Keg Force Carbing Methods Illustrated

[fuzzybee]

Hopefully this thread is still being monitored. I am going to keg a hoppy red ale today - it's currently at room temp in the carboy. I'd like to serve it Sunday. What should be my best plan of action for carbonation? A wrench in the plan is that I leave town this evening. I return Tuesday afternoon, and then leave town Wednesday early AM, returning home Friday.

Thoughts?

 

[bracconiere]

Hopefully this thread is still being monitored. I am going to keg a hoppy red ale today - it's currently at room temp in the carboy. I'd like to serve it Sunday. What should be my best plan of action for carbonation? A wrench in the plan is that I leave town this evening. I return Tuesday afternoon, and then leave town Wednesday early AM, returning home Friday.

Thoughts?

i'd guess if it's got a week, set and forget would be fine? if you want to absolutly sure hook it up serving pressure, but before you 'set and forget it', give some shaking at serving pressure, just to make sure for good measure.....? someone else will have to chime in.

 

[fuzzybee]

i'd guess if it's got a week, set and forget would be fine? if you want to absolutly sure hook it up serving pressure, but before you 'set and forget it', give some shaking at serving pressure, just to make sure for good measure.....? someone else will have to chime in.

Thanks for the quick response! It's good to do this in the keezer, right? It's been a while since I've kegged anything.

 

[govner1]

Your easiest path would be to use a carbonation stone or a Blichmann carving system (1 hour).
Other than that, I’d transfer to a keg and get it cold (40° F or less) first. Then give your schedule I’d put it on CO2 Wednesday and take it off Friday or put it on Friday and take it off Sunday.
You can adjust your PSI depending on how long you’ll be leaving it on CO2.

 

[IslandLizard]

Hopefully this thread is still being monitored. I am going to keg a hoppy red ale today - it's currently at room temp in the carboy. I'd like to serve it Sunday. What should be my best plan of action for carbonation? A wrench in the plan is that I leave town this evening. I return Tuesday afternoon, and then leave town Wednesday early AM, returning home Friday.

Thoughts?

I'd keg it, chill it to 34-38F, burst carbonate for 5-7 minutes at 30 psi by rolling it. Then disconnect gas, and put it in the kegerator.
Check carbonation Tuesday and connect gas at your typical serving pressure and let it be.

 

[bracconiere]

Thanks for the quick response! It's good to do this in the keezer, right? It's been a while since I've kegged anything.

well, i dissagree with everyone else! i'm assuming this is NEXT sunday, it's getting kegged this sunday. so just hooking it up at the typical 12psi, maybe shake it a bit at the PSI for a workout, until you need a break, .....as far as i know 8 days in the keezer, at serving temp & pressure. would get it plenty carbed?

 

[IslandLizard]

...as far as i know 8 days in the keezer, at serving temp & pressure. would get it plenty carbed?

Borderline, that's why I'd give it a head start by burst carbonating it first.

 

[bracconiere]

Borderline, that's why I'd give it a head start by burst carbonating it first.

yeah i was disagreeing because you recomended chilling it first to 38f, then giving it 5-7 minutes of shaking, with my experience so far carbing by weight, he'd have an over carbed keg, and wouldn't find out till tuesday, and then not be around to keep venting it, till friday?


edit: and that was why i was thinking giving it some shaking AT serving pressure before giving it the chill down? at serving pressure can't over carb it but wouldn't hurt? just a jump on the usual 2 weeks?

 

[fuzzybee]

I'd keg it, chill it to 34-38F, burst carbonate for 5-7 minutes at 30 psi by rolling it. Then disconnect gas, and put it in the kegerator.
Check carbonation Tuesday and connect gas at your typical serving pressure and let it be.

Hmm. I'm leaving the house in about 4 hours - I don't think that would give me enough time to get it down to serving temp.

 

[fuzzybee]

well, i dissagree with everyone else! i'm assuming this is NEXT sunday, it's getting kegged this sunday. so just hooking it up at the typical 12psi, maybe shake it a bit at the PSI for a workout, until you need a break, .....as far as i know 8 days in the keezer, at serving temp & pressure. would get it plenty carbed?

Yes - kegging today, serving the 4th.

 

[bracconiere]

Yes - kegging today, serving the 4th.

sounds like an AWESOME party!! i'm standing by keg it, set it to serving pressure, shake it at that pressure until you get bored, stick in the keezer to get ready for the fireworks!

 

[fuzzybee]

sounds like an AWESOME party!! i'm standing by keg it, set it to serving pressure, shake it at that pressure until you get bored, stick in the keezer to get ready for the fireworks!

Thanks! First brew in 7 years - hopefully it turns out ok. I know, I know - RDWHAHB.

 

[bracconiere]

Thanks! First brew in 7 years - hopefully it turns out ok. I know, I know - RDWHAHB.

i was just thinking if it's set at serving pressure you have 8 days of it set and forget....you can't over carb it at serving pressure, so just shake it till you have peace of mind, 8 days even without the shaking would be the way i like my beer anyway! some people do cardio for an hour for exscerise....you got 4 left!


