), it might only be at 1.7 volumes or something and you might not consider that carbed enough.

Just to clarify, you did keep the gas connected the whole time right?

yes i did and 12 days is probably a good guess. I guess i needed to let it go another week or so. It's not like i was in a hurry to drink it, its still sitting and will be for another week or two, just thought it was 2 weeks and gave up. I have a fresh keg of a grog clone that i'll let sit for 3 weeks.

 

[Bobby_M]

my serving pressure is 10psi at about 42F, i usually boost (and have missed twice and been pissed) so i tired just letting it sit and forget about it, i came back a little under 2 weeks later and it was barely even carbed... i have no idea why when it seems everyone else says it works . I boosted it up to 30 for 24 hours or so and all was better.

Well, a little under 2 weeks isn't quite enough to hit the target volumes.
10psi at 42F will get you to 2.2 volumes at full equilibrium which takes 2-3 weeks. At 12 days (assumption), it might only be at 1.7 volumes or something and you might not consider that carbed enough.

Just to clarify, you did keep the gas connected the whole time right?

 

[Brewer3401]

Thanks very much for the chart - very nice.

I let my beer in the brite tank for 4+ weeks at 34 F (last batch was 7 weeks - had to wait on CO2)

Beer is very cold when kegged, and I pressure up to 30 psi for 24 hours.

Back off pressure, blow down keg, then set to 12 psi. I get good results within 7 days.

But, I do see a slight improvement after 2+ weeks.

If I'm not in a rush (need in 7 days or so) I use the "sane" method. Set to maintenance pressure and just let sit for a few weeks.

NOTE: Just re-read your post about the 24 hour over-pressuring. Yep, it does work rather nicely. Shook a few times and was not wild about the results - kind of a crap shoot.