Kegging & Carbonation

[Scott Kellen]

So I'm a new home brewer, but I've gone balls deep. I brewed 5 very tasty batches bottling and being patient but I needed my final beer quicker. Got a kegging system and placed my first IPA (Zombie Dust clone) 5 gallon batch in the keg. Forced it at 30 psi for nearly 30 hours. Currently off CO2 bottle pressure setting outside at 33 degrees.

Looking for guidance on what to do next? How long to wait and should I modify CO2 pressure?

When will this be available to tap?

Also, does anyone use kegs and also priming sugar to carbonate? How does that work for you?

 

[TurnipGreen]

I’m also new to kegging. I’ve had the best success with the set and forget method. I’ve also force carbed. I would put the beer back in the fridge and set it to your serving pressure. It should be ready in two or three days. Although it seems to take me a week or two for everything to perfectly stabilize.

A couple friends prime keg with sugar. It works great for them. They also have more kegs than me. I’m hoping to get another keg or two and naturally carb my kegs, just using gas to dispense it.

 

[balrog]

You can prime in the keg, to be sure, but like bottle carbing, it will take about 3 weeks at 72F. And you'll have the sediment. You'll save on CO2 but if you are looking to speed things up, that won't help.

Some folks have great success with force carbing and quick turn around. I find that force carbing at 30 psi, 35F, certainly puts CO2 into solution in a few days. But it's really easy to overdo, overcarb. Also, anecdotally, I find the carbonation is "big bubbles" while slow and steady carbonation over a week or so gives a smoother, finer bubble. The beer itself always seems better with a little time anyway. To me. One man's opinion.

 

[benco]

I think everyone has there on method for burst carbing. I always set mine at about 30 psi for 48 hrs, relieve the pressure and set it to to about 10 psi for serving or whatever works best for you on your system.

 

[govner1]

So I'm a new home brewer, but I've gone balls deep. I brewed 5 very tasty batches bottling and being patient but I needed my final beer quicker. Got a kegging system and placed my first IPA (Zombie Dust clone) 5 gallon batch in the keg. Forced it at 30 psi for nearly 30 hours. Currently off CO2 bottle pressure setting outside at 33 degrees.

Looking for guidance on what to do next? How long to wait and should I modify CO2 pressure?

When will this be available to tap?

Also, does anyone use kegs and also priming sugar to carbonate? How does that work for you?

I do both force carbonation and keg conditioning depending on what I’m making and the space in my cold crash/lager/carb chamber.
If I’m force carbing I crash to 32°F for 24-48 hours then put on CO2 at 15-20 PSI for 24-36 hours. Remember if you carb at a lower temp than serving temp the CO2 will come out of solution.
When I keg condition I use an average of .75 oz of sugar/ DME per gallon. I boil the sugar in a couple of cups of water for 3/5 minutes then cool. You can put your pot in a bowl of ice to speed this up.
I then add to the keg and seal it with a shot of CO2 and let it sit at room temp (68°-72°F) for 10 days or so. Cold crash and tap.
I agree that the carb achieved this way seems smoother.

 

[Scott Kellen]

Thanks for the response. Appreciate you sharing.

 

[Jag75]

I've followed the 30 psi for 36 hrs , purge then hit with 12 psi . 24-36 hours later it's perfect.

 

[Jtvann]

I've never trusted burst carbonating. Set and forget is the way I go. Seems to me that bursting gives a CO2 bite for lack of better words. You have to give time for the bite to fade. If giving time, why not set and forget.

Carbonation lids work well. I set pressure low and increase it by about 1 psi every 2 hours until I reach serving pressure. After that, just leave it. In about 2 days it's ready. This is what I do what my unitank. There's also no risk of over carbonating this way.

 

[ZRedIROC]

I do 45 psi for 24hr after crashing. Seems to be the fastest for me.

 

[Nate R]

You can prime in the keg, to be sure, but like bottle carbing, it will take about 3 weeks at 72F. And you'll have the sediment. You'll save on CO2 but if you are looking to speed things up, that won't help.

Some folks have great success with force carbing and quick turn around. I find that force carbing at 30 psi, 35F, certainly puts CO2 into solution in a few days. But it's really easy to overdo, overcarb. Also, anecdotally, I find the carbonation is "big bubbles" while slow and steady carbonation over a week or so gives a smoother, finer bubble. The beer itself always seems better with a little time anyway. To me. One man's opinion.

Any thoughts on carb stone in a umitank vs. set at serving pressure and wait a week?

I now carb in my cf5 with a stone (36 degrees for about 24 hours) and transfer... i can tell a difgeremce from that and a week at serving pressure in the keg.

 

[balrog]

I'm told the pros do a diff stone at the bottom of the bright tank, with careful pressure monitoring so that the bubbles are absorbed before reaching the surface, slowly increasing w time.

I can't be bothered with that myself. Also, I don't have a unitank. Also I'm not a pro. So many things...

 

[Robert65]

I'm told the pros do a diff stone at the bottom of the bright tank, with careful pressure monitoring so that the bubbles are absorbed before reaching the surface, slowly increasing w time.

