C02 Tank Temperature.

[Loveall-Brew]

I am new to kegging, and just kegged a batch of my pineapple IPA. I have my keg and c02 tank in a mini fridge. For some reason the mini fridge got real cold for 2 days. It was 20 - 30 degrees. I have resolved the issue and it is now around 40. I am wondering if the two days of low temperature could have done anything negative to the regulator or tank? Should I be concerned that either could now be damaged from that cold of a temp? Thank you in advance. Cheers.

 

[kev211]

You're fine. It can get a lot colder than that and still be perfectly fine. The liquid CO2 they fill it with (if I remember correctly) is somewhere in the ballpark of -60 degrees.

 

[Loveall-Brew]

Awesome. Thank you for the reply. Was a little nervous getting into kegging, but glad I did. It was a lot less time consuming compared to bottling.

 

[kev211]

Kegging is way easier, and lot less time consuming IMO. And pulling a pint off a tap when your friend are over looks cooler than opening a bottle

 

[Rev2010]

Kegging is way easier, and lot less time consuming IMO. And pulling a pint off a tap when your friend are over looks cooler than opening a bottle

More importantly you don't have to stand there rinsing each bottle after each pour to ensure the yeast don't dry and crud onto the bottles so you can easily reuse them. Also, like you said kegging is waaaaay faster to do. Bottling day used to be a big to do, kegging takes minutes. And I also get to drink my beer in only 5 days with force carbing at 30psi for 30 hours then setting to desired psi. Kegging rules. And I got a stainless growler for when I want to take some in for coworkers to try. Works perfectly.


Rev.

 

[kev211]

More importantly you don't have to stand there rinsing each bottle after each pour to ensure the yeast don't dry and crud onto the bottles so you can easily reuse them. Also, like you said kegging is waaaaay faster to do. Bottling day used to be a big to do, kegging takes minutes. And I also get to drink my beer in only 5 days with force carbing at 30psi for 30 hours then setting to desired psi. Kegging rules. And I got a stainless growler for when I want to take some in for coworkers to try. Works perfectly.


Rev.

Sounds like my setup/procedure. Ya, don't forget about the scrubbing with a bottle brush that gently mists the entire kitchen each time you pull it out of a bottle. Do not miss bottling at all

 

[Rev2010]

Sounds like my setup/procedure. Ya, don't forget about the scrubbing with a bottle brush that gently mists the entire kitchen each time you pull it out of a bottle. Do not miss bottling at all

Over 4 years of bottling I never once cleaned or scrubbed a single bottle. I just made sure to immediately rinse each bottle 4 times with warm water, and shake it up a bit with some water inside, after pouring out each bottle then let it air dry. Never once had an infection or problem whatsoever. One time though I gave a few bottles to a friend and told him how to rinse them so I could reuse them. Of course I got them back with the yeast crud caked on the inside walls of the bottles, he never even rinsed them (was a Weizenbock). Tried rinsing it and it was clear they were too far gone so I threw them out.


Rev.

 

[kev211]

Over 4 years of bottling I never once cleaned or scrubbed a single bottle. I just made sure to immediately rinse each bottle 4 times with warm water, and shake it up a bit with some water inside, after pouring out each bottle then let it air dry. Never once had an infection or problem whatsoever. One time though I gave a few bottles to a friend and told him how to rinse them so I could reuse them. Of course I got them back with the yeast crud caked on the inside walls of the bottles, he never even rinsed them (was a Weizenbock). Tried rinsing it and it was clear they were too far gone so I threw them out.


Rev.

Ya I feel ya. I always rinsed but the paranoid newbie in me had to scrub the crap out of them to get who knows what out of there haha.

 

[Loveall-Brew]

I always dreaded bottling day. Wasn't too bad if I had another person helping out, but that was rare to get. Is it best to set it at a higher psi initially for a couple days then lower it to the desired psi (12 or so)? Some people have told me to just set it at 12 - 13 psi at 40 degrees and 5 to 7 days it's ready

 

[Rev2010]

Is it best to set it at a higher psi initially for a couple days then lower it to the desired psi (12 or so)? Some people have told me to just set it at 12 - 13 psi at 40 degrees and 5 to 7 days it's ready

Only depends on how quickly you want to drink it, or if you're trying to cold condition. If you just set it to 12-13psi it won't be carbed in 5-7 days, it will take closer to 10-14 days to be fully carbed. If you set it at 30psi for 30 hours (most recommend 24 hours as a general number but I found a bit more helped), then turn off the gas, lower the pressure down so the gauge drops all the way, purge the pressure in the keg, turn the gas back on, then reset to your desired final PSI and leave it for 4-5 additional days and you should be all carbed up. At least this has been working perfectly for me.

I don't do any of the rolling the keg stuff, don't want to risk overcarbing the beer, getting back flow into the regulator, or getting carbonic bite.


Rev.

 

[kev211]

I always dreaded bottling day. Wasn't too bad if I had another person helping out, but that was rare to get. Is it best to set it at a higher psi initially for a couple days then lower it to the desired psi (12 or so)? Some people have told me to just set it at 12 - 13 psi at 40 degrees and 5 to 7 days it's ready

Thats a preference thing that you will figure out what you prefer overtime. When I first started kegging, I was so enamored with the thought of being able to drink beer 24 hours after packaging that I force carbed at 30psi (didnt roll my beer though). But I switched to set and forget since I was getting a carbonic acid flavor. Now I set at ~13-14psi for 4-5 days and its perfect. Then Ill drop it to a lower serving pressure if needed.

 

[Loveall-Brew]

Thank you for the info. Do you think I could kick mine up to 30 psi for a day and then lower it back to 12 and speed up the process? When increasing psi do I have to first turn it off, purge pressure, then turn on and increase?

 

[kev211]

Ya, you could do it to speed up the process. To turn it up you just turn it up. No purging, no shutting off. Just crank it up to 30. When you want to reduce it to serving pressure, shut off the valve, purge and set to desired pressure.

 

[Loveall-Brew]

Awesome. Appreciate all the advice.