Minimum time to keg

[Traz1986]

What is the minimum time you would leave to carbonate a Blonde Ale in the keg?

Trying to rush a beer for a party. It looks like it is done fermenting after a week. I know it would benefit from an additional week in the fermentor. But I would like to have it carbonated and ready to go on Sunday.

When would you recommend moving it over to the keg, and for how long/pressure would you apply.

First attempt using the keg.

Thanks for your input. Jim

 

[LLBeanJ]

FG + 2 days.

If warm when connecting to gas: 48 hours @ 30 PSI, then drop to 12 PSI.

 

[Stewie]

For most of our beers, it doesn't seem to take long for them to get nice and bubbly once in the keg and on some pressure. Something simple like a blonde isn't really going to suffer to much from moving it to a keg after a little over a week fermenting (however 2 weeks would be ideal in my opinion).

Rack your beer into the keg, put around 25-30 PSI on it and shake the keg vigorously (around 30 times). This should help the CO2 dissolve into the beer faster. I usually shake the keg 2-3 times a day and it takes just a couple days for the beer to be at the right carbonation. I've heard some people say that you can do it faster (probably by shaking more often), but that's what normally works for me. Just remember to purge the pressure in the keg when you want to serve it and then adjust your CO2 to a good serving pressure (I like around 10 PSI). Hope this helps and good luck!

 

[Traz1986]

FG + 2 days.

If warm when connecting to gas: 48 hours @ 30 PSI, then drop to 12 PSI.

It will most likely be coming out of the fermenting fridge immediately before kegging. It should be around 64 degrees, give or take. Would this change your advice? Thank you.

 

[LLBeanJ]

No, that's pretty much how I do it. My kegs are often sitting at basement temps (~65°) for a while before they make it to the fridge, so they go in the fridge at that temp, I immediately put them on the gas (some people like to chill for 24 hours before putting on the gas, I don't) and set to 30° PSI, give it about 48 hours, then vent the gas, and set to serving pressure. By 48 hours, the keg is carbed enough to be very drinkable without going over, and it will continue to carb up for the next week to 10 days.

 

[JONNYROTTEN]

Its Monday and you looking for Sunday.If you've reached FG I would cold crash today.Transfer cold beer tomorrow.PSI at 30 for 48 hours.That brings you to drinking Thursday.The thing is the beer needs time to balance out after that.So youll be drinking better carbed beer on Sunday.Also directly after force carbing I usually notice carbonic bite.That should fade by Sunday. I always carb cold beer for 48 hours.Carbing warm makes me wonder how much 02 is being absorbed,to each there own.

 

[bobeer]

I carbonate cold when I can but there are times, like with you now, where I don't have time to cold crash. The beer I have kegged right now was like this because I had no beer and wanted some on tap asap.
When the beer is cold it will absorb the c02 faster by a day or so thus conditioning that much quicker. If your beer is already at FG then I'd chill it for 12 hours or so, just until it's chilled/cold, then keg it with 30-40 psi and roll it on its side for 90 seconds. Leave the beer at 30-40 psi over night then put the regulator down a bit to serving pressue so the beer can absorb the high psi c02. I hate leaving it at high pressure then degassing the keg just to put more gas on top for serving pressure... I think it's such a waste of gas but do whatever you feel comfortable with.

After about 2 days you should have drinkable beer that gets more and more conditioned every day. You should be good to go by Saturday if you keg today or tomorrow. Good luck