Force carbing a keg

[muse435]

I am putting my beer into a keg for the first time ever today and i have a question regarding different techniques that can be used. The three main ideas i have read about is a high burst, for a day then back off the pressure, high pressure and shake, and finally set and forget. I was wondering what would happen if i combined two of them. Since a liquid is more likely to receive a gas, and has a higher saturation point when cold, my plan was to chill the keg down to 40 deg over night (leave it outside on my balcony over night) then connect the CO2 @ 12 psi and shake the crap out of it. my hope is that i will not accidentally over carb while speeding up the time required to carb it. Any thoughts?

 

[spiny_norman]

I haven't done the shake thing, but if I want it carbed in a week Yooper's method works a treat. Set it high for 36 hours (I do 25PSI at 34 degrees), vent and then set at serving PSI for 5 or 6 days. However my beers really need 3 weeks to cold condition before they're really at their best no matter how quickly I can get it carbonated, so I've gone back to set-and-forget method.

3 weeks ferment (starting cold and then ramping up).
Cold crash + gelatin for 5 days.
Keg and carbonate for 3 weeks.

I can go from glass to grain in 4 weeks, but even with short cuts it's still not at it's best until about 7 weeks after brew day.

 

[mightynintendo]

The four day method is the fastest I recommend. I don't like shaking because you don't get as fine of bubbles and you will lose pressure after the initial spike.

Four day method:
Day 1 you purge the keg with C02 and let it cool to just above freezing for 24 hours. Hours 24 through 72 keep 30+ psi on the keg. Then release the pressure, purge, and set to 12 psi. It should be pretty well carbed up at this point but it will improve with time.

 

[ultravista]

Good to know, 4 days @ 30 PSI, purge, then 12 PSI from there forward.

 

[Old_E]

Four day method:
Day 1 you purge the keg with C02 and let it cool to just above freezing for 24 hours. Hours 24 through 72 keep 30+ psi on the keg. Then release the pressure, purge, and set to 12 psi. It should be pretty well carbed up at this point but it will improve with time.

This is pretty much what I do, but I just rack into the keg w/gelatin, slap it in the fridge and put the co2 on at 30psi. Feel free to tell me I'm doing something wrong, but I figure I'm cold crashing/fining and carbing at the same time. Probably really doesn't start absorbing co2 until the temp gets down, but hey, it seem to work.

It is true that it will keep improving for a few weeks and that the gelatin will keep pulling yeast out for a couple of weeks. i keep getting beers with yeast in them for a little while until it has all settled and everything is balanced out.

I am not a patient person.

 

[Yooper]

Good to know, 4 days @ 30 PSI, purge, then 12 PSI from there forward.

Four days at 30 psi might really be quite overcarbed. I'd try 36 hours at 30 psi and 40 degrees, at the most.

 

[mightynintendo]

I don't see anything wrong with that. I usually hold off on the gelatin for a couple weeks in case its is unnecessary. Im not patient either which is why I brew enough to keep me satiated while I wait for stuff to finish.

 

[cheezydemon3]

I now burst at 53 PSI, disconnect from gas, perfect after 2-4 days.

(2 days if already chilled)

The pressure evens out and I doubt it would overcarb much at all. It levels out at 14 psi if left for a week.

Less pressure will undercarb slightly.

I HATE the rolling and shaking method, and believe it detracts from head retention.

 

[mightynintendo]

Yeah I didt say four days at 30 psi. I said hours 24 through 72 which is 48 hours or TWO days.

 

[muse435]

This is pretty much what I do, but I just rack into the keg w/gelatin

I will admit i only have three brews under my belt at this time with the fourth days away from being brewed up. Why do you use gelatin, what does it do, and how do you do it. I have searched around the forum and all i really saw was people who had questions about their technique but it did not really describe why they were doing it? This is probably a noob question.

 

[Old_E]

I will admit i only have three brews under my belt at this time with the fourth days away from being brewed up. Why do you use gelatin, what does it do, and how do you do it. I have searched around the forum and all i really saw was people who had questions about their technique but it did not really describe why they were doing it? This is probably a noob question.

It simply helps clear your beer, and it works pretty well. I have seen different amounts used, But it is either 1 envelope or 1 tablespoon. I usually use a tablespoon, but only had a packet the other night, so whatever.

You sprinkle it on some cold water 1 cup or less(I use filtered) Let it bloom for a few minutes (this just means let it sit and hydrate). I have seen up to 30, but that is necessary. You can tell when it has absorbed all the water you heat, but DO NOT boil It will get clear and melt into the water. Then you just pour it in when you are racking to the keg. You can rack it into a secondary too and cold crash then bottle, if thats the way you go.

It just makes your beer pretty. Either way it does take some time to settle all that yeast, and it works better cold.

 

[muse435]

so i f you use when racking into the keg does it just come out during the first few glasses, or does it form a cake at the bottom?

 

[SweetSounds]

You can shake your beer all you want at 12 PSI and it won't over carb. It will speed the carbing process, too.

2 things I like to point out...

Beer carbed in a day is still green - IOW it still needs that 2+ weeks to come together.

Shaking a keg stirs up sediment. A free perk of set and forget (Assuming you don't disturb the keg) is that all of the sediment settles and you get clear beer after the first pint or so.