Keg Carbonation

[HoshBrew]

I am about ready to keg for first batch of beer and I have read online different methods of carbonating the beer. A guy in the local shop here said the best way is to just hook up the keg and let it sit at the serving psi(8-10) for a week and then it should be ready to go. Any suggestions or comments?

Thanks

 

[bjohnson29]

You'll need more than a week at 8-10psi. I hook mine up at 10-12, then slowly rock the keg for an hr (while watching tv). Let it sit overnight and its good in the morning. That said, I find the flavor doesn't peak until around two weeks on the gas.

 

[paraordnance]

Best method for carbonating is "set-and-forget" that said is more predictable with results and you will never overcarb. 8 psi seems low but if your beer stored at 38-40F you need more like 12 psi of constant pressure for about 10 days.

 

[Yooper]

A week is about right. My keg is at 12 psi, as my kegerator temp is at 40 degrees. The carb level is a function of pressure and temperature, so if your fridge is warmer or colder, you may have to adjust the pressure accordingly.

 

[HoshBrew]

My keg fridge is at 38 degrees. So at 12 psi I should be able to start drinking after say 10 days? Should I leave it at 12 for good then?

 

[golphur]

I'm always in a hurry because when I keg it means my kegs are empty. I'm in between the set and forget crowd and the shake the keg crowd. I connect the keg and set to 30PSI for 48 hours. Drop to serving pressure and it is good to go. I initially started at 30PSI for 72 hours but it always wound up overcarbed. 48 hours seems to work good for me right now.

 

[Yooper]

My keg fridge is at 38 degrees. So at 12 psi I should be able to start drinking after say 10 days? Should I leave it at 12 for good then?

At 38 degrees, I'd probably go with 11 psi (Force Carbonation & Carb Table) but yes, that's what I'd do.

 

[HoshBrew]

Ok great, I'll set it to 11 and start enjoying after about 10 days. Thanks for the help

 

[spenghali]

I'm always in a hurry because when I keg it means my kegs are empty. I'm in between the set and forget crowd and the shake the keg crowd. I connect the keg and set to 30PSI for 48 hours. Drop to serving pressure and it is good to go. I initially started at 30PSI for 72 hours but it always wound up overcarbed. 48 hours seems to work good for me right now.

this is the method i just used on my 3rd kegged beer ever. I think my first one i was in a big rush and tried the "shaking it" method, i would completely advise against ever doing that. the 30 psi for 48 hours then down to 8-10 for serving worked perfect for me. if you want more carb after the first 48 just crank it back up to 30 again and wait an additional 4-8-12-16-24 etc hours.

edit: obviously all the other advice for lower psi with longer periods in the keggerator will work great too, was just agreeing that it can be done in 48 hours as well. and don't forget to purge the keg 3 times at 20-30psi first!

 

[Bk2X]

Little confused here. I am fermenting a hefe that needs 4 vol co2. In my case, I will do 34 degrees and 24 psi and add some mixer sticks to make sure my system is balanced as i pour a glass. I keep seeing threads about people setting their beers to serving pressure to carb up. If a beer needs a certain vol of co2 (ie 4 vol) and the serving pressure is lower (12 psi @ 34*), wouldn't this cause your vol of co2 to actually be lower due to decarbonation of the fluid over time. Am I missing something?

 

[Yooper]

Little confused here. I am fermenting a hefe that needs 4 vol co2. In my case, I will do 34 degrees and 24 psi and add some mixer sticks to make sure my system is balanced as i pour a glass. I keep seeing threads about people setting their beers to serving pressure to carb up. If a beer needs a certain vol of co2 (ie 4 vol) and the serving pressure is lower (12 psi @ 34*), wouldn't this cause your vol of co2 to actually be lower due to decarbonation of the fluid over time. Am I missing something?

Nope, you're right! Having a "serving pressure" means either turning it back up after each time you've used the keg, or having beer go flatter. That's why it doesn't work very well for most people. If you only have one keg, it might be ok as a temp "fix" for a short line.

But I have five kegs, and I drink beer every day. I'd have to pick a beer, go into the kegerator and purge and reset that keg. But then, if my husband wanted a different beer, I'd have to climb in there and reset that one too. Or all of them. And then, if we were done for the evening, go back in there and turn them all back up. I drink an IPA everyday, but only have the Belgian once in a while. That would be a huge pain! It's easiest to just 'set it and forget it', honestly. The only reason to dispense at a lower pressure is because the system isn't set up properly. It's worth doing it right!

 

[Bk2X]

Excellent, thanks for the info.

 

[day_trippr]

[...]Am I missing something?

Nope, you have it exactly right...

Cheers!