Fast Carbing

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dataz722

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Ok, First let me say I did search but didn't really find what I was looking for. I am going to a New Years eve party tomorrow and want to bring a keg and I am an idiot and let time get away from me and now I have next to no time to get it carbed. I dont have any co2 and I dont think that I will be able to get any tonight either for that matter. So my question is this....

The beer is already chilled so I can keg it, bring the pressure to 30-40 and shake the crap out of it. From what ive read this should carb it in just a few minutes but will it be drinkable. I know some people say that it gives an acidic taste. Is the taste very strong or is it just something I could deal with.
 
I've never done it (fast carb via shaking) but I would imagein you would need to give it atleast a little time to settle. Think about shaking up a 2L bottle of pepsi then opening it right away.... Foam city.
 
Hook it up to 30 PSI.
Lay the keg across your lap with the gas in tube on top.
Shake the keg left to right (top to bottom of the keg) for about 20-30 seconds. You'll hear CO2 bubbling into the keg and gas being released from your tank. When the bubbling stops, repeat the shaking.

Do this over about a 15 minute period.

Set the keg upright and let it sit (on the 30PSI gas) for about 1 hour.

Drop the pressure to serving, bleed the excess gas from the keg and taste test.

Repeat if necessary.
 
When I first got into kegging I used to "fast carb", but I haven't done it in while. Now I have enough beer on hand that I can use patience!:D The method I used was to set the pressure to ~25-30psi and roll the keg back & forth for about five mins. After that, I still let it set at serving pressure for 24 hours to let it settle.

Here is a great reference!
 
I decided two weeks ago that the 10 gallons I had planned for new years wasn't enough, plus I wanted something lighter since I had an Octoberfest style lager and a nut brown. So I brewed up a really easy all extract wheat beer on Sunday the 13th. I left in in primary for 14 days and kegged it this past Sunday.

I had a little more time than you, but I did the force carb and shake method. I put the carboy in the fridge Saturday night so it cooled before kegging. Then on Sunday, I first purged the tank at about 10 pounds, then ran it up to 30 pounds and did the shake thing for about 2 minutes. Let it sit for a couple of more minutes with the gas connected still at 30 pounds. Diconnected the gas and let it sit overnight.

Last night I pulled a beer to check the carbonation, it wasn't perfect by any means, but it was definitely drinkable. I purged the tank before I pulled a beer and reconected the gas at about 9 pounds to serve. It was a little too faomy, but the second one was much better. I turned it back up to about 11pounds and left it, I think by tomorrow it will be fine.

One day isn't the best solution, but I think if you try BM's method you should be OK, at least according to my little experiment.

I think after the shake method, leave it at serving pressure till tomorrow???
 
Hook it up to 30 PSI.
Lay the keg across your lap with the gas in tube on top.
Shake the keg left to right (top to bottom of the keg) for about 20-30 seconds. You'll hear CO2 bubbling into the keg and gas being released from your tank. When the bubbling stops, repeat the shaking.

Do this over about a 15 minute period.

Set the keg upright and let it sit (on the 30PSI gas) for about 1 hour.

Drop the pressure to serving, bleed the excess gas from the keg and taste test.

Repeat if necessary.

You dont have any problems with taste or foaming?
 
How old is the beer? It'd be really embarassing to bring relatively flat, green beer to a party...
 
Ceedubya a couple questions...

What temp do you have your kegorator around?

Also what is the process if your kegorator is full and you have no more room? Do you rack to the keg and seal it and let it site with no gas? Or do you force carb it like normal with 30psi and leave it out of the fridge until you are ready? How long can it be out of the fridge in either scenario? Thanks Im a noob...
 
Its plenty aged. Ive lost track but over 2 months probably closer to 3. It really doesnt have to be perfect because there will probably only be me and 2 other people drinking it. One will drink anything and wouldn't know if the carbonation was off and the other is a really good friend of mine that homebrews too and would understand and im not trying to impress him.
 
