Kegging two at once

[mess1153]

OK all so I am kegging two brews on Saturday. I have been reading like crazy since it is my first time kegging. I am leaning towards the 30 psi for 24 hours and then dropping to serving pressure for a few days until ready. My questions are these:

1. After 30 psi for 24 hours do I release the pressure before I drop it to serving psi?

2. Can I do both kegs at the same time? I have one co2 with a single gauge and a splitter.

3. Also, after I sanitize the keg with star san do I have to wait for the whole thing to dry out? Or do I wipe it dry or do I just shake it out and rack?

Both are wheat ales, not sure if that makes a difference.

 

[DanH]

I like to pour a quart or so of star san into a keg and close it up. Then I shake the crap out of it, foaming up the inside. I will then hook up gas at 2 psi and run the star san through the serving line and into the second keg which will then be shaken up to foam the inside. Then run it through the second serving line.

I would then take the posts off and drop them into a bowl of star san, along with the lids and o rings.

I then put the posts back on and siphon beer into the keg. No need to let it dry or wipe it out first. I just pour the standing star san out. Some people purge the keg with co2 before siphoning but I do not.

Then hook it up to 30psi for the 24 hours. Now here's the important part. Disconnect the gas, then turn it down to 14 (or serving pressure), then pull the pressure relief to let out the pressure (or push down the gas poppet if it's a pin lock). Then reattach the gas.

You don't want pressure within the keg to exceed pressure from the regulator. That could cause beer to back flow into the regulator which is bad.

 

[DanH]

Short answers; 1 Yes, 2 Yes, 3 No

 

[funkadelicturkey]

I've never tried to force carb at high pressure. I usually set it at serving pressure and let it carb up over a couple of weeks. Anyhow from what I've read:
1. After 30 psi for 24 hours do I release the pressure before I drop it to serving psi?
No need to relieve the pressure the CO2 will be absorbed. Though as mentioned by DAN if you don't have a check valve on your regulator beer may come back up your gas line, which is bad
2. Can I do both kegs at the same time? I have one co2 with a single gauge and a splitter.
Yes, if you a have a splitter and the fittings so that both kegs get gas.
3. Also, after I sanitize the keg with star san do I have to wait for the whole thing to dry out? Or do I wipe it dry or do I just shake it out and rack?
Shake it out and rack on top, diluted Starsan is food safe and you are diluting it further with your beer

A few additional things to keep in mind is that CO2 is more soluble at lower temperatures. If you are setting your regulator at serving pressure you'll want your beer to be at serving temp. Make sure you balance your beer serving lines, recommended length by most seems to be around ten feet.

Good luck!

 

[JuanMoore]

Star-san is a wet contact sanitizer. This means it only works when it's still wet. If you let it dry or wipe it out you'd be defeating the purpose, and might as well not use it.