Kegging Newbie

[Pillsburyjoboy]

I'm trying to force carbonate a keg for the first time. I racked to keg and cranked co2 to 30 psi and did the rolling method for about 20 minutes. I then moved the keg to my basement where it is around 46 degrees and have had the co2 at 30 for about two days. It is still flat. Should I turn co2 up for this temp? I have seemed mixed recommendations- some places say it should have carbonated in minutes, some 24-48 hours. I'm stumped and concerned...

Help?

Thanks,
Pills

 

[fun4stuff]

I'm trying to force carbonate a keg for the first time. I racked to keg and cranked co2 to 30 psi and did the rolling method for about 20 minutes. I then moved the keg to my basement where it is around 46 degrees and have had the co2 at 30 for about two days. It is still flat. Should I turn co2 up for this temp? I have seemed mixed recommendations- some places say it should have carbonated in minutes, some 24-48 hours. I'm stumped and concerned...

Help?

Thanks,
Pills

It should be carb'd by now. Are you sure things are hooked up right and you don't have a leak? Did you spray starsan or soap water at the connections to make sure no leaks? All valves are open?

 

[brewprint]

Too warm. No matter how much you roll it the co2 won't absorb. 46 is cool but probably not cool enough. Move it to 35 or 38degrees and after it chills for 12-24 hours crank it up to 30 and roll it for a minute. It should be carbed then.

 

[fun4stuff]

Too warm. No matter how much you roll it the co2 won't absorb. 46 is cool but probably not cool enough. Move it to 35 or 38degrees and after it chills for 12-24 hours crank it up to 30 and roll it for a minute. It should be carbed then.

Not too warm. I have carb'd at 60-65 degrees plenty of times. You just need higher pressure.

Refer to chart below:
http://www.kegerators.com/carbonation-table.php

I force carb at 60 - 65 degrees at 30 psi. Works well!

 

[brewprint]

The one time I tried I rolled it at 30 psi for 6 minutes. Nothing. I even put it in the keezer after I did it for another 12 hours and it didn't even absorb the co2. I still had to purge it.

Maybe my regulator is off but I doubt it. It just doesn't work for me. I've rolled a cold keg for 1 minute and it carbed at 30psi.

 

[1975brewer]

Too warm. No matter how much you roll it the co2 won't absorb. 46 is cool but probably not cool enough. Move it to 35 or 38degrees and after it chills for 12-24 hours crank it up to 30 and roll it for a minute. It should be carbed then.

Rolled & shaken enough beer will carb at 60 degrees. That is the temperature in my basement & I have force carbed beer at 25 to 30 psi with enough shaking. I don't recommend it as general practice but if you are out of beer it works.

 

[FloppyKnockers]

HOLY S**T!!!!!!

I'm sure glad (for your sake) the beer was warm. Whenever I do the "I want it carbed now" technique, it's done at 25 psi for about two minutes...two!

Oh, well..you live, you learn. Go ahead and chill it and try again. This time at a lower pressure for a lot less time. Let it sit for a few minutes, relieve the pressure, and give it a pour. I always aim for a bit under-carbed because it will finish carbing up just sitting on CO2.

...better under-carbed than over.

 

[fun4stuff]

The one time I tried I rolled it at 30 psi for 6 minutes. Nothing. I even put it in the keezer after I did it for another 12 hours and it didn't even absorb the co2. I still had to purge it.

Maybe my regulator is off but I doubt it. It just doesn't work for me. I've rolled a cold keg for 1 minute and it carbed at 30psi.

I guess I should add that when I do that, it's usually over a period of a few days to 1-2 weeks. I'd still expect SOME carb after a couple days at that temp and psi. Def couldn't hurt to,lower temp though!

 

[Pillsburyjoboy]

I left the keg on the porch today while at work. Should be no warmer than 42 today. Cooler temps should crash the yeast and hopefully chill more than the basement, allowing the co2 to absorb more.

Hopefully...

 

[jbb3]

I left the keg on the porch today while at work. Should be no warmer than 42 today. Cooler temps should crash the yeast and hopefully chill more than the basement, allowing the co2 to absorb more.

Hopefully...

Something's not right. Warmer temps will slow co2 absorption but not as slow as you describe.

When you turn the co2 tank on and get it up to pressure by adjusting your regulator, can you hear the co2 entering the keg? If you are rolling the keg on it's side, you should also hear some bubbling from the co2 flowing into the keg through the beer.

I'm wondering if you have a stiff or stuck poppet valve on your gas post that is not allowing the keg to pressurize as high as your regulator is saying??

Try purging the keg by pulling the release valve. The escaping co2 at 30psi should be quite noisy. Then re-pressurize with the keg on it's side, gas DC toward the floor, and listen for the co2 bubbling into the keg. It should take several minutes for the bubbling to stop.

 

[Pillsburyjoboy]

It seems pretty good now. I think the current issue is residual yeast that is contributing to excessive head. There is certainly a lot of yeast taste.

 

[jbb3]

It seems pretty good now. I think the current issue is residual yeast that is contributing to excessive head. There is certainly a lot of yeast taste.

How long did you leave it in the fermenter and did you take a gravity to make sure the beer was finished prior to racking into your keg?

 

[Pillsburyjoboy]

It was fermenting 10 days and yes I did take a reading. Started at 1.080 finished at 1.012. The head is nice with froth (lots of it) that once it recedes a bit has a foamy yeasty look to it. Has a yeasty Hebrew taste. Hasn't stopped me from drinking all I have poured. A fair amount of sediment due to skipping secondary due to anxiousness for kegging.

 

[Pillsburyjoboy]

*homebrew not Hebrew