How long will my keg carbonation last

[mirage137]

I was wondering how long a 5lb CO2 tank usually lasts. I kegged 5 gallons, forced carbed at 20psi for 3 days and served at 9psi since mid December. Just recently noticed my regulator is down below 5psi and tried to turn the pressure back up to 9 psi to no avail. The tank does feel light so wondering if it's empty. Just weird it stayed at 9psi for the month or so but now it went down.

 

[jb3218]

I was wondering how long a 5lb CO2 tank usually lasts. I kegged 5 gallons, forced carbed at 20psi for 3 days and served at 9psi since mid December. Just recently noticed my regulator is down below 5psi and tried to turn the pressure back up to 9 psi to no avail. The tank does feel light so wondering if it's empty. Just weird it stayed at 9psi for the month or so but now it went down.

The tank has a stamp on the top part that is the empty weight. If the tank is aluminum, the weight should be 7.7 lbs. so when it's full its a little over 12 lbs. When I had mine filled, I weighed it when I got home on a bathroom scale and it was 12.5 lbs. Disconnect the tank and weigh it. You might want to use soapy water around the threaded areas to see if you have a leak.

 

[jb3218]

UV light skunks beer, so if the beer isn't UV light struck (such as in direct sunlight or in clear bottles) it won't skunk. Bottles can sit at room temp for quite a while without issues, but do just a little better at cellar temps or colder. I've had bottled homebrew in my basement for a couple of years that was fine, for example.

After reading my question and response I think I need to rephrase it. I plan on bottling some beer from the kegs AFTER the beer has been carbonated. I plan on using a beer gun.

 

[mirage137]

Thanks for the reply JB, the tank is new but the regulator is an old perlick regulator that came with a kegarator in my dad's house. I do plan on getting a new regulator eventually. But does a 5# tank normally last for 1 keg or should it last for more? I'd hate to think I have to exchange the tank for every keg.

Plus I do have the tank in the keezer too. I haven't searched this yet but I remember seeing a post about the difference between having the tank inside the keezer opposed to outside because of colder temps and the compressed CO2. Be easy on me, I took physics twice in college, not my strong point. Lol.

I still suspect the regulator but since it was free, had to give it a shot.

 

[jb3218]

Thanks for the reply JB, the tank is new but the regulator is an old perlick regulator that came with a kegarator in my dad's house. I do plan on getting a new regulator eventually. But does a 5# tank normally last for 1 keg or should it last for more? I'd hate to think I have to exchange the tank for every keg.

Plus I do have the tank in the keezer too. I haven't searched this yet but I remember seeing a post about the difference between having the tank inside the keezer opposed to outside because of colder temps and the compressed CO2. Be easy on me, I took physics twice in college, not my strong point. Lol.

I still suspect the regulator but since it was free, had to give it a shot.

I just started kegging myself but years ago I had a tap system with an old fridge. It had a 5lb. air tank and I would get about 6-7 1/4 barrels from it. That being said, you should get an easy 10+ kegs. Not sure how much is used during the carbonation process but if you only got 1 keg from it then you have a leak somewhere. Did you put Teflon tape on the threads or did you just hook it up and turn it on? Check this first since it would be cheaper then buying a $50.00 regulator or easier then buying parts and making your own regulator as some people do. I think the people that buy the parts and make their own just like to do things like that. I don't go that far but I did buy another regulator and connected it to the one I had so now I can hook up two tanks and have two separate pressures from one tank. Didn't mean to go on but oh well. Let me know how it turned out.

 

[jb3218]

Thanks for the reply JB, the tank is new but the regulator is an old perlick regulator that came with a kegarator in my dad's house. I do plan on getting a new regulator eventually. But does a 5# tank normally last for 1 keg or should it last for more? I'd hate to think I have to exchange the tank for every keg.

Plus I do have the tank in the keezer too. I haven't searched this yet but I remember seeing a post about the difference between having the tank inside the keezer opposed to outside because of colder temps and the compressed CO2. Be easy on me, I took physics twice in college, not my strong point. Lol.

