Carbonating a Keg?

[Cpt_Kirks]

Ignore that high pressure gauge. It's not telling you how much liquid CO2 you have left. Think of it as a hard to read temperature gauge.

The only thing that gauge is good for is to tell you when the tank is 99.99999% empty.

Sucks for people who have to drive a long ways for a refill. My local paintball store is less than 2 minutes away.

 

[Robbajoe]

Coming from the priming sugar side, I did my first keg using priming sugar and a hand pump. Only waited about 10 days and it is great. Trying to decide if the CO2 set up is worth it, since I have a wheat ready to keg. Is there a cask condition area on HBT?

 

[KCBrewer]

The only thing that gauge is good for is to tell you when the tank is 99.99999% empty.

Sucks for people who have to drive a long ways for a refill. My local paintball store is less than 2 minutes away.

Ok, it just seemed like a big drop for only two 5G kegs. It's been a while, but I thought I used to get 6-8 15G kegs when I used it for commercial kegs. I wasn't sure if force carbing was really soaking up that much.

It is also now in a fridge reading 600 compared to 800 when at room temp, so I suppose the drop in temp is what caused the big drop in pressure as well.

 

[Yooper]

Coming from the priming sugar side, I did my first keg using priming sugar and a hand pump. Only waited about 10 days and it is great. Trying to decide if the CO2 set up is worth it, since I have a wheat ready to keg. Is there a cask condition area on HBT?

No, there isn't a cask conditioning forum. That's a good idea, though!

Do you have a beer engine? That would be great for a low carbed style, but I think a wheat beer really needs to be fizzy. I guess if it's drunk quickly the carbonation would stay, but I really don't know anything about it. Please let us know how it works out!

 

[maida7]

If you pump air into your kegs to serve them, you really should drink them FAST! The oxygen will make a cardboard flavor if it's left for a length of time. If you can finish your keg in a weeks time it's probably OK. Anything past a week and the CO2 system is the way to go.

 

[Denny]

No, there isn't a cask conditioning forum. That's a good idea, though!

In the meantime, there's one on the AHA forum...

http://www.homebrewersassociation.org/forum/index.php?board=30.0

 

[XpeedeeX]

How much CO2 do you guys go through while trying to carb? I kegged my beer tuesday with a full 5lb CO2 tank and the gauge is already down into the red area where it says it getting low on CO2. Is this normal? Also I have the 5lb tank in the kegerator, does that effect this at all?

 

[steinsato]

That is not normal at all. You must have a leak or your guage is whacked. I can carb many many kegs before I run out CO2 and I also keep my 5# tank inside the kegerator.

 

[Yooper]

How much CO2 do you guys go through while trying to carb? I kegged my beer tuesday with a full 5lb CO2 tank and the gauge is already down into the red area where it says it getting low on CO2. Is this normal? Also I have the 5lb tank in the kegerator, does that effect this at all?

If you're talking about the second gauge that is supposed to tell you how much co2 is left, please ignore that. It's useless. Co2 is liquid, dispensed as gas, and will read in the red in the fridge, at about 500 psi, until it's completely gone and will drop to 0 in seconds. Most people find that covering that gauge with tape helps, so they can't see it.

If you really want to know how much gas you have, there is a tare weight stamped on the tank. If you weigh it without the regulator, when it's full it should be 5 pounds heavier than the tare weight, since it's a 5# tank. If you weigh it and it's 2.5 pounds heavier than the tare weight, it's half full.

 

[XpeedeeX]

Yes the gauge that tells you how much gas is left is what i am talking about. But that makes me happy that it does that because I was freaking out.

 

[steinsato]

I find that my gauge borders on the top of the red line the entire time its in the kegerator. It'll drop into the red for a day or two then is completely empty. But I agree with Yooper, you can't go by what the gauge says when your using 5# tanks, especially if they are inside the kegerators.

 

[Stuntman]

I just had a great kegged beer. I believe that I have figured out what I was doing wrong.

