Just got a kegging kit

[voodoochild7]

Just got a 2 corny keg kit with a regulator for each so I can keep 2 seperate styles of brew at different carbonation levels. I have a 5# co2 cylider if I have each brew at around 11 pounds how long does a tank last on average.

 

[gnef]

it really depends on your usage. if you force carbonate, it will take a lot more co2, if you use priming sugar, and only use co2 to dispense, it will last a lot longer. if you get even a small tiny leak, it will last you a day maybe. haha. check everything for leaks when you have it assembled. and by check, i mean pressurize everything, and then turn off the co2 at the tank. go to sleep, check the next day if the high pressure gauge has moved any. if it has, you have a leak, you can also check for major leaks with the soapy water way, but still do this to check for small leaks, because even if it is a small leak, you will go through co2 very quickly. the reason you check the high pressure is because there is a lot of pressure in the regulator, even if you close the tank valve, and this high pressure will continue to keep the regulated low pressure even if there is a leak, until it runs out. if it shows empy and no pressure in the low gauge... you have a pretty large leak.

i hope that made sense.

also, it is pretty cheap to swap co2 tanks, that is unless of course you are really attached to your nice shiny spun aluminum tank... then it may take a few days/week if you get it done at a welding supply shop, or usually more money if you get it filled on the spot.

have fun with the kegs. i was not sorry when i left bottling behind... heh

 

[Flucky07]

it really depends on your usage. if you force carbonate, it will take a lot more co2, if you use priming sugar, and only use co2 to dispense, it will last a lot longer. if you get even a small tiny leak, it will last you a day maybe. haha. check everything for leaks when you have it assembled. and by check, i mean pressurize everything, and then turn off the co2 at the tank. go to sleep, check the next day if the high pressure gauge has moved any. if it has, you have a leak, you can also check for major leaks with the soapy water way, but still do this to check for small leaks, because even if it is a small leak, you will go through co2 very quickly. the reason you check the high pressure is because there is a lot of pressure in the regulator, even if you close the tank valve, and this high pressure will continue to keep the regulated low pressure even if there is a leak, until it runs out. if it shows empy and no pressure in the low gauge... you have a pretty large leak.

i hope that made sense.

also, it is pretty cheap to swap co2 tanks, that is unless of course you are really attached to your nice shiny spun aluminum tank... then it may take a few days/week if you get it done at a welding supply shop, or usually more money if you get it filled on the spot.

have fun with the kegs. i was not sorry when i left bottling behind... heh

What is the prefeered way forced carbonation or using the primary sugar. I was planning on doing the priming sugar and leaving the keg sit for 2 weeks ~

Is there any difference to this?

 

[gnef]

some people claim they get better beer when they use priming sugar. for me, i would rather not have the sediment in the first few pints of beer, and i just find it easier to force carbonate. i also have a diffusion stone that makes force carbing fairly easy/quick. also, some beers can be drinkable in less time - read, this doesn't necessarily mean good, and all beers generally taste better after a few months, but you can drink some beers a week after brewing. i've done it, and it turned out alright. not great, but definitely drinkable.

also, 2 weeks may not be enough time for the priming sugar. you want to give it as much time as you would with bottles. i would say at least three if not four weeks in the keg. and then you may want to transfer to another keg to get rid of the sediment - you pour a pint or two first, it will be really cloudy, and filled with sediment, then connect another keg to it, and pump from one keg to another. another option is to cut your dip tube by a half inch or inch, and it should prevent sediment from being pulled up. you also lose some beer this way, but it's up to you.

 

[God Emporer BillyBrew]

If you use sugar make sure and half the amount you would normally use for bottles. Dunno why, just trust me!

Difference with force carbing is that you won't need to wait 2 weeks to drink it. I don't know about you, but when I got my keg set up, I wanted to drink out of it THAT NIGHT. You can shoot it with CO2 and shake the heck out of it and be able to drink tonight or worse case scenario tomorrow.

 

[kornkob]

While you can drink it that night it will be green tasting beer because it hasn't had the extra weeks to mellow out.

Force carbing doesn't really 'save time' as much as lets you cut corners (with corresponding impact to quality) if you're impatient.

If you wish to carb using CO2 and don't care to cut corners, push 12 pounds or so of pressure on the beer for a week then let the beer age another 2 weeks.


The extra weeks are a good thing.

 

[voodoochild7]

Well one brew has been in the secondary for close to 2 months the other has been in there for close to a month. I'm thinking of force carbonating just to have a homebrew. but have heard that it is very easy to overcarbonate. I'm gonna chill these suckers to about 45 degrees if I do decide to force carbonate them how much pressure should I use.

 

[gnef]

i have my kegs at about 40F and at about 10 psi. higher temps you need high pressure. there is a formula for all this, but i go more by how it pours from my faucet. i have a fairly balanced system. i use about five feet of beer line - 3/16 ID

 

[voodoochild7]

But what if I want to do the high pressure shake for 5 minutes type of carb? How long does it take for yours to carbonate at 10 psi 40 degrees?

 

[gnef]

ideally, about a week. if you do the shake method, put the pressure up to about 25-30, and shake vigorously. when i do this, i will sometimes just roll it on the ground for about half an hour or so, then sit it back upright, and set the pressure to where i want it, then taste it in about an hour after that. you can try shaking it until you don't hear any more co2 through the regulator, then set the pressure you want to serve at, and wait about an hour or so before you try to pour anything from it - it will be all foam if you do.

 

[Igorstien]

But what if I want to do the high pressure shake for 5 minutes type of carb? How long does it take for yours to carbonate at 10 psi 40 degrees?

If you in that big of a rush to drink beer than go buy the crap at the store!!

Homebrew requires time!!! If you drink it early it will taste like beer but not very good beer....and good beer is the point!!!!

IGOR

 

[voodoochild7]

I guess you are right why ruin my beer. I'll just set it a 10 psi and wait till Monday I must drink on the 3rd. Think it'll be ready by then? Talking about store bought crap has anyone tried the new sam adams collection of 4 beers. There a root beer ale, a honer ginger ale, a George Washington Porter, and a Dark Wheat. All but the dark wheat were spectacularly crappy. And I'm a pretty big fan of sam adams.

 

[bikebryan]

But what if I want to do the high pressure shake for 5 minutes type of carb? How long does it take for yours to carbonate at 10 psi 40 degrees?

I highly recommend you use the set-it-and-wait method. You'll get pretty much perfect carbonation every time if you consult the carbonation tables and balance your pressure with the correct length of beverage tubing. When you overpressure and shake, you are gambling - and the result is usually, more often than not, glasses of foam and green beer.

 

[voodoochild7]

Okay I'm at 44 degrees and 10 psi. I hear lot's of bubbling in the keg how long till that stops and when the bubbles stop does that mean it's ready?

 

[gnef]

well are you going to shake it, or just let it go by itself? also, i think for 44 degrees, you may need a bit higher pressure, but i don't really know for sure

edit - http://www.brewingtechniques.com/library/backissues/issue2.1/millertable.html

i just googled that, so i don't know the validity, but it seems pretty good. now i don't know how many volumes of co2 you want though... someone else can chime in here and give you a recommendation on that.

 

[voodoochild7]

No shaking just letting it go. I don't want an overcarbonated thing I want lower classic ale carbonation.