new keg...new questions

[DanOmite]

Hi,

I just got a 3-gallon corny keg system in the mail. It barely fits into my fridge alone, but does not fit (with all the food) with the 5-gallon co2 tank next to it. I may have jumped the gun getting a keg. So, I was wondering if I were to force carb the beer (i.e., hit it with 30psi, rock it a bit, and repeat), could I put it in the fridge without the co2 hooked up and then when I want to serve?

I think my question boils down to my loose understanding of the keg system (I didn’t get any kind of instructions with my system...). When I hook up the co2 tank is it continuously feeding co2 into the keg? My understanding is that this is the case, but after some point in time the beer can no longer take in co2. So, why keep it hooked up after this point? I would like to be able to just keep the keg cool and hook everything up when I want to serve.

Anyway, I am simply looking for a way to fit the keg in the fridge without pissing off my girlfriend too much. I don’t have room for a new fridge (studio). So, I need some help HBF!

Thanks

 

[Mobstar]

Women just don't understand eh... From what I understand, The only reason you'd need a constant feed of Co2 would be if your keg wasn't air tight. you should go to Walmart and buy a cheap chest style freezer and hook up an adjustable thermostat to convert it to a keg fridge/dispenser.

 

[Nanobru]

The co2 does not have to be in the fridge, you can put it behind the fridge or any where else that is convenient. The force carbonating is the theory that a liquid under pressure from gas will eventually equalize at certain ratio depending on temperature and pressure. There are plenty of threads on this topic. If you hook it up at the desired temp and pressure, it should equalize in a few days.

The regulator will feed constant pressure to the keg. Once carbonated, you can disconnect the co2, and assuming you do not have any leaks, the beer will be fine.

 

[schmagy]

you can force carb it in 30 min or so once the temp equalizes with the fridge temp. until then you are going to want to keep enough pressure inside to keep the lid seated. take it out and hit it with pressure every few hours as it is cooling. at 24 hours you should be able to force carb it easy enough.

 

[DanOmite]

you can force carb it in 30 min or so once the temp equalizes with the fridge temp. until then you are going to want to keep enough pressure inside to keep the lid seated. take it out and hit it with pressure every few hours as it is cooling. at 24 hours you should be able to force carb it easy enough.

So, I was thinking I will put the keg in the fridge once I add the beer and let the temp drop to whatever the fridge temp is. Then, take it out, hook it up to about 30psi and roll it / shake it for 15-30 mins until I don't hear anymore growling. After that, I was thinking I will disconnect it and put the keg back in the fridge and let it chill. Hopefully, it will be carbonated and when I want some or someone comes over I can just hook up the tank then for dispensing. If I ever feel that it is loosing some of its carbonation I can hit it with about 20psi and shake it a bit to correct it.

Does this seem like a realistic plan? I am only dealing with 1.5 gallons of beer at the moment.

I guess worst case is I just add priming sugar to the keg and use the co2 tank only for dispensing, but where is the fun in that?

 

[DanOmite]

bump

Sorry, but I was would like to know if what I wrote will work before I commit to just priming with sugar?

 

[jeffmeh]

If you really cannot attach the CO2 when it is in the refrigerator, then get it up to the desired carbonation volume outside of the refrigerator, either with priming sugar or CO2. Then refrigerate it to desired temperature, figure out the right CO2 pressure to keep it it at that volume at that temperature, serve and let it stabilize at that pressure before disconnecting the CO2.

That should work, but it will be a pain in the derriere compared to just setting and forgetting at the right pressure and temperature.

I would not be confident about achieving desired carbonation levels by intermittently hitting with high pressure and shaking.

 

[tprokop]

There is a great option for you, if you're willing to shell out another $75-$100. Here's what I'd do:

Carb the beer warm, outside the fridge, with your 5# tank. This will require higher pressure than it would if the beer were cold, but it'll work just as well. Once you've got your desired carb, disconnect and move the beer to the fridge to cool down. Here's the spending part. Buy these two things:

http://stores.kegconnection.com/Detail.bok?no=268
http://stores.kegconnection.com/Detail.bok?no=277

and probably a 1' air line and another disconnect.

That paintball bottle is smaller than a 2L soda bottle and should fit somewhere in your fridge. It's going to be a pain to hook up CO2 every time you want a beer, and that's exactly what you'd have to do to keep the carb right but not store your 5# tank in the fridge. Since it sounds like this fridge is your kitchen fridge, I doubt you'll want to drill a hole for the air line to connect the 5# tank.

 

[IrregularPulse]

Above is a good suggestion, but for space saving, I would go with this for serving. I have one for my 3G keg for my portable kegerator and love it.

 

[tprokop]

Irregular, those are great for one-day things like picnics, but there is no way to keep the pressure constant and therefore the carb correct without a regulator, so that kit would not work for this application. You'd need this one:

http://www.midwestsupplies.com/mini-co2-regulator-w-quick-disconnect.html

But that one's spendy. It's definitely an option though, and you're right: it would be way more compact than any other solution.

 

[Nanobru]

To carbonate more quickly without physical effort, get a carb stone for 20 bucks. One of those things youll wish you had the whole time.