New to kegging...general questions

[off7spring]

So I finally decided to step up to kegging. I'm really excited, but I'm not 100% sure of the process. This is what I'm thinking:

1) After cold crashing my beer, rack it into my cleaned and sanitized keg. Put in temp chamber set to around 35F.

2) Pressurize the keg with a little co2 (5-10psi?) and bleed out the oxygen.

3) Put 30psi of pressure into the keg and disconnect the gas.

4) Let the keg sit for 30 hours then bleed out the pressure until it's around 10-12 psi (based on a co2 to temperature carbonation calcination chart).

5) This is the part I'm not 100% sure about: Should I keep a constant 10-12 psi going into the keg, or should I let the keg reach that pressure and shut off the co2 tank? I would think I should keep the co2 on, but I'm not sure.

Any advice or feedback would be much appreciated.

Thanks!

 

[jschein]

# 4 - leave for 36- 48 hours then down to serving pressure
#5 - leave the co2 on
This is what I do

 

[Bellybuster]

personally, I never leave my gas on. Always worried about a leak. I just give it a shot of gas when I see the pour slow a bit. Usually every 3 or 4 pours.

 

[ericrichards420]

I ferment for 14 days, then batch prime the keg with corn sugar, I do purge the air with co2 at about 12 psi, then I'll give it another 7 days to condition. All at room temperature. I have found that I save co2 this way and the beer gets a little while longer to come together.

 

[off7spring]

# 4 - leave for 36- 48 hours then down to serving pressure
#5 - leave the co2 on
This is what I do

Do you find you have any over carbonation issues leaving it on? I'm kegging an IPA and don't want to negate the dry hopping

 

[PGEduardo]

#1 purge empty keg with co2 prior to racking
#2 after transfer, purge headspace a couple more times with co2 and ensure there are no leaks
#3 set at ~12 psi depending on temperature and carb levels desired
#4 wait a few days/week to carb and just leave it and enjoy until you kick the keg!

Unless you're in a hurry, this is really the most stable approach...

 

[afro_lou]

The method you're using works fine if you're in a hurry. If you have the time to do it, carbing at a lower pressure will keep you from ever overcarbing.

If you use this chart and let it stay at the recommended pressure and temperature, you can't go wrong.

I always leave the co2 on during serving. It keeps your pours smooth and your carbonation constant. If you have leaks, fix them and leave the tank on.

Carbonation levels shouldn't affect your dry hopping. Just don't dry hop after you've carb'd. [emoji6]

 

[Yooper]

Do you find you have any over carbonation issues leaving it on? I'm kegging an IPA and don't want to negate the dry hopping

No. The gas should always be on, at 9-10 psi (at 35 degrees). It can't possibly overcarb.

http://www.kegerators.com/carbonation-table.php

When I"m in a big hurry, I put my beer in the keg (I don't cold crash first), and set the regulator to 30 psi for 36 hours, leaving it on. Then, purge and reset to the proper pressure.

Since you are already starting with cold beer, I would go no more than 24 hours here at 30 psi. Then purge and reset at 9 psi.

If you turn off the gas, the beer can't carbonate, as the whole idea is to have the pressure from the regulator "force" co2 into the beer. And by turning it off at times, the pressure would never equalize and be correct.

Check for leaks, and fix any of them. And always leave the gas on, unless you are leaving the country for a long time or something like that. You don't want to mess with turning it off and on, having undercarbed or foamy beer.

 

[off7spring]

No. The gas should always be on, at 9-10 psi (at 35 degrees). It can't possibly overcarb.



http://www.kegerators.com/carbonation-table.php



When I"m in a big hurry, I put my beer in the keg (I don't cold crash first), and set the regulator to 30 psi for 36 hours, leaving it on. Then, purge and reset to the proper pressure.



Since you are already starting with cold beer, I would go no more than 24 hours here at 30 psi. Then purge and reset at 9 psi.



If you turn off the gas, the beer can't carbonate, as the whole idea is to have the pressure from the regulator "force" co2 into the beer. And by turning it off at times, the pressure would never equalize and be correct.



Check for leaks, and fix any of them. And always leave the gas on, unless you are leaving the country for a long time or something like that. You don't want to mess with turning it off and on, having undercarbed or foamy beer.

Awesome. Thank you!

 

[off7spring]

The method you're using works fine if you're in a hurry. If you have the time to do it, carbing at a lower pressure will keep you from ever overcarbing.

If you use this chart and let it stay at the recommended pressure and temperature, you can't go wrong.

I always leave the co2 on during serving. It keeps your pours smooth and your carbonation constant. If you have leaks, fix them and leave the tank on.

Carbonation levels shouldn't affect your dry hopping. Just don't dry hop after you've carb'd. [emoji6]

Thank you! I might actually take this approach since I'm in no rush

 

[off7spring]

personally, I never leave my gas on. Always worried about a leak. I just give it a shot of gas when I see the pour slow a bit. Usually every 3 or 4 pours.

Thanks!

 

[off7spring]

I ferment for 14 days, then batch prime the keg with corn sugar, I do purge the air with co2 at about 12 psi, then I'll give it another 7 days to condition. All at room temperature. I have found that I save co2 this way and the beer gets a little while longer to come together.

Thanks. Any reason to prime it if you're with corn sugar? Is that how you carb it initially and then keep the carbonation constant with the co2?

 

[ericrichards420]

Yes, The corn sugar carbs the beer, but like I said I still purge the air out with my co2 tank and preasureize to about 12 psi, I just unhook my gas line and give it time. It saves me co2 and gives the beer time to condition over force carbonation. That's how I like to do it. but there isn't anything wrong with setting your co2 at 12 psi and give it time connected to the tank.

 

[f_stepanski]

As a last step of keg cleaning I fill it completely with sanitizer. Let sit for couple minutes; then using a picnic tap on liquid side and CO2 on gas I purge. I usually wait till I have to clean a couple kegs, so sanitizer goes from keg 1 to keg 2, etc..