Improper carbonation help?

[res0prw2]

So I might have messed up....

I just kegged my first brew last Thursday and now I’m thinking I might have not carbonated properly. I placed the fermentor in my newly acquired chest freezer (future fermentation chamber) in order to cold crash it prior kegging. It sat for 7 days at 35 deg F after a 14 day fermentation. I then proceeded to clean and prep my corny prior to racking. Once I felt ready (and more than a little excited), I proceeded to rack my beer into the keg and began the carbonation process.

Now here is where I think I might’ve messed up. I had read about force carbonation but I don’t think I did it properly. I connected my co2 to the normal gas post on the keg and charged the keg to 30 psi with the plan of letting it sit at 35 deg for an additional 3 days, then let it “rest” at 12 psi for an additional 2 days before enjoying. After giving it a try yesterday the first pour came out with very little head yet not tasting flat. The second pour however had almost no head and very little carbonation. Re-reading some articles on forced carbonation, I did not swap the posts on the keg to run the co2 through the beer nor did I shake the keg prior to letting it rest for the previous 5 days.

It’s sitting in the kegerator at home while I’m at work (the next 4 days), so I was hoping it would benefit from resting at pressure and hopefully “carb up”. After re-reading though, I’m thinking I might have to take it out, bleed pressure from the keg, and retry force carbing it again either by pressurizing through the outlet (forcing it through the beer) or pressurize and shake the keg.

I don’t mind waiting a few more days, I just want great tasting brew! Any thoughts and help would be greatly appreciated!

 

[DrunkleJon]

So I might have messed up....

Oh how many posts begin with this gem. Here are a few thoughts from what I can see.

Now here is where I think I might’ve messed up. I had read about force carbonation but I don’t think I did it properly. I connected my co2 to the normal gas post on the keg and charged the keg to 30 psi with the plan of letting it sit at 35 deg for an additional 3 days, then let it “rest” at 12 psi for an additional 2 days before enjoying.

It really does not matter which post you hook the gas up to. Sure, if it bubbles up through the beer it theoretically will carbonate faster, but is not necessary.

Question, you say that you charged it to 30 psi. Does this mean that you hooked up the gas, put 30 psi of pressure on the keg, then unhooked the gas and let it sit for 3 days? If so, that is probably your problem right there. There is not enough room in the headspace of the keg to hold enough gas to carbonate your beer. The quick carb method most people use consists of holding the beer at 30psi for 24 hours followed by reducing to serving pressure and leaving it hooked up to the gas the whole time.

I just do the set and forget method and leave my keg at serving temperature and pressure for a week and a half to two weeks and it is usually carbed perfectly.

Hope this helps

 

[res0prw2]

Does this mean that you hooked up the gas, put 30 psi of pressure on the keg, then unhooked the gas and let it sit for 3 days? If so, that is probably your problem right there.

This is the problem I'm sure. I was out of room in my kegerator so I just pressurized the keg and kept it cold in my ferm chamber without the gas line and regulator still attached. I'm sure if I leave it at serving pressure in the kegerator till next Friday it should be good. I kept thinking about pressure being a constant, but forgot about the fact it needs to dissolve into the beer.