(and it's the 4th, as long as it's homebrew it's a winner! even if it's an extract brew, no worse then asking france for help, lol))

 

[bracconiere]

that what a beer with set and forget looks like after 4 days, at 10psi.....i kegged that thursday.....it's been sitting at 10psi....to me already drinkable, but a little undercarbed.....(just notcied this thread is supposed to be illustrated!)

 

[fuzzybee]

Fingers crossed!

 

[bracconiere]

Fingers crossed!

did you shake it? and post back next sunday, i'll be drinking a glass of 13-14 year old brandy i made a while back!

 

[fuzzybee]

did you shake it? and post back next sunday, i'll be drinking a glass of 13-14 year old brandy i made a while back!

Yep. I'll shake it some more before I head out and then again Tuesday.

Nice!

 

[bracconiere]

Yep. I'll shake it some more before I head out and then again Tuesday.

Nice!

I think you're set then! @IslandLizard ? confirm or deny for tuesday?

 

[doug293cz]

I'd put it on serving pressure, and put in in the cooler right away. When you get back on Tues., shake it every 5 - 10 minutes, until you no longer hear gas flowing when you start shaking. Then put it back in the frig until it's time to serve.

Shaking at higher than serving pressure is the best known way to over-carb a beer, and you won't have time to deal with that given your schedule. You can't over-carb shaking at serving pressure. Not shaking after Tues/Wed will give the suspended junk time to settle before serving.

Brew on

 

[bracconiere]

Not shaking after Tues/Wed will give the suspended junk time to settle before serving.

and i was just coming back to say that!

 

[fuzzybee]

I'd put it on serving pressure, and put in in the cooler right away. When you get back on Tues., shake it every 5 - 10 minutes, until you no longer hear gas flowing when you start shaking. Then put it back in the frig until it's time to serve.

Shaking at higher than serving pressure is the best known way to over-carb a beer, and you won't have time to deal with that given your schedule. You can't over-carb shaking at serving pressure. Not shaking after Tues/Wed will give the suspended junk time to settle before serving.

Brew on

I'm leaving it on 12 psi so should be good on that front. I'm sure there's sediment in it, so good thought on giving it time to settle. Thank you!

 

[fuzzybee]

I'm leaving it on 12 psi so should be good on that front. I'm sure there's sediment in it, so good thought on giving it time to settle. Thank you!

Gave it a shake yesterday afternoon when I arrived home. Not going to touch it until Sunday (or maybe Saturday )

 

[bracconiere]

or maybe Saturday )

definatley saturday. get a heads up on how it went!

 

[doug293cz]

definatley saturday. get a heads up on how it went!

Yeah. Probably need to pour a pint or two to clear out the trub around the tip of the dip tube. Want it running clear for your guests. If at all possible, do not move the keg in the slightest (not even to reposition in the fridge) before serving.

Brew on

 

[fuzzybee]

Still a little flat today. This is poured off ~11' of Bevlex 200 through a picnic tap.

 

[bracconiere]

honestly a week at 12 psi, and shaking for two days? i'm surprised, but it looks like the way i like my beer....day_trippr just said he can get it carbed at serving pressure, with 30 minutes of shaking....

if you want crank it to 30psi until tomorrow? i feel like i failed you at this point, so most people that use EVABarrier say they only use 6' lines? not sure if that's the difference i'm seeing?

 

[fuzzybee]

honestly a week at 12 psi, and shaking for two days? i'm surprised, but it looks like the way i like my beer....day_trippr just said he can get it carbed at serving pressure, with 30 minutes of shaking....

if you want crank it to 30psi until tomorrow? i feel like i failed you at this point, so most people that use EVABarrier say they only use 6' lines? not sure if that's the difference i'm seeing?

It happens. It will get there. There's carbonation in it, but no head.

I forgot to order the Duotight reducer for my tap, so I had to go back to some old Bevlex / picnic tap. The speed of the pour is fine, so I don't think that's the problem.

 

[MashTunnelOfLove]

I only spend a half a day or so giving it a shake in the keg at 25-30 psi. When I can't hear CO2 moving through the regulator I adjust to serving pressure based off of temp and desired volumes of CO2.

This is the holy grail of beer line calculators. Use the duotight stuff and you can just swap out lengths.

http://www.mikesoltys.com/2012/09/17/determining-proper-hose-length-for-your-kegerator/

 

[MashTunnelOfLove]

I only spend a half a day or so giving it a shake in the keg at 25-30 psi. When I can't hear CO2 moving through the regulator I adjust to serving pressure based off of temp and desired volumes of CO2.

This is the holy grail of beer line calculators. Use the duotight stuff and you can just swap out lengths.

http://www.mikesoltys.com/2012/09/17/determining-proper-hose-length-for-your-kegerator/

I should add it sits about 3 days after my shaking. More than drinkable and at 5 days its perfect

 

[chazam]

What's the best closed beer transfer method from a plastic fermenter to a keg? Is there a video format version to demonstrate it (non-native eng speaker here)?

This was something that I was going to do for my next batch, but a fellow homebrewtalk member said it wasn't enough.