Poll: Which Post do you Force Carb With?

[RJS]

For awhile now i have been using the liquid side. Any reason not to if you know the system and can prevent liquid from coming back up the line?

Pro's and Con's of both welcome.

 

[JonK331]

i force carb on the gas side just so I don't run that risk and so I don't have to switch stuff around. If I need to carb a beer quickly, I use the out side.

 

[RJS]

So, your saying the Liquid side is a faster carb method?

Sounds like one Pro to using the liquid side

 

[edmanster]

Inlet, set and forget method

 

[John_FL]

Inlet side. Safe, don't have to worry about screwing things up. But I don't have a fancy manifold, just Ts and four kegs, so I am extra careful. It is my understanding the liquid side achieves better results, but I'd rather wait longer and not have to worry about wrecking a regulator, or worse mixing all my beers.

 

[BigRob]

I've used gas posts, liquid posts, they both work about the same rate unless you're shaking. One of these: http://www.ontariobeerkegs.com/Carbonation_lid_p/carbonation-lid.htm
is my next luxury purchase. I figure it's less hassle to move it from keg to keg, than having the carb stone attached to the liquid dip tube.

 

[RJS]

I must admit, when i carb 7 or 8 kegs at the same time i have to be ready and pull a valve or two so the liquid gets pushed back into the keg.

 

[badbrew]

Can't you screw up your connectors when you insert them in the other side too much?

 

[RJS]

Yes, they are different. Only choose one

 

[RJS]

Any liquid post people sharing why they do it.

 

[Golddiggie]

I'm thinking about getting one of the carbonating lids and giving it a ahot soon. If only for when I dknt have any carbonated kegs ready and a faucet runs dry.

 

[audger]

Any liquid post people sharing why they do it.

well the theory is that when gas slowly trickles into the dip tube on the liquid side, it bubbles up from the bottom and agitates the whole column of beer on its way up. it doesnt work nearly as well as if you were using a carbonation stone, the bubbles are too big. however the fact that it causes the beer to move around some would probably promote faster carbonation. how much faster than just putting gas in from the top? probably not too much. it might not even be a noticable difference, but the theory makes sense atleast.

also if you are shaking the keg, the longer dip tube on the liquid side puts more of a distance between the beer and your CO2 line, so its harder to get beer to splash up in the line and contaminate it. if you shake the keg while its hooked up to the very short gas dip tube, its possible for beer to splash up into the gas ball/pin lock, and i know i dont clean the gas fittings nearly as much as the liquid ones... its not really possible for beer to splash up 20-something inches of liquid dip tube and reach the gas system while shaking.

all that being said- i just hook my kegs up the normal way and let them carb on their own.

 

[Hammy71]

I hook up normal (gas side0 and let sit for 3 weeks. No rush, no fuss.

 

[RJS]

So, your both saying carbonating from the Gas side is normal. Anyone know where this came from?

Yes, i realize it says Gas on it but gas also is used to serve, so its not clearly saying both gas steps are for one post.

 

[RJS]

I hook up normal (gas side0 and let sit for 3 weeks. No rush, no fuss.

I agree here, but i also think waiting 3 weeks for some beers to carbonate can be detrimental. Over here, we drink our wheat beers from grain to glass:4 weeks. Amber and Pales: 4 to 5 weeks. Also 4 to 5.5% ABV and im pushing to serve it quick and fresh. My philosophy is knowing what style your dealing with and how to treat it makes the best experience. One process for all beers isnt the best way id say.


Looks like people are happy Carbonating with the CO2 going in the gas side.

Does anyone think the CO2 is blocked at all by sediment if you carb on the liquid side?

 

[RJS]

well the theory is that when gas slowly trickles into the dip tube on the liquid side, it bubbles up from the bottom and agitates the whole column of beer on its way up. it doesnt work nearly as well as if you were using a carbonation stone, the bubbles are too big. however the fact that it causes the beer to move around some would probably promote faster carbonation. how much faster than just putting gas in from the top? probably not too much. it might not even be a noticable difference, but the theory makes sense atleast.

also if you are shaking the keg, the longer dip tube on the liquid side puts more of a distance between the beer and your CO2 line, so its harder to get beer to splash up in the line and contaminate it. if you shake the keg while its hooked up to the very short gas dip tube, its possible for beer to splash up into the gas ball/pin lock, and i know i dont clean the gas fittings nearly as much as the liquid ones... its not really possible for beer to splash up 20-something inches of liquid dip tube and reach the gas system while shaking.

all that being said- i just hook my kegs up the normal way and let them carb on their own.

Excellent response

 

[bigbeergeek]

I hook up to the gas post and give the keg 48 hours at 30 PSI (no shaking), then back the regulator down to normal carbonation/serving pressure. Carbonation is totally acceptable the next day and is dialed in at around 5-7 days.

 

[goosegrease]

i hook up to the gas post and give the keg 48 hours at 30 psi (no shaking), then back the regulator down to normal carbonation/serving pressure. Carbonation is totally acceptable the next day and is dialed in at around 5-7 days.

+1

 

[RJS]

I hook up to the gas post and give the keg 48 hours at 30 PSI (no shaking), then back the regulator down to normal carbonation/serving pressure. Carbonation is totally acceptable the next day and is dialed in at around 5-7 days.

If thats the case than the liquid side is really not carbing faster. Mine isnt ready until 8 days at 20PSI, liquid side. And im probably stirring up sediment that could be dropping out.

Im very close to switching my technique. Any more voters? I hope to see more premium and lifetimers voting, