How long does a mini keg have to sit

[illusi0nzv3]

Hey everyone. I am interested in bottling my brew into a mini keg. How long does it need to sit in the mini keg until it is carbonated? I know that it'll use co2 to pressurize it, but does that help the carbonation process?

 

[45_70sharps]

I assume you are talking a corny keg?

Yes, the CO2 you pressurize it with will carbonate it, or you can naturally carbonate it.
How long is between over night and up to I think they say three weeks.

There's a reason that the timeframe is so wide. First, you have to figure out how much carbonation you want. Next, there are charts that will tell you how to get there.
The slow method is to figure out the CO2 volume you want and the temperature that the keg will be at, then the chart will tell you 10 psi or whatever it is and how long. You will want to serve at that pressure also because if you run it at a couple psi so that it pours well through a picnic tap, the carbonation will bleed out of the beer just like if the cap is off a bottle and the beer is no longer pressurized. You can adjust for a good pour with things like line length from the keg to the tap. Essentially a longer line takes more pressure to get the beer through. The pressure is the energy that pushes it so the more it pushes, the less energy is left at the tap. Less energy makes for full flow without it shooting out and foaming up.

There is also a super fast method that I read like this.
Pressurize the keg to 60psi, pull the gas line off and pick the keg up and shake it till you can't do it any more. ( Shaking it gives the gas more surface area to get the gas into the beer so it doesn't have to reach the bottom by going all the way through the beer) The gas get's absorbed by the beer, carbonating it, so you need to add more to bring it back to 60psi. Next do the shaking thing again.
Repeat till you can't do it any more.
Leave it at 60psi, the next day bleed off the pressure, bring it to serving pressure and let it sit for at least an hour. Serve.

I do something in between. I run the pressure up, shake it around, top off the gas and let it sit for a couple days in the kegerator. Then I bleed off the pressure, bring it to serving pressure and give it an hour or two.

Using the chart and giving it time is really the best way. You will be more consistent.

When you fill the keg, it's a good idea to purge the air with the CO2 first. Oxygen isn't the friend of good beer.

 

[statu]

I'm a set it to 20psi, roll it in the floor for 10 min then leave it in the fridge for a week. Bleed off and set to serving PSI

 

[45_70sharps]

I'm a set it to 20psi, roll it in the floor for 10 min then leave it in the fridge for a week. Bleed off and set to serving PSI

Another common way and the rolling is a gentler, less demanding way of doing what the shaking does.

This is a good time compromise also.

I should mention, disconnect the serving line when you run the pressure above serving pressure. If it's too high, and especially with a picnic tap, the pressure can cause the beer to flow out of the tap when you aren't looking.

I also always shout the gas off when not serving.
I learned these bits by an expensive and heartbreaking accident.
I had a full, brand new keg of Black Butte. I ran the pressure up and was letting it sit while the gas got absorbed. I figured that in about 15 minutes I would turn the gas off at the tank.
I fell asleep and the picnic tap was hooked up ( had to pour one to taste). The next morning I looked and a full five gallons had pumped through the keg into the bottom of my freezer.
To make matters worse, I drained my freshly filled CO2 tank while I was at it.