Natural Carbonation in Kegs

[stever1000]

So I have been reading the process for natural carbonation in kegs...using half the amount of priming sugar as I would when I bottle.

My question is: besides being able to carefully control the inside pressure, is there any benefit to installing a spunding valve instead of just letting it sit for 3+ weeks before chilling and serving? Many of the older threads don't mention a spunding valve and still have good results

Thanks!

 

[day_trippr]

If you use a good priming calculator the spunding valve is redundant as in theory the amount of CO2 produced will result in exactly the carbonation level you desire with no excess gas to be vented...

Cheers!

 

[stever1000]

If you use a good priming calculator the spunding valve is redundant as in theory the amount of CO2 produced will result in exactly the carbonation level you desire with no excess gas to be vented...

Cheers!

Do you have a link to a good priming calculator? I usually use brewer's friend for bottling, but it doesn't mention kegs

 

[TandemTails]

I use the Northern Brewer priming sugar calculator http://www.northernbrewer.com/priming-sugar-calculator . It's determining the amount of sugar to use based on your total volume of beer.

As an example, lets say you want to carb to 2.5 vols for 5 gallons of beer, enter 2.5 (or select the style) for the desired co2 level. Enter whatever the max temp the beer got to while fermenting (this affects how much residual CO2 is currently in the beer) and then enter the gallons.

If I enter 2.5 vols at 70'F for 5 gallons I get 4.5 ounces of corn sugar. Dump that in the keg and rack onto it and you're all set.

 

[stever1000]

I use the Northern Brewer priming sugar calculator http://www.northernbrewer.com/priming-sugar-calculator . It's determining the amount of sugar to use based on your total volume of beer.

As an example, lets say you want to carb to 2.5 vols for 5 gallons of beer, enter 2.5 (or select the style) for the desired co2 level. Enter whatever the max temp the beer got to while fermenting (this affects how much residual CO2 is currently in the beer) and then enter the gallons.

If I enter 2.5 vols at 70'F for 5 gallons I get 4.5 ounces of corn sugar. Dump that in the keg and rack onto it and you're all set.

I have read not to use the full amount when carbonating in a keg vs a bottle...something to do with equivalent headspace in bottles being higher and requiring more priming sugar vs less in kegs.

I could use 2.25oz instead and I believe that would work

 

[Morrey]

I have carbed naturally in the keg before using the full amount of priming sugar (5 oz as an example) that is called for to bottle a 5G batch. There is really not much to lose in that if the beer is a bit too carbed, just purge the keg a time or two and all is well. I'd rather be a bit over than a bit under even though mine came out ideally carbed.

Since you are doing this in a keg, I assume it is for the reason you have no kegerator or keezer space and just getting it carbed to be next in line? If at some point this beer will be attached to CO2, you can always adjust your carb level easily once chilled. I can see no real reason a spunding valve is needed here unless you simply want one to have when transferring keg to keg or something like that.

 

[stever1000]

I have carbed naturally in the keg before using the full amount of priming sugar (5 oz as an example) that is called for to bottle a 5G batch. There is really not much to lose in that if the beer is a bit too carbed, just purge the keg a time or two and all is well. I'd rather be a bit over than a bit under even though mine came out ideally carbed.

Since you are doing this in a keg, I assume it is for the reason you have no kegerator or keezer space and just getting it carbed to be next in line? If at some point this beer will be attached to CO2, you can always adjust your carb level easily once chilled. I can see no real reason a spunding valve is needed here unless you simply want one to have when transferring keg to keg or something like that.

Yes thats correct, I only have space for 2 kegs in my kegerator, but I have 4 kegs total. I thought I could save space and CO2 by naturally carbonating the next 2 kegs.

 

[Morrey]

Yes thats correct, I only have space for 2 kegs in my kegerator, but I have 4 kegs total. I thought I could save space and CO2 by naturally carbonating the next 2 kegs.

That's a very simple way to keep your beers carbed and ready to go w/o a time lag.

Do you already have a spunding valve (relief valve) or would it be a specialty purchase for carbing? If you ever move beer from keg to keg, that's when it really comes in handy! Personally, I think it is a very handy tool to have in your tool box if you do move beer.

 

[stever1000]

That's a very simple way to keep your beers carbed and ready to go w/o a time lag.

Do you already have a spunding valve (relief valve) or would it be a specialty purchase for carbing? If you ever move beer from keg to keg, that's when it really comes in handy! Personally, I think it is a very handy tool to have in your tool box if you do move beer.

I've ordered the parts to put it together, just waiting for them to arrive

 

[Morrey]

I've ordered the parts to put it together, just waiting for them to arrive

For your purposes in carbing, you'll be setting the vent-off pressure to say...2.5 psi. Anything over that will vent off. You could surely be generous with your dose of priming sugar so you'll never be carbed beyond the level you set your relief to be. No chance of over carb for sure, plus you don't have to measure your sugar down to the grain.

If or when you use your new valve to move beer keg to keg (I occasionally do this when blending), the spunding valve helps by offering a minimal amount of back pressure that you set on the receiving keg. The sending keg has CO2 attached which you'll set at a bit higher psi than the receiving keg. This keeps O2 out of the keg plus greatly reduces foaming. Like said before, this is a really cool tool to have.

 

[day_trippr]

For your purposes in carbing, you'll be setting the vent-off pressure to say...2.5 psi.[,,,]

That can't be correct - unless "vent-off pressure" means something well above the pressure needed to hit a decent carb level at the temperature the beer is sitting.

Eg: if the keg is sitting at 65°F the CO2 pressure wants to hit almost 30 psi to get the beer up to 2.5 volumes of CO2...

Cheers!

[edit]

 

[Morrey]

That can't be correct - unless "vent-off pressure" means something well above the pressure needed to hit a decent carb level at the temperature the beer is sitting.

Eg: if the keg is sitting at 65°F the CO2 pressure wants to hit almost 30 psi to get the beer up to 2.5 volumes of CO2...

Cheers!

[edit]

You are right in correcting me. My intentions were to say CO2 volumes, not psi. Thanks!

So, with that said, don't typical spunding valves only release to say 15 psi? If this is the case, and 30 psi is within range of natural keg carbing, will the spunding valve work in this example? I've only used mine for transfers so this is a new one for me.