Imperial stout not force carbing

[strongarm]

I just got my keg setup and starting carbing my first beer about 5 days ago. It's an imperial stout 16%ABV. I put it in my fridge at about 35 degrees. I am using a 2.5g carboy and a 20 oz co2 tank with a mini regulator on it. I set the regulator to about 5-6 PSI. After the first day it dropped 1-2psi so I openned it up to reach 5-6 again. I had to do this for the first 2-3 days. After 5 days I took a sample off the tap. It had almost 0 carbonation as far as I could tell. Any ideas on what's going on. I decided for the time being to turn it up so I have it sitting at 8-9psi now.

 

[zachattack]

I just got my keg setup and starting carbing my first beer about 5 days ago. It's an imperial stout 16%ABV. I put it in my fridge at about 35 degrees. I am using a 2.5g carboy and a 20 oz co2 tank with a mini regulator on it. I set the regulator to about 5-6 PSI. After the first day it dropped 1-2psi so I openned it up to reach 5-6 again. I had to do this for the first 2-3 days. After 5 days I took a sample off the tap. It had almost 0 carbonation as far as I could tell. Any ideas on what's going on. I decided for the time being to turn it up so I have it sitting at 8-9psi now.

So you want a little over 2 vol of CO2? That sounds good for an imperial stout. Unfortunately you'll need to wait at least 2 weeks using this "set it and forget it" method to get it all carbed up. Since it's a strong beer that you probably want to age for a while, why hurry? Turn that regulator back down to 5-6 and leave it for 2 more weeks.

 

[Jdk261]

I 2nd what zachattack says.

There is a common misbelief that if you put your beer in a keg and hook it up to gas, that it automatically conditions/carbs within minutes.

This is not the case. It will still take about two weeks. There are methods to speed it up, though they are "short cuts"...and there is nothing wrong with that, as long as you do it right.

Check out the sticky by bobbym at the top of this board...it should clear everything up. It explains the "set it and forget it" method suggested above, as well as the "force" carb method.

Good luck!

 

[Curtis2010]

Pressures look low to me at first glance. How did you come up with +/- 5 PSI?

Update: Ran it thru the carbonation tool in BrewSmith. Assuming 5.0 gallons, 35F, target CO2 volumes 2.3. I get 7.72 PSI. If 2.5 volumes then 9.72 PSI.

If you're impatient and don't really care about hitting style targets then crank it up.

 

[strongarm]

I have 2.5G and was going for 2.0 volumes of carb. I thought that it only took 48 hours or a little more to fully carb so I thought 5 days must be good. I turned it back down to 6psi and will left it sit for 2 more weeks. Thanks everyone for the advise.

 

[strongarm]

So, probably a stupid question but....Am I supposed to have the gas line connected to the beer connection on the keg (the one with the tub that extends to the bottom)? Right now it's connected to the gas connection. If I do need to switch the gas line over to the beer connection I assume it just fits on? Any issue with there being beer in that tube and proabaly some in the connection since I did pour a sample yesterday?

 

[Yooper]

So, probably a stupid question but....Am I supposed to have the gas line connected to the beer connection on the keg (the one with the tub that extends to the bottom)? Right now it's connected to the gas connection. If I do need to switch the gas line over to the beer connection I assume it just fits on? Any issue with there being beer in that tube and proabaly some in the connection since I did pour a sample yesterday?

It's supposed to be on the "in" post. The correct post has a short diptube, and uses a gray disconnect. It's for the gas.

 

[strongarm]

I've got it right then. I read that some people seem to use the dip tube so the c02 injects from the bottom but it doesn't appear that's necessary.

 

[JuanMoore]

I've got it right then. I read that some people seem to use the dip tube so the c02 injects from the bottom but it doesn't appear that's necessary.

They mistakenly believe that it carbonates the beer faster since the gas bubbles up through the beer. In practice it doesn't speed things up any, and is just an unnecessary hassle.

 

[Curtis2010]

So, probably a stupid question but....Am I supposed to have the gas line connected to the beer connection on the keg (the one with the tub that extends to the bottom)? Right now it's connected to the gas connection. If I do need to switch the gas line over to the beer connection I assume it just fits on? Any issue with there being beer in that tube and proabaly some in the connection since I did pour a sample yesterday?

Note that on ball lock kegs the post fittings are slightly different. You can force the gas connection onto the liquid in post, but it may jam.

Some people push gas through the dip tube, under the theory that bubbling up from the dip tube carbonates faster, but I don't think the physics on this really adds up. Once pressurized only a few small bublbes of CO2 are going to pass through this route and do so quickly. What effects carbonation rate the most is surface area exposed between liquid and gas (more surface area more gas exchange), pressure, and temp.