Force carbing two kegs at once.

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martyjmc

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Just put two brews into kegs. This is my first attempt at kegging and I force carved two at once after filling my 5 pound co2 bottle and I found no leaks. I carbed at 40psi for 24 hours and it appears that I'm out of gas. Is it normal to use that much co2? Maybe I should just condition with malt extract? I am wondering what is the preferred method?
 
You definitely have a leak or two. You should have enough gas to force carb and serve at least 5-8 kegs before running out of gas.

After you get your tank refilled, spray EVERY connection with soapy water. Check the regulator (sometimes it leaks at the connection to the tank), and the posts of the kegs along with the lid. There is a leak somewhere, for sure.

To carb most kegs, I set them in my kegerator at 12 psi with the others. But if I'm in a huge hurry, I'll set it to 30 psi for 36 hours before purging and resetting to 12 psi. I generally don't mess with my psi, though, since I often have 5 kegs and it's too much of a pain to change it.
 
You definitely have a leak or two. You should have enough gas to force carb and serve at least 5-8 kegs before running out of gas.

After you get your tank refilled, spray EVERY connection with soapy water. Check the regulator (sometimes it leaks at the connection to the tank), and the posts of the kegs along with the lid. There is a leak somewhere, for sure.

To carb most kegs, I set them in my kegerator at 12 psi with the others. But if I'm in a huge hurry, I'll set it to 30 psi for 36 hours before purging and resetting to 12 psi. I generally don't mess with my psi, though, since I often have 5 kegs and it's too much of a pain to change it.

Where the heck do you fit five kegs? I just bought a 250 dollar freezer at home depot I think 7 1/2 cubic feet or somethin and i have to buy another one to lager. Just wondering.
 
Where the heck do you fit five kegs? I just bought a 250 dollar freezer at home depot I think 7 1/2 cubic feet or somethin and i have to buy another one to lager. Just wondering.

I have a regular upright fridge for a kegerator. I can fit 5 kegs plus a 10 pound co2 tank, or six kegs with a co2 tank outside of the fridge.
 
Ok. I'll check for leaks again. How long does it take to carb at 12 psi?
 
Carbing at serving pressure generally takes about ten days or so. I highly recommend getting carb stones. Stone plus a length of tube to go from gas in to bottom of keg will cost about $17. Once that is in there, you can carb at serving pressure in about 2-3 days.
 
wailingguitar said:
Carbing at serving pressure generally takes about ten days or so. I highly recommend getting carb stones. Stone plus a length of tube to go from gas in to bottom of keg will cost about $17. Once that is in there, you can carb at serving pressure in about 2-3 days.

I never heard of carb stones but I will investigate. Ty
 
wailingguitar said:
Carbing at serving pressure generally takes about ten days or so. I highly recommend getting carb stones. Stone plus a length of tube to go from gas in to bottom of keg will cost about $17. Once that is in there, you can carb at serving pressure in about 2-3 days.

After some quick research. Do I need a .5 micron stone or 2 micron? I heard the .5 gets clogged easily.
 
After some quick research. Do I need a .5 micron stone or 2 micron? I heard the .5 gets clogged easily.

Why not connect the C02 to the liquid side of the keg? That way the C02 starts at the bottom of the keg and travels all the way to the top.
Just for carbing of course. Ball locks are no problem, but for pin locks you just swap the fittings.
 
No problem with .5 micron. Just soak it in pbw at least every two or three fills. Let it soak a little while while cleaning the keg, then put some gas to it and run rinse water over it for a minute. It's fine. Commercial breweries use the things all the time.. much larger ones of course, but the hole size is the same. Many breweries will fill a brite tank 3 or 4 times before opening it up and doing CIP.

As to bubbling gas up through OUT tube, it really doesn't do much. The bubbles aren't small enough to dissolve into solution quickly. There is little difference between doing it that way and through the IN

This is the stone I have in my kegs: http://www.austinhomebrew.com/product_info.php?products_id=10511
 
wailingguitar said:
No problem with .5 micron. Just soak it in pbw at least every two or three fills. Let it soak a little while while cleaning the keg, then put some gas to it and run rinse water over it for a minute. It's fine. Commercial breweries use the things all the time.. much larger ones of course, but the hole size is the same. Many breweries will fill a brite tank 3 or 4 times before opening it up and doing CIP.

As to bubbling gas up through OUT tube, it really doesn't do much. The bubbles aren't small enough to dissolve into solution quickly. There is little difference between doing it that way and through the IN

This is the stone I have in my kegs: http://www.austinhomebrew.com/product_info.php?products_id=10511

I will probably do this for the next keg then. Thanks for the info! I always get great and quick responses from members on here. I filled my co2 tank again and checked for leaks again. I had to tighten the brass fitting on the regulator very tight because I think it may have been leaking there.
 
I will probably do this for the next keg then. Thanks for the info! I always get great and quick responses from members on here. I filled my co2 tank again and checked for leaks again. I had to tighten the brass fitting on the regulator very tight because I think it may have been leaking there.

Carb stones work, but if you're really really in such a hurry that you must have your beer ready before 7 days, why not just do it an easier way and set it at 30 psi for 24-36 hours, and then purge and reset to 12 psi? I guess my feeling is that futzing with it is more of a pain that its worth, as either way you'll have carbed up beer in a couple of days.
 
Yooper said:
Carb stones work, but if you're really really in such a hurry that you must have your beer ready before 7 days, why not just do it an easier way and set it at 30 psi for 24-36 hours, and then purge and reset to 12 psi? I guess my feeling is that futzing with it is more of a pain that its worth, as either way you'll have carbed up beer in a couple of days.

I have turned the regulator to 30 psi because I am having a family gathering this weekend and they are all wanting to try my beer on kegs. They loved my bottled beer and are anxious to try the kegs .............and I am too!
 
Carb stones work, but if you're really really in such a hurry that you must have your beer ready before 7 days, why not just do it an easier way and set it at 30 psi for 24-36 hours, and then purge and reset to 12 psi? I guess my feeling is that futzing with it is more of a pain that its worth, as either way you'll have carbed up beer in a couple of days.

With a carb stone you're carbed at serving pressure in 2 to at most 3 days anyway... why mess with regulator pressure, bumping it up and down and releasing gas when you don't need to? How is that easier? That's a lot more futzing around than putting a stone in the keg, turning the gas on and then tapping it 48 hours later. If you simply have to have it carbed in less than two days, ok, but...
 
wailingguitar said:
With a carb stone you're carbed at serving pressure in 2 to at most 3 days anyway... why mess with regulator pressure, bumping it up and down and releasing gas when you don't need to? How is that easier? That's a lot more futzing around than putting a stone in the keg, turning the gas on and then tapping it 48 hours later. If you simply have to have it carbed in less than two days, ok, but...

Thank you! You are absolutely correct. I appreciate all your advice and I discovered the nylon washer between the regulator and tank fell out. I will buy some stones and will be more patient from here on out!
 
Do I need to start force carbing from the beginning again?

more than likely. If you drained your tank, you've got leaks. If youve got leaks, there is a route for any CO2 that made it into solution, right back out.

Theres really no way other than tasting to see if you're at the carbonation level you want. Definitely use soap water to track down your leaks though. And, as mentioned, if your CO2 tank is in the fridge, its not going to be at as high a pressure in the tank. If your gauge is like mine, its got a red zone that says to refill-- in the fridge, you'll be VERY near this zone even when full-- thats because the temp affects the equilibrium pressure P=nRT and all that.
 
Thanks everyone. The leak was fixed and the beer was carbed in time for the party. The beers were a hit with most people.
 
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