First Keg and too much carb?

[JKHomebrew]

Guys,

I just got my first keg up and running, I racked it last night around 9:00pm, I left in the fridge overnight at 15 psi, I put about 3 gal in a 5 gal corney with no priming sugar, today at 10am I turned the pressure to 25 psi and shook for 10 min and then back in the fridge, then I shook at 1pm for another 5 min, at 5 today I turned the pressure down to about 5 and bleed the keg and tryed it, nothing but foam for 3 glasses, I just tryed it again and it is still foamy,

I had a keg setup in this fridge a quite a few years ago for commercial beer and sometimes you had to leave it sit for a while till you tap because it would foam,

DID I DO ANYTHING WRONG?

WILL IT SETTLE DOWN?

AND ANOTHER THOUGHT, WHAT ABOUT THE AGING OF THE BEER?

 

[Chello]

I'm thinking it is over carbed, if you shook it for 10 minutes, and only 3 gallons.

I set my regulator at 35psi and shake for 90 seconds and its fine after given time to settle.

I'd say unhook the gas and periodically bleed pressure from the keg over a few days. Or if your in a hurry open up the keg and GENTLY stir using a wisk. If you wisk it, it will foam up so be careful. That should help.

 

[JKHomebrew]

Thanks I will try and relieve some of the pressure and see if that works

 

[Yooper]

I'm not a shaker, but I bet that's why you have foam. As was mentioned, it may be overcarbed, so pull the pressure relief valve until it's no longer foamy.

How long are your lines?

 

[JKHomebrew]

My lines are about 3 feet each, my first time force carbing, maybe I will drain the pressure tonight and again in the morning and hope that will work.

The beer tastes good but seems very young to me, do some of you guys age it in the keg and then tap it?

 

[Yooper]

My lines are about 3 feet each, my first time force carbing, maybe I will drain the pressure tonight and again in the morning and hope that will work.

The beer tastes good but seems very young to me, do some of you guys age it in the keg and then tap it?

Your beer line is about 3-7 feet too short. To get a good pour, you'll want some longer lines. I started with 6 feet lines (that's what I bought) and have increased them to 8-10 feet. I get a good pour at 12psi at 40 degrees with the longer lines.

I usually don't drink beer that's under about 5-6 weeks old. I leave in primary for 3-4 weeks, then keg it and leave it at room temperature for a week or two, then stick it in the kegerator at about 12 psi and wait a week to drink.

 

[JKHomebrew]

Ok, so when you put it in the keg do you charge it with 15 while it is aging? and then when you put it in the fridge you just tap and it is good?

No shaking?

I will have to get back to you guys later, so please any coments would be great.

 

[Yooper]

Ok, so when you put it in the keg do you charge it with 15 while it is aging? and then when you put it in the fridge you just tap and it is good?

No shaking?

I will have to get back to you guys later, so please any coments would be great.

I've done it two ways- put it in the kegerator at 12 psi (which is what I always serve at) and wait a week or so. It's perfectly carbed. I don't then have to purge, turn up, turn down, etc. If I'm in a big hurry (I'm usually not- so that I don't drink green beer), I'll place the keg in the kegerator and set it at 30 psi for a couple of days, then purge and set at 12 psi. It's good in about 3 days that way.

While it's aging, I just hit it with a shot of co2 to make sure the keg is sealed. I don't gas it at room temperature.

 

[JKHomebrew]

Yooperbrew,

Thanks for the info, I like the idea about aging first, I nevr factored that in for some reason, i don't like drinking green beer either so I will try one of your methods next time, I seem to like the 12psi for a week, seems very easy.

As for the overcarbed batch in now I think I am going to try and open it and give it a slight stir to get some of the carb out, and I will see how that works.

Thanks again,

 

[JesseRC]

As I noob I can vouch for wanting to drink it fast and doing the shake the keg trick. All I can say is when I shake, I spend another week trying to figure out why I'm getting foam. Like Yooper said long lines and a week at 12 psi works awesome. But the last 2 times I did the 30 psi for 48 hours then 12 psi , and I think it was just right. I also chill my carboy a day before racking to keg. That way more yeast settles and I can set it to 30psi right after racking to keg.

 

[tuoply]

Hello fellow Rochesterian!

I tried the shaking thing my first couple of kegs and got a lot of foam (5 foot lines and I had it set to 12 psi). Last couple of kegs, I set the pressure to 30 psi for a week, then decreased to 8psi.

The 30psi --> 8psi has worked the best for my setup. Beer has lost a little bit of pressure over the life of the keg, but it's still appropriately carb'd and I get a nice pour out of it.

 

[JKHomebrew]

Guys,

Well it is finally all set, on Thursday I opened the keg and stired out the carbination, and boy did it foam up, i did it twice and let it sit for about an hour before closing in back up, then I put about 15 psi on it and let it sit for a while and tryed it but not quite there, so I left it at 15 till Friday afternoon and it was just right, i turned it down to about 7 psi and it good carb but still a little green

I think I will do the priming sugar and let it sit for the next one and see how that comes out, I have beer so I am not in a hurry,

Do any of you guys use the 1/3 cup prime sugar and let it sit? that is what the Joy OF Home Brewing book says

Thanks Again

 

[tuoply]

I've never used priming sugar b/c I don't want to deal with the extra yeast / trub in the bottom of the keg. Force carbing seems much easier and cleaner.

I'd be interested in how it turns out for you though