Also what is the process if your kegorator is full and you have no more room? Do you rack to the keg and seal it and let it site with no gas? Or do you force carb it like normal with 30psi and leave it out of the fridge until you are ready? How long can it be out of the fridge in either scenario? Thanks Im a noob...

That I think I can answer. If you have time and your fridge is full dont bother with shaking it. Just look at a carbonation chart, you can search or google and find one, and find out at your room temperature what psi it should be and set it at that and let it sit for as long as you want.
 
So once you shoot it with the proper psi you can just leave it out of the fridge, but more importantly I should have asked you dont need to leave it hooked up to the gas? I can disconnect from the current keg and use it to shoot the second one up but then I need to put the gas back to the primary so I can drink! Do you need to periodically shoot it up again or is it good until you use it? I wasnt sure which would be better to do shoot it or leave it alone until I am ready to use it.
 
Ceedubya a couple questions...

What temp do you have your kegorator around?

Also what is the process if your kegorator is full and you have no more room? Do you rack to the keg and seal it and let it site with no gas? Or do you force carb it like normal with 30psi and leave it out of the fridge until you are ready? How long can it be out of the fridge in either scenario? Thanks Im a noob...


My Kegorator right now is set at around 38 to 40 degrees. I was running it a little higher at 45 degrees, but like the cooler temp cuz I can also use it to crash cool my carboys. Plus, I like the beer cooler so it is about the right temp by the time I get through it.


That I think I can answer. If you have time and your fridge is full dont bother with shaking it. Just look at a carbonation chart, you can search or google and find one, and find out at your room temperature what psi it should be and set it at that and let it sit for as long as you want.

I would say that is correct, but so far I havn't had this issue. I have only kegged three batches so far, and havn't had the need for extra room. But, from what I have learned from this great forum, if you consult the charts you will find in the force carbing sticky, you can use the set it and forget if method at room temp.

The previous experience I had with kegging I had plenty of time and used the set it and forget it method at the correct PSI. This is definetly the way to go, two week and you have perfect beer. Now I just need to make sure I always have a supply carbed and ready so I won't be tempted to sneak a peak too early :ban:
 
So once you shoot it with the proper psi you can just leave it out of the fridge, but more importantly I should have asked you dont need to leave it hooked up to the gas? I can disconnect from the current keg and use it to shoot the second one up but then I need to put the gas back to the primary so I can drink! Do you need to periodically shoot it up again or is it good until you use it? I wasnt sure which would be better to do shoot it or leave it alone until I am ready to use it.

If you are using the set and forget method, it will need to stay connected to the gas
 
Aww crap I thought what you were saying made sense then I saw that last post amd I am confused again. Let me try this with a scenario and you tell me what to do... my fridge holds two kegs the first one is the main one I will be drinking (which will be my first ever) time doesnt matter so I racked this one and set it to serving psi of 9 for a few weeks and life is good. Along comes keg 2 before keg 1 is tipped now what? I rack the beer to keg two and place it in the fridge next to keg 1 and I do what with keg 2........ (fill in the blank on how you would do this? gas it leave it? keeping mind that i have one tank and one gas hose!) Along comes keg three before the first two are done now I have no room in the fridge and I do what with keg three.... (gas it outside the fridge and leave it with a one time shot of 30 psi or .....)

Sorry for hijacking your thread...
 
Aww crap I thought what you were saying made sense then I saw that last post amd I am confused again. Let me try this with a scenario and you tell me what to do... my fridge holds two kegs the first one is the main one I will be drinking (which will be my first ever) time doesnt matter so I racked this one and set it to serving psi of 9 for a few weeks and life is good. Along comes keg 2 before keg 1 is tipped now what? I rack the beer to keg two and place it in the fridge next to keg 1 and I do what with keg 2........ (fill in the blank on how you would do this? gas it leave it? keeping mind that i have one tank and one gas hose!) Along comes keg three before the first two are done now I have no room in the fridge and I do what with keg three.... (gas it outside the fridge and leave it with a one time shot of 30 psi or .....)

