Making sure I'm on the right track

[sasq40]

Hey all, hoping you can tell me if what im doing is right, or wrong and how to fix it! So I got a kegerator from costco a few years ago and built a bar on the other side of the laundry room where the kegerator stays. I have about 15 ft of 3/16 poly tubing, with about 8 ft of it inside the kegerator. The rest of the line i just have those pipe insulators over it to the wall where it comes into my tap. The first keg i got was coors banquet and it worked good, the next one i cant remember what it was but it was good till about halfway through then it came out as foam, and the third was foam pretty much all the way through. I changed my psi and temps around but never could it right.

Anyways I'm starting to get into home brewing and my wife got me for Christmas just one of those simple kits you get at the store to get your feet wet. It's the baron premium red ale kit. I'm at the bottling stage /kegging stage now.

So here my plan, I've already taken my Sanke keg apart and cleaned it with pwb, i need to go get some starsan and i will sanitize it with that. I then plan to siphon to beer(which im going to have chilled in my fridge, after moving from the carboy to another so i dont get sediment everywhere) Ill then set it to 25psi, shake it for 5mins, then im unsure about the best thing to do after that, just set it to 12 psi? What temp should i have my fridge, Im thinking around that 10-12c range?

Any tips appreciated!!

 

[bajaedition]

well. go ahead and let it set with pressure on it, let it sit in the kegerator for a few days with the pressure on it. then before serving it blow the pressure off down to about 6 pounds, set up your tap system and pour at the lowest pressure possible to avoid foaming, it may foam a bit at first but should settle down.

 

[chickypad]

You'll want to be careful shaking it at high pressure as you run the risk of overcarbing. The usual practice is to first determine the carb level you want, and use a chart like this with the temp you will keep the beer. In order to keep the beer carbed to the correct level as you dispense, the equilibrium pressure that you see listed should also be your final storing/serving pressure. Then select a carbing method: 1) burst carb - where you set it at higher pressure for 1-2 days then turn it down to serving pressure, or 2) set and forget where you just leave it at the equilibrium pressure. The second method will take a bit longer, around 2 wks to fully carb.

 

[vbrew]

You'll want to be careful shaking it at high pressure as you run the risk of overcarbing. The usual practice is to first determine the carb level you want, and use a chart like this with the temp you will keep the beer. In order to keep the beer carbed to the correct level as you dispense, the equilibrium pressure that you see listed should also be your final storing/serving pressure. Then select a carbing method: 1) burst carb - where you set it at higher pressure for 1-2 days then turn it down to serving pressure, or 2) set and forget where you just leave it at the equilibrium pressure. The second method will take a bit longer, around 2 wks to fully carb.

+1 to what chicky said.
Do not shake. It may come in handy for certain situations, but you have already had foaming issues. Shaking would only add another possible cause from over carbing.
Use the carbonation charts. For me, I enjoy most styles around 2.5 volumes and use 12 psi @ 38 degrees.
Definitely best to set and forget. If I cannot wait, I prefer the 4-day method. day 1 - give a blast of co2 to seal lid, release pressure a few times to get rid of o2 and chill for 24 hrs (with co2 disconnected). Day 2-->3 - re-connect co2 and set to 30 psi. Day 4 - release pressure and set to serving pressure (12 psi).

 

[sasq40]

Left it at 12 psi for two weeks and it's kinda flat. If I pump it up a few psi will it fix it or is it to late?