A set and forget convert here

[petep1980]

With an extremely active 18 month old I have learned I needed to do two things with my brewing obses....ahem hobby. I needed to learn patience, and also how to do things the easy way.

I have successfully boost force-carbed my last two batches, but that involves cold crashing, rolling the keg on the ground, and all sorts of nonsense. It takes about an hour, but I get cold carbed beer.

The only question I have though is I want to get a double regulator so I can set and forget one batch while I serve another. I would like to plan to begin set and forget 2 weeks before the other keg is killed, but you can never guarantee when it will be ready to switch. Any issues if you set and forget for a month?

 

[Hammy71]

Set it forget it can go indefintely. I usually set at serving pressure anyway. After 2-3 weeks the beer is good to go.

 

[Shrewd_Alchemist]

I set and forget as well. I have had beer ready in as little at 10 days. It's usually very drinkable after 7 days but I tend to give it two weeks before I really dive in.

 

[Yooper]

"Set and forget" is my preferred method, too.

My kegerator has a couple of regulators, but both are at 11 psi anyway. I have five kegs- all at 11 psi- and three taps. So, while I'm drinking several of them, two are carbing up.

A funny thing- I was a bit low on beer and only had one beer ready and one carbing up. I went on vacation while my son-in-law cared for my house and pets. He mentioned that the APA was undercarbed that week, but the IPA must have been perfect because it was gone when we got back!

I did the set and forget- put the APA on the day before we left. He was drinking it within a couple of days but it was undercarbed. By the time we got back from vacation, 8 days later, it was perfect!

 

[IrregularPulse]

Th'ats the main benefit of set and forget. Yuo should set it the reg for the specific beer, and not have to mess with it the life of the keg. A balanced system will give you the same pressure for carbing and serving.

 

[SumnerH]

You shouldn't need a dual regulator if you're doing beers that are served at the same carbonation level--you can just split the one line.

A dual reg is needed to carb your beers to different levels.

 

[SpanishCastleAle]

Any issues if you set and forget for a month?

I've read that it typ takes around 18 days for an average set & forget to reach equilibrium (i.e. fully carbed). But there are so many variables it could be +/-. I often set & forget for months (due to poor planning!). I have a whiskey barrel-aged Robust Porter that has been set & forgot for several months now because it just isn't a brew I'm going to fully enjoy during summer. So it just sits there and takes up a spot where another beer could be set & just-barely-forgot. Before that it was the 10/10/10 Belgian Golden Strong for months.

 

[petep1980]

I've read that it typ takes around 18 days for an average set & forget to reach equilibrium (i.e. fully carbed). But there are so many variables it could be +/-. I often set & forget for months (due to poor planning!). I have a whiskey barrel-aged Robust Porter that has been set & forgot for several months now because it just isn't a brew I'm going to fully enjoy during summer. So it just sits there and takes up a spot where another beer could be set & just-barely-forgot. Before that it was the 10/10/10 Belgian Golden Strong for months.

So if it's at equilibrium it'll no longer be carbing then? So you can just bleed and serve right?

 

[SpanishCastleAle]

So if it's at equilibrium it'll no longer be carbing then? So you can just bleed and serve right?

Correct that it will no longer be carbing but unless your beer lines are too short I'm not sure why you'd need to bleed in order to serve. I set/forget and serve all at the same pressure (~12 psi) and never need to bleed.

ninja-EDIT: and even though it takes time, every time you bleed you have to repressurize or you'll lose carbonation.

 

[SumnerH]

That's right, you shouldn't bleed before serving; if you need to, that means your lines are the wrong length.

It really is set and forget--put the PSI where it should be, wait til it's carbed, serve til it's kicked. No messing with the CO2 at all other than hooking it up when you put the keg in the fridge and unhooking it when the keg is empty.

 

[petep1980]

Correct that it will no longer be carbing but unless your beer lines are too short I'm not sure why you'd need to bleed in order to serve. I set/forget and serve all at the same pressure (~12 psi) and never need to bleed.

ninja-EDIT: and even though it takes time, every time you bleed you have to repressurize or you'll lose carbonation.

Interesting, and just curious what's your serving pressure?

 

[Yooper]

Interesting, and just curious what's your serving pressure?

12 psi. It's the SAME. You set it and forget it. Literally. Like, put it in the kegerator at 12 psi. Then, keep it at 12 psi. Until the keg is kicked, and the next one goes in, also at 12 psi. You never change it. That's the beauty of it.

My system is 11 psi, though. Still about the same, but my fridge is probably a bit colder than his.

 

[SpanishCastleAle]

12 psi. It's the SAME. You set it and forget it. Literally. Like, put it in the kegerator at 12 psi. Then, keep it at 12 psi. Until the keg is kicked, and the next one goes in, also at 12 psi. You never change it. That's the beauty of it.

My system is 11 psi, though. Still about the same, but my fridge is probably a bit colder than his.

What she said.

You may have to go with longer beer lines to avoid foaming at these pressures. I have something like 10'-12' of 3/16" beer line per tap and tuck it down between the kegs to keep them cold. Your lines can be too long and it's no problem other than a slightly slower pour, too short and you get too much foam. With long lines, you can always get the head right by just barely pulling the tap and letting it 'spray' a bit.

 

[petep1980]

12 psi. It's the SAME. You set it and forget it. Literally. Like, put it in the kegerator at 12 psi. Then, keep it at 12 psi. Until the keg is kicked, and the next one goes in, also at 12 psi. You never change it. That's the beauty of it.

My system is 11 psi, though. Still about the same, but my fridge is probably a bit colder than his.

My fridge is real cold because I lager in it. This is all fantastic news and I can't wait for headache free stuff.

And so obviously also a double regulator would be unnecessary .

 

[strat_thru_marshall]

Agree with lots of previous posters. I set my reg at 12 psi, and just leave it. Good serving pressure, and after about 8-10 days a keg will be perfectly carbed up.

 

[SumnerH]

And so obviously also a double regulator would be unnecessary .

Unless you have beers that want different carb levels.

I love my dual reg for that reason; I can keep a highly carbed hefeweizen or whatever and keep everything else at normal levels.

 

[Jewrican]

i am a set and forget as well. Never thought to do otherwise. dont want to deal with it personally. Plus i drink so little that it doesnt bother me to wait at all.