How it turned out, so well, was that I conditioned the keg. A month in the fermenters, then a month under about 12 psi. I have not reached a whole month yet, but day 24 is so much better. Always turn pressure down to serving (I like 8psi) to pour. If you don't you will force it into the glass and lose a lot of carbonation. This is the first time that I have good carbonation, with bubbles coming out of the beer itself.



He is bottling, but same goes for kegging.

 

[TheBroonery]

I just kegged my first (keg) batch last night. I put in 1/3 cup priming sugar (boiled with a pint of water) and set the keg to 9 psi to seal it, then I later adjusted it to 5 psi. Should be good in about 2 weeks?

 

[Yooper]

I just kegged my first (keg) batch last night. I put in 1/3 cup priming sugar (boiled with a pint of water) and set the keg to 9 psi to seal it, then I later adjusted it to 5 psi. Should be good in about 2 weeks?

IF it's in the fridge, the priming sugar won't ferment. For the priming sugar to carbonate the keg, it needs to be at room temperature.

If you're force carbing the keg, you'll need to have it about 10-13 psi, depending on the fridge temperature. 5 psi won't carb it up.

 

[Yooper]

I just had a great kegged beer. I believe that I have figured out what I was doing wrong.

How it turned out, so well, was that I conditioned the keg. A month in the fermenters, then a month under about 12 psi. I have not reached a whole month yet, but day 24 is so much better. Always turn pressure down to serving (I like 8psi) to pour. If you don't you will force it into the glass and lose a lot of carbonation. This is the first time that I have good carbonation, with bubbles coming out of the beer itself.


He is bottling, but same goes for kegging.

I think you're doing it the hard way! Changing the pressure down to 8 psi to pour would be a huge pain for me. I have several taps, and I'd have to open the kegerator, reach way in the back and get on my knees to reach the regulator, close the co2 to that keg, purge it, crawl back into the kegger to reset the regulator and then do the same if I want a different beer?!? Then, do it in reverse to turn it back up?!?! No way!

Balance the system once, and keep it at 12 psi always. That's what I do! It's super easy, and allows multiple kegs at once to be carbonating, serving, lagering, etc. It's a no brainer.

 

[TheBroonery]

IF it's in the fridge, the priming sugar won't ferment. For the priming sugar to carbonate the keg, it needs to be at room temperature.

If you're force carbing the keg, you'll need to have it about 10-13 psi, depending on the fridge temperature. 5 psi won't carb it up.

It's not in the fridge yet. It's just on the floor in my basement fermentation room (~65F). Should I increase the pressure?

 

[SpacemanSpiff]

I think you're doing it the hard way! Changing the pressure down to 8 psi to pour would be a huge pain for me. I have several taps, and I'd have to open the kegerator, reach way in the back and get on my knees to reach the regulator, close the co2 to that keg, purge it, crawl back into the kegger to reset the regulator and then do the same if I want a different beer?!? Then, do it in reverse to turn it back up?!?! No way!

Balance the system once, and keep it at 12 psi always. That's what I do! It's super easy, and allows multiple kegs at once to be carbonating, serving, lagering, etc. It's a no brainer.

Any advice on balancing? I've got a 3 keg setup and had it set to 10-12 psi. I had two kegs carbing that were on the gas for 3-4 weeks. I kept trying them and like Stuntman said, it seemed like the pour was forcing all of the CO2 out and the beer tasted flat despite having a decent head. I turned the gas down to about 5 psi and purged and the carbonation was good on the next pour.

Are longer lines the answer? Right now I've only got 5 ft. lines. My plan is to eventually run lines through the wall to a draft tower, but for now I've just got picnic taps in the keezer. I'd certainly rather not have to keep tweaking the pressure if I don't have to.

 

[cruelkix]

Any advice on balancing? I've got a 3 keg setup and had it set to 10-12 psi. I had two kegs carbing that were on the gas for 3-4 weeks. I kept trying them and like Stuntman said, it seemed like the pour was forcing all of the CO2 out and the beer tasted flat despite having a decent head. I turned the gas down to about 5 psi and purged and the carbonation was good on the next pour.

Are longer lines the answer? Right now I've only got 5 ft. lines. My plan is to eventually run lines through the wall to a draft tower, but for now I've just got picnic taps in the keezer. I'd certainly rather not have to keep tweaking the pressure if I don't have to.

