Keg beer sold to bar

[Shamrock28]

Does the brewery force carb the beer prior to distributing it to the bar or since each bar has there own co2 tanks and regulator systems, the brewery just fills the keg and distributes it

 

[k1200rsvt]

I believe that the brewery carbonates the beer in the keg and then the bar has a CO2 setup to keep it carbonated and serve it.

 

[philrose]

Does the brewery force carb the beer prior to distributing it to the bar or since each bar has there own co2 tanks and regulator systems, the brewery just fills the keg and distributes it

Breweries carbonate their product first, then bars push the beer with low levels of gas.

Well, good bars use a small amount of gas. I ordered a london pride a week or so ago and it came out bubbly as a bud light. Lame!

 

[jonbomb]

I worked as a barback at a few bars and from what I remembered when the
c02 went the beer went pretty flat but I never seen a fully flat beer before come out of the tap...

 

[pcollins]

No, the breweries carbonate the beer before packaging. That way the bar or pub can have the keg on tap almost immediately. They may allow some time for the beer to settle in the same way you wouldn't want to open a beer that has been shaken up for a bit.

 

[JJL]

It's already carbed when it gets to the bar. The CO2 being used in the bar is mostly for pushing the beer out of the keg. I'm sure it also helps maintain a layer of CO2 in the keg to keep oxygen away from the beer.

 

[ChshreCat]

+1 When they kick a keg, they don't want to have to wait a few days or more for the next one to carb up when they connect it.

 

[Shamrock28]

Ok so I carb the keg at 12-14 psi for how long? till i can start distributing it to the bar...I read a tred that keg beer is pasteurized I thought that was the opposite its NOT pasteurized. Also, why do i see full kegs sitting outside of bars. Somethings not right with this picture, I was also under the impression that they have to be stored like a lager at cold temps

 

[JuanMoore]

Using the set it and forget it method of force carbonating takes 2-3 weeks. Some breweries pasteurize their beer, some don't. Whether or not it's in a keg has nothing to do with it. Kegged beer needs to be chilled prior to tapping and serving, but kegs are often transported and stored at room temp just like bottled beer. Leaving full kegs outside in the sun isn't a great idea, but I'm sure there are bars that do it.

 

[CDbrews]

those kegs outside are usually empty, i dont know why a bar would store full ones outside

 

[Shamrock28]

Set it and forget it method even after you force carb it?...Whats the point? If force carbing and bottling take same amount of time

 

[CDbrews]

the set it and forget it method is one method of force carbing, as is shaking the keg or a high psi for a few days. I dont mind waiting the same length as bottling for my tap beer, plus i dont have to bottle it then

 

[Shamrock28]

Do i pump it once with a high psi force carb and let it set for a few days....Maybe shake it in between.

Or do you constantly force carb it in those few days?

 

[pcollins]

You'll get so many answers on this one issues. I set it and forget it. I use 10psi, keg my beer and then walk away. Within a few days it is quite drinkable and it should be basically up to serving volume CO2 within a week. That's part of the reason to keg.

The other part of the reason is cleaning, sanitizing and filling 30-40 bottles vs cleaning, sanitizing and filling one keg.

Also have a look at the stickies in the "kegging/bottling" part of this forum for more information. I got a ton of valuable insight there before I started with kegging.

 

[jonbomb]

I just found out that the co2 is mainly just used to get the beer out of the keg... its tecnically not force carbed...BUT I did read that if a beer doesn't have much head but has carbonation that the co2 the keg is attached to has ran out which means that beer is running on its own carbonation.