I still suspect the regulator but since it was free, had to give it a shot.

I forgot to mention that on my old fridge system, the tank was kept in the fridge.

 

[JuanMoore]

I store kegs refrigerated once carbonated and would think CO2 would come out of solution if stored at higher temps. So far none have lasted long enough to find out...

As long as the keg holds pressure, changing the temperature doesn't change the carbonation level of the beer inside the keg. The headspace pressure will increase with a temp increase, but that's about it.

I was wondering how long a 5lb CO2 tank usually lasts. I kegged 5 gallons, forced carbed at 20psi for 3 days and served at 9psi since mid December. Just recently noticed my regulator is down below 5psi and tried to turn the pressure back up to 9 psi to no avail. The tank does feel light so wondering if it's empty. Just weird it stayed at 9psi for the month or so but now it went down.

One pound of CO2 should carbonate and serve between 5 and 10 gal of beer. This means you should get 5-10 corny kegs out of a 5# tank. You definitely have a leak somewhere. Once you get the tank refilled, fill up a spray bottle with soapy water (or star-san solution) and spray down all connections, keg lids, etc.

Plus I do have the tank in the keezer too. I haven't searched this yet but I remember seeing a post about the difference between having the tank inside the keezer opposed to outside because of colder temps and the compressed CO2. Be easy on me, I took physics twice in college, not my strong point. Lol.

The only differences will be what the high pressure gauge reads (if you have one), and how quickly the regulator adjusts to adjustments. It doesn't have any effect on gas usage.

 

[Aschecte]

As long as the keg holds pressure, changing the temperature doesn't change the carbonation level of the beer inside the keg. The headspace pressure will increase with a temp increase, but that's about it.

One pound of CO2 should carbonate and serve between 5 and 10 gal of beer. This means you should get 5-10 corny kegs out of a 5# tank. You definitely have a leak somewhere. Once you get the tank refilled, fill up a spray bottle with soapy water (or star-san solution) and spray down all connections, keg lids, etc.

The only differences will be what the high pressure gauge reads (if you have one), and how quickly the regulator adjusts to adjustments. It doesn't have any effect on gas usage.

Co2 is dissolved into solution more readily at a lower temperature and leaves solution at a higher temperature to equalize pressure differential. That is one of the reasons other besides gas expansion that the head space pressure increases. For example if you want to get lets say 2.7 volumes of co2 and you store your keg at 36 degrees you may only need 12psi but to maintain that same psi at let's say 60 degrees you may need to keep it at 20 psi to keep that volume I co2 in the solution of beer.

 

[xkred27]

I kegged an Oktoberfest and let it carb to 12 psi for two weeks. Then I disconnected it and moved it to the lager fridge. Two days ago I poured a glass to check on it. One glass was enough to exhaust the headspace pressure, so I reconnected it to the CO2 and left it at room temp overnight. The pressure on my line, which has two other kegs connected, has been stable at 11 psi for weeks and weeks. But this afternoon the pressure on the line reads 18 psi. So,

Is this due to the keg warming from 34 to 74 degrees?

Does this mean that the pressure in the other two kegs is now 18 psi, and they are both overcarbed?

Thx for any advice!

 

[Clonefan94]

In a growler, carbonation may not last that long, depending on how well the caps seal. But for bottles, the carb will last just as when you buy a commercial beer that's been force carbed and then bottled.

I have a fun thing I love. I bought a "carbonator cap". You could make one, but basically it's just a keg post fitting for a soda bottle. You fill the soda bottle from the keg, add the carbonator cap and then give the soda bottle a blast of co2. You can even carb up a flat beverage that way- soda, beer, etc. I like to do it also when I keg, and have some beer left that won't fit in the keg. I put some of it in a 2L bottle, and put the carbonator cap on and carb it up! (You're not to do this with glass, as the glass may blow up!)

I take plastic soda bottles full of beer all the time, and they stay carbed up until you open them!