Yes, longer lines are the answer. I say go to 15ft and cut back until you are happy with the pour. Its a little over the top, but you only have to do it for one tap. Then you know the right length for your other ones. Having extra beer line lying around aint gonna kill ya, and its cheap cheap cheap.

 

[Yooper]

It's not in the fridge yet. It's just on the floor in my basement fermentation room (~65F). Should I increase the pressure?

No, but there isn't any need for ANY pressure. Doing both priming sugar and adding co2 may give you some overcarbed beer, or at least an unpredictable amount. If you've primed, keep it off of the gas until it's carbed up.

 

[Stuntman]

I think you're doing it the hard way! Changing the pressure down to 8 psi to pour would be a huge pain for me. I have several taps, and I'd have to open the kegerator, reach way in the back and get on my knees to reach the regulator, close the co2 to that keg, purge it, crawl back into the kegger to reset the regulator and then do the same if I want a different beer?!? Then, do it in reverse to turn it back up?!?! No way!

Balance the system once, and keep it at 12 psi always. That's what I do! It's super easy, and allows multiple kegs at once to be carbonating, serving, lagering, etc. It's a no brainer.

After day thirty one at 12 psi, will the beer have carbonation after the pour? If I go over 8 psi I get flat beer, I am at day 25 at 12 psi. I only have an office fridge kegerator, easy smeezy to grab a ring and release pressure. I then turn it back up before going to bed.

 

[KCBrewer]

I leave everything at 10-12 psi and it's perfect at 7-10 days, no priming sugar. I rack the beer to a keg, hook it up to the co2, and a week later I'm drinking well carbed beer. It shouldn't be taking 30 days to carb. Perhaps your regulator is off?

 

[chaydaw]

Dont wan't to hijac this thread but wanted to strike while people are up and at em. When using those useful carbonation charts the one axis is for the psi and the other is the temperature. My fridge read different temps depending on the area of the fridge(top is warmer, bottom is cooler) so I pull sample from the tap and use the actual beer temp. Is this what the charts "want" you to use or should I be using ambient temp of the fridge itself? Thanks!

 

[phrogpilot73]

Why use priming sugar? I can tell you why! I have a three tap kegerator, and 6 kegs. I enjoy having my pipeline nearly continuous - if my pipeline gets low (or I'm in the mood to drink what is coming out of the fermenter ahead of something else in my pipeline) it gets force carbed. If all three taps are occupied (I don't have a second tank or regulator) then I'll use priming sugar. I use Beer Smith to tell me how much priming sugar to use.

 

[Yooper]

After day thirty one at 12 psi, will the beer have carbonation after the pour? If I go over 8 psi I get flat beer, I am at day 25 at 12 psi. I only have an office fridge kegerator, easy smeezy to grab a ring and release pressure. I then turn it back up before going to bed.

My beer stays carbed at 12 psi the entire time- it doesn't gain or lose carbonation. If you go over 8 psi, and get flat beer, that doesn't make sense! The more psi you have on the keg, the higher the carb level.

Why use priming sugar? I can tell you why! I have a three tap kegerator, and 6 kegs. I enjoy having my pipeline nearly continuous - if my pipeline gets low (or I'm in the mood to drink what is coming out of the fermenter ahead of something else in my pipeline) it gets force carbed. If all three taps are occupied (I don't have a second tank or regulator) then I'll use priming sugar. I use Beer Smith to tell me how much priming sugar to use.

Oh, I do that to at times! I'm just saying that it doesn't make sense to do both- add the priming sugar AND turn the co2 on it. That will give very unpredictible results!

 

[TheBroonery]

So whats the consensus on how much priming sugar is appropriate when naturally carbing a keg? Following Charlie Papazian's directions, I used 1/3 cup for kegging (normally 3/4 cup for bottling) and just put a slight pressure (5psi) to help the keg seal. I did that but I released all the pressure after reading the posts on this thread. I'm ok waiting 2 weeks to tap this keg, as I want it to still be around when my brother-in-law will be in town a month from now (plan is to brew a batch together)