Sorry for hijacking your thread...

Your overthinking it :) If your going to drink them in order serve keg 1 till its almost empty, then disconnect keg 1 and force carb keg 2 at around 30 psi for a day. Keg 1 will still have enough pressure in it to push out a few beers. Keg 3 just make sure you have enough pressure on it to keep a seal on the keg but after you give it a shot you can leave it wherever and forget about it till you want to drink it.


As for off tastes from force carbing quickly, I have not noticed any. I have noticed that if you force carb quickly the first beer will be pure foam and by the third or 4th it will be much less carbed, I think the longer you leave the co2 connected the more evenly carbed it will be.

My setup right now. Ghetto? VERY! But it works although getting a dual regulator and a splitter would make my life easier.
http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b350/yunus89115/Beer/P3290066Small.jpg
http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b350/yunus89115/Beer/P3290068Small.jpg
http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b350/yunus89115/Beer/P3290067Small.jpg
You can see I have 1 co2 bottle, 5 kegs and there all at about 10psi after being force carbed. None of them are connected to the bottle and they all will serve beer right now if I move a picnic tap to them (which is what I do). As the kegs get more empty the need to add more co2 becomes less and less. Also my bottle has 2 connectors 1 black, 1 gray, this makes force carbing very easy.
 
Here is what I did for two kegs:

Keg 1 - hooked up CO2 and used set and forget method at 11 psi. Was good to go in two weeks.

Keg 2 - didn't have another regulator but purchased extra quick disonnects from LHBS. Bought an inexpensive brass 1/4" splitter from the hardware store and about 12 foot of 1/4" ID high pressure hose and clamps. Made a makeshift manifold taking the gas out from the regulator into the spillter and then each leg into one of the kegs. again, set the pressure at 10 psi, drank fromt the first while the second was carbing.

Keg 3 - havn'e made it this far, but will likely be draining keg 1 (and probably most of 2) for new years :mug: so don't anticipate the problem either.

If I needed to though, I would probably throw some CO2 on top of the third, and let it sit for another week or two at room temp. I assume this should be fine until I have room in the fridge to carbonate it.
 
Great guys thanks for walking me through it Barney style! I think I have it now Yunus thanks for the part about shooting it up to keep pressure and then leaving it at room temp that's what I was looking for on keg 3.

Cee thanks, I think I have enough stuff to make a splitter inside the fridge after the regulator. So if I have two kegs hooked up inside the fridge coming from the splitter do they both get 10psi or is it getting split into both kegs at a lesser value? Do you need to crank it up a little?
 
They will both be receiving the same pressure. I have noticed the regulator straying a little up or down. I think this is due to the fact that I have one keg already fully carbed, and the second is still absorbing Co2, at least thats my story :D

I just keep an eye on it, and always try to keep it at my desired level.

I could actually just add another splitter in the line, and add another keg. But, I think I'm gonna save me pennies for a second regulator instead so I can have two different pressures.
 
Thanks, I may do the same when I get to that point. I need to post a pic of all the stuff I got for $100 bucks. My uncle used to be into this hardcore and sold his stuff to a friend when he left for Florida. The friend he sold it to got tired of it so I bought everything for $100 bucks. 5 corny cans, 6 carboys, a bucket and all the hoses for a keg setup. Not to mention all the little extra trinkets he had that make my life a lot easier. I will let you know what happens...
 
Thanks, I may do the same when I get to that point. I need to post a pic of all the stuff I got for $100 bucks. My uncle used to be into this hardcore and sold his stuff to a friend when he left for Florida. The friend he sold it to got tired of it so I bought everything for $100 bucks. 5 corny cans, 6 carboys, a bucket and all the hoses for a keg setup. Not to mention all the little extra trinkets he had that make my life a lot easier. I will let you know what happens...


Well, call me jealous! Nice score :rockin:
 
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