Kegging beer question...

[cyclonebrew]

When hooking up the CO2 to my keg to carbonate the beer, do I put the keg into the fridge or do I leave out at room temp.? Thanks for your help!

 

[D2T]

The links I have read usually said to carbonate at serving temperature I believe. At least that's what I do, and it carbonates just fine.

 

[Hippiefreak]

I've alway been led to believe that more CO2 was absorbed at lower temps, so i always chill my beer first (which also should settle out all the yeasty stuff), and then force carb.....

since I've been doing this, my beers have always been much clearer.

YMMV

Chris(aka Hippiefreak)
http://db.etree.org/chorner

 

[david_42]

Carbonate at serving temperature, otherwise the carbonation level will be wrong.

 

[Professor Frink]

I always force carb at serving temp (about 42 degrees in my kegerator), it takes less psi to fully carb a beer at low temp than at higher temps. As long as you have a balanced system, you don't have to worry about the pressures being different.

http://sdcollins.home.mindspring.com/ForceCarbonation.html

 

[Bobby_M]

I'd also add that you'd benefit from crashing the temp while still in primary or secondary a day or two prior to racking to the keg. This will help clarify a little bit more. Of course, this is depending on your ability to fit a carboy into your fridge.

 

[homebrewer_99]

...or if you still have snow on the ground and a blowing wind...

 

[cyclonebrew]

Yet another dumb question. Does anyone also add sugar to the keg and hook-up to CO2? Or is that over kill? SORRY!

 

[MA_Brewer]

Yet another dumb question. Does anyone also add sugar to the keg and hook-up to CO2? Or is that over kill? SORRY!

You could do both, but don't add sugar and then chill the keg, the yeast won't be active enough to eat the sugar (unless you are doing a lager.)

I think most people do 1 or the other - add corn sugar, let condition at room temp for a couple of weeks, OR, hook up to CO2 to carbonate that way.

 

[sirsloop]

...or if you still have snow on the ground and a blowing wind...

Look out for the carboy thieves! HAHAH!!!

 

[homebrewer_99]

Look out for the carboy thieves! HAHAH!!!

I forgot about those....

 

[roryspa]

I've also read a lot of articles that have said carb at lower temperatures. my question is if you do the thing that you hook up keg and shake it, should i chill it first? and what psi should i set it to?
~joe

 

[Cheesefood]

I recently started kegging (few months ago). What I quickly learned is that you get the best results from carbonation when you just let it sit for 1-3 weeks. No need to shake it like a polaroid picture.

However, here's my experience:

<1 week: bubbles weakly exist, but taste and feel seperate from the beer.
=>1 and <2 weeks : Carbonation gets perfect and starts to impact the flavor of the beer.
=>2 weeks: You soon learn if you over carbonated. You will be happier with the flavor of your beer because it'll be properly aged and the bubbles will taste more natural. However, you'll soon learn if you over carbonate.

You guys might feel different, but I notice a huge difference as to when the beer and carbon dioxide finally blend.

 

[Hippiefreak]

I recently started kegging (few months ago). What I quickly learned is that you get the best results from carbonation when you just let it sit for 1-3 weeks. No need to shake it like a polaroid picture.

However, here's my experience:

<1 week: bubbles weakly exist, but taste and feel seperate from the beer.
=>1 and <2 weeks : Carbonation gets perfect and starts to impact the flavor of the beer.
=>2 weeks: You soon learn if you over carbonated. You will be happier with the flavor of your beer because it'll be properly aged and the bubbles will taste more natural. However, you'll soon learn if you over carbonate.

You guys might feel different, but I notice a huge difference as to when the beer and carbon dioxide finally blend.

I have to agree with Cheesefood on this one...I usually prime all my beer when I rack to the keg, and sometimes I get impatient after only a week...chilling and force carbing at this point seems to lend a metallic taste to the beer - and the head retention and appearance are vastly different than if I wait _at least_ another week (big vs small bubbles, lacy head, smoother taste, and just overall - more the taste I was striving for - as opposed to carbonated wort )

For this reason, I started bottling some of my beer (I started out kegging) - just to see what kind of difference I got from 'natural' carbonation.

If it weren't for the convenience of kegging, the difference is enough to make me bottle everything and practice more patience I think from now on, my bigger beers will all go in the bottle, and I will reserve the keg for something that i want to have available ASAP (ie, something to drink while I'm' brewing those other beers)

Peace,

Hippiefreak