I can't be bothered with that myself. Also, I don't have a unitank. Also I'm not a pro. So many things...

I tried using a stone for a while once upon a time. I started out following the advice of determining the wetting pressure, slowly ramping up pressure to remain just above it, until the final pressure was reached. I found it still took a ~24 rest at that pressure to achieve the ideal result. So in the end, I found I got to the same goal in the same time just setting the final pressure right from the get go and leaving it 24 hours. Set it and forget it style, but done in a day instead of a week, and no hassle. If you're going to use a stone, that's what I'd do.

 

[Nate R]

I tried using a stone for a while once upon a time. I started out following the advice of determining the wetting pressure, slowly ramping up pressure to remain just above it, until the final pressure was reached. I found it still took a ~24 rest at that pressure to achieve the ideal result. So in the end, I found I got to the same goal in the same time just setting the final pressure right from the get go and leaving it 24 hours. Set it and forget it style, but done in a day instead of a week, and no hassle. If you're going to use a stone, that's what I'd do.

Yeah, thats what i do, too. Wet pessure is about 4psi, so i start at like 5 psi, dial up to full in about 5 minutes. 24 hours later, beer is done!!
Proceed to drink via sampling port!

As @Jtvann mentioned above... carbing lids with stones do the same thing in the keg

 

[Tim H]

+1 on Nates comment

 

[RuffRider]

This is a good read in my opinion if you are wanting to compare some force carb options:

http://brulosophy.com/methods/carbonation-methods/

 

[PersonalBrewer]

I secondary in the keg. Have been kegging for several years. Haven't tried a stone.

Haven't said that, I follow the theory that anything you can do with the least effort works best.

I put the keg in the kegerator at serving pressure and leave it. The flavors smooth out about the time that it's carbonated.

Takes roughly two weeks to carbonate, takes roughly two weeks in the keg for the flavors to smooth out also.

I have three taps on the kegerator so I have other beer to drink.

Works for me.

 

[Beholder]

Any thoughts on carb stone in a umitank vs. set at serving pressure and wait a week?

I now carb in my cf5 with a stone (36 degrees for about 24 hours) and transfer... i can tell a difgeremce from that and a week at serving pressure in the keg.

A stone gets carb done in a day, but there is additional work going on in the beer for the remaining week even carbed and cold. Time always helps young brews, so those in a hurry just make bigger batches so you don’t regret drinking young beer and it hitting its peak when you reach the bottom of the keg.

Half barrel size is my sweet spot, though it swaps the issue. With that, I have a sufficient variety on tap that I’m not in a big hurry for the next one. In the end, I have a carb stone for the unitank, but don’t use it, preferring spunding (also handy to do in a corny keg). That gets you carbed beer faster with the added bonus of better flavor retention of hops.

 

[#p3brews]

Some folks have great success with force carbing and quick turn around. I find that force carbing at 30 psi, 35F, certainly puts CO2 into solution in a few days. Also, I find the carbonation is "big bubbles" while slow and steady carbonation over a week or so gives a smoother, finer bubble. The beer itself always seems better with a little time anyway. To me. One man's opinion.

tried force carbing the last 4 cornys and it's not the same quality as a 2-3 week aged bottle. gonna try putting sugar or dextrose in my next corny and let sit for 2-3 weeks at 69'

 

[#p3brews]

When I keg condition I use an average of .75 oz of sugar/ DME per gallon. Boil sugar in a couple of cups of water for 5 minutes then cool. this way carbs seems smoother . . . hit with gas . . sit 10 days . .

"that's nearly a quarter pound of sugar in a corny!? i'ma try this method" said prof pete,"'cuz i need smoother carbs but jeez that seems like a lot of sugar."

 

[Shepstone]

So being a complete noob, I’ve got a dum question, how long does a bottle of Co2 last , like in say 5 gallon batches?

 

[Nate R]

So being a complete noob, I’ve got a dum question, how long does a bottle of Co2 last , like in say 5 gallon batches?

Assume you have NO leaks, and you only use it to PUSH beer out: i would say 8 five-gallon kegs?

No leaks and you use it force carb flat kegs and push out i would say 4 or 5 five-gallon kegs?

Honestly- i maybe dont know! Thoose are guesses. I will tell you a 5# lasts a long time just pushing beer out. I know someone on here will have an exact answer for you!

What i can tell you is: if you have the space, get a 10# or even 20# tank. The cost to swap thoose is much better $$$ savings vs. a 5#. Like for me:: 5# is $20, 20# is $30. Huge savings.

Also, if you can afford to have a spare tank on hand it will prevent you from the inevitable Uhoh my gas ran out, friday evening, before a big party.
It always happens that way!!

Also- triple check for leaks. Seal up lines, turn off gas- make sure needle does not drop. Spray star san at all connectuons. Leaks suck, and the worst leaks are the ones that as super slow..

 

[Bohern]

So being a complete noob, I’ve got a dum question, how long does a bottle of Co2 last , like in say 5 gallon batches?

Take a look at this for a ballpark idea

https://www.micromatic.com/beer-questions/how-many-beer-kegs-dispensed-out-co2-tank