I do this exact same thing. Especially when I know a keg is getting low. I fill up a 2 Liter bottle, cap it, carb it and put it in the door of my frige. It's especially good when you want to take 2 growlers worth on the road. Fill one growler up for first pours, top off the soda bottle with the other and whammo, perfect beer every time.

Or better yet, bring home a growler after a night of drinking, have a glass, but put the rest into a 2 liter soda bottle, cap off with your CO2 and you literally have that beer for as long as you want. In fact, that's what I'm doing right now.

 

[Arrheinous]

Do you have a soda bottle to CO2 tank adapter?

 

[nosnhojm20]

I plan on bringing a keg to a wedding. I will have it cared to proper volume at home. Will the change in temp from 38 to 75 back down require days at serving temp to get a proper pour? I'm new to keying generally but this is my first transport. I figure the bottle model holds, that it will be perfectly okay but just want to make sure. Thanks in advance!

 

[wilserbrewer]

I plan on bringing a keg to a wedding. I will have it cared to proper volume at home. Will the change in temp from 38 to 75 back down require days at serving temp to get a proper pour? I'm new to keying generally but this is my first transport. I figure the bottle model holds, that it will be perfectly okay but just want to make sure. Thanks in advance!

Letting a keg warm up and then cooling down will not affect the level of carbonation, however, two points of warning...

1. It will take considerable time to re-chill a warm keg, figure 48-72 hours IME.

2. There is usually sediment on the bottom of a conditioned keg of homebrew, transporting this can kick up the sediment and the nice clear beer you had will be murky for at least a week till it resettles. Best practice IME is to transfer the beer to a clean keg prior to transport.

 

[nosnhojm20]

Thanks! All very reasonable points. I appreciate it.

 

[taylornate]

Co2 is dissolved into solution more readily at a lower temperature and leaves solution at a higher temperature to equalize pressure differential. That is one of the reasons other besides gas expansion that the head space pressure increases. For example if you want to get lets say 2.7 volumes of co2 and you store your keg at 36 degrees you may only need 12psi but to maintain that same psi at let's say 60 degrees you may need to keep it at 20 psi to keep that volume I co2 in the solution of beer.

I think what he meant was if the head space is small relative to the volume of beer, the change in carbonation won't be significant. For a back of the envelope calculation, consider 5 gallons of beer with 0.5 gallons of head space, carbed at serving temp at 15 psi gage pressure. That's 30 psi absolute pressure. Suppose you disconnect the keg and let it warm to a temp where the pressure in the headspace would need to rise to 30 psi gage / 45 psi absolute to keep it carbed. That would require a 50% increase in the amount of gas in the head space, which would take only 0.05 volumes out of your beer.

 

[oakbarn]

Some of our beer that has got warm does not taste as good as when we kept it cold. We do transfer beer on a regular basis, and if you are careful, it will not be too badly shaken. We do lash it down and always keep the keg upright. If you put on the side or slosh around, the beer will not be good unless you filtered it. we use the little portable CO2 thing with great success although relatively expensive, but tail gating at a Rangers game with cold homebrew? Priceless!

 

[Newsman]

Something I learned the hard way -- get some keg lube and lube the o-rings on the posts and the seal on the lid and you're less likely to have a leaky keg!

 

[jflongo]

How long will my keg carbonation last if I remove the gas-in pressure? I currently have a single keg setup. What I'm considering is buying a second keg and carbing both kegs with my current set up. If I get proper carbonation in keg 1 and then connect my co2 to keg 2, how long will my carbonation stay decent in #1? Is the current 12psi in the keg enough pressure to keep the carbonation level where I want I to be? Will this setup do the trick?

Where are you going to put the 1st keg, once you pressurize it, and are doing the 2nd keg?

 

[Jacktar]

Where are you going to put the 1st keg, once you pressurize it, and are doing the 2nd keg?

I had planned to leave it in the fridge but have since bought another keg and a manifold.

 

[Jacktar]

Thanks for all the replies though folks.

 

[fermentednonsense]

I know the picture was posted, but I had to post the video to go with it...