Force Carbing Stout

[corypedia]

I'm in the process of doing my first brew (Peanut Butter Stout) and kegging. Saturday night I started the following procedure based on the recommendations of a local HB Supply Store:

- Set the regulator at 30 PSI
- Attach the line to the corny keg
- Let it build until I no longer hear the hiss
- Turn off CO2 and detach gas line (to help keep o-rings from failing and avoid waking up to an empty CO2 tank)
- Repeat each morning when i wake up and before i go to bed, for 3 to 4 days

Things of Note...
- Started the first carbing around 68*
- Current temp of beer is 44*

Questions...
- Does this seem like a reasonable way force carbing?
- Is 3 or 4 days long enough?
- Once done carbing, is it more beneficial to lean toward the lower end of the carb spectrum (5-6 PSI vs. 9-10 PSI @ 48*), given I want to use a syringe for the 'nitrogen' effect?

Would love any advice...

 

[Yooper]

Questions...
- Does this seem like a reasonable way force carbing?
- Is 3 or 4 days long enough?
- Once done carbing, is it more beneficial to lean toward the lower end of the carb spectrum (5-6 PSI vs. 9-10 PSI @ 48*), given I want to use a syringe for the 'nitrogen' effect?

Would love any advice...

- no.
- no.

I usually carb my stouts about the same as my other beers, at 2.4-2.5 volumes of co2. If you want less of a carbonation level, then a lower psi would work.

Right now, no one has any idea how much c02 is in solution but if you purge the keg, and put the gas on (with the keg in the fridge), and set it at 6 psi, it should equalize to that in a few days unless the carb level is already higher than that.

 

[corypedia]

Well alrighty...i'll set it at the 6 PSI when i get home after purging. If it's overcarbed, how long will that usually take to equalize? Loaded question i know...but ballpark maybe?

For future purposes, should I always just set the PSI at serving pressure? If so, is 3-4 days long enough? I feel like i've read it takes 3 weeks or so without jacking up the pressure initially.

So much "info" out there regarding this subject, it seems.

 

[jmward21]

Well alrighty...i'll set it at the 6 PSI when i get home after purging. If it's overcarbed, how long will that usually take to equalize? Loaded question i know...but ballpark maybe?

For future purposes, should I always just set the PSI at serving pressure? If so, is 3-4 days long enough? I feel like i've read it takes 3 weeks or so without jacking up the pressure initially.

So much "info" out there regarding this subject, it seems.

There are a few ways to force carb beer. The easiest way is to hook up your keg and set the pressure to the match the desired carb volume. Refer to the below link.

Carb Chart

For a Stout or Porter at 44F you will need to set your pressure between 5 and 10. This is personal preference. If you want more or less carb adjust within this range.

This method will take up to 2 weeks before the beer is properly carbed but it will allow the beer to condition as well. If you have 2 weeks and have the patience to wait this is the best method.

The second method is to shake (or roll) the keg. The pressure should be kept at the same level as above. But to speed up the process you simply roll the keg on the floor for 15 minutes. During this process you should continuously hear the regulator on the gas tank "hissing". If the regulator is not making a noise, then CO2 is no longer entering the keg. At this point the beer should be fully carbed. This method works best if the beer has been chilled.

The last method is force carb with higher pressure. If you do this method, do not shake the keg as you can quickly over carb the beer. I've read many procedures for this method but it will really depend on your set up, temperatures, keg head space, and other variables. Do a little research and you will find many people who swear by this method. I will say that in this case you would also leave the gas line hooked to the keg. I haven't seen where someone disconnects the line daily. Doing this defeats the purpose of carbing with high pressure (saving time) since you are not feeding the beer with CO2.

To see if you overcarbed the beer, purge the keg, set PSI at your desired level, and simply pour a sample. If it has too much foam (which I doubt it will if you had the gas off) then turn off gas and purge the keg a few of times a day. The gas will dissolve out of the beer.

If it is undercarbed, set the regulator at at desired pressure and follow the shake method or let it sit for a week. Experiment with the methods and eventually you will find the ones that fits you the best.

Cheers

 

[corypedia]

thx for the very indepth response. How many days does it take to carb with method 2 and 3?

 

[doug293cz]

Well alrighty...i'll set it at the 6 PSI when i get home after purging. If it's overcarbed, how long will that usually take to equalize? Loaded question i know...but ballpark maybe?

For future purposes, should I always just set the PSI at serving pressure? If so, is 3-4 days long enough? I feel like i've read it takes 3 weeks or so without jacking up the pressure initially.

So much "info" out there regarding this subject, it seems.

For fixing over carb, turn the CO2 off at the tank, and vent the keg. Then let the beer warm up to room temp, as this will cause the CO2 to come out of solution faster. Now vent the keg every few hours until the keg pressure prior to venting stabilizes at the pressure needed to maintain your desired carb level at room temp. To determine the pressure use this or another calculator. For example, if you are looking for 1.5 volumes in your stout, and room temp is 70°F, then you would want the pressure to stabilize at 12.7 psi. Once the pressure is stable where you want it, you can reset the pressure as appropriate for serving temp, and cool the keg back down to serving temp,

A fairly safe way to do accelerated force carbing is to chill the beer and put on 30 psi for 36 hours. Do not leave for more than 36 hrs, or agitate the keg, as this may lead to overcarbing. After 36 hours, vent the pressure and then reset the pressure to your equilibrium carb pressure as determined by the beer temp and carb levels desired. Consult a carb calculator or chart to determine the proper pressure. Should be drinkable after an additional day or two.

Brew on

 

[jmward21]

thx for the very indepth response. How many days does it take to carb with method 2 and 3?

Method 2 is immediate. When you shake the keg you are constantly mixing the CO2 into beer. So chill the beer for 24 hours and then shake/roll for as long as you can. Once no more gas will enter the keg, you are good to go. The beer flavor may need time to condition, but it will be carbed. In my opinion, the best results come with patience. However, this is easy if you have more kegs than faucets. If you want your beer, then accelerate it with method 2 or 3.

 

[zachattack]

I'll also add that it's very good practice to pressurize and purge the keg a few times at ~30 psi immediately after you siphon the beer in. The purging minimizes oxygen in the headspace, and the higher pressure helps set the seal in the keg lid. When the keg is at 30 PSI you'll also have an easier time hunting for leaks.

Once the headspace is purged, the seals are set and you've ensure no leaks, you can drop the pressure and start carbonating.

 

[fantomlord]

you could purge, then leave it connected to gas at ~30 psi for 24-36 hours, then purge and drop to serving pressure (5-10 psi, depending on desired carbonation and temperature), and it should be just about ready to go after a total of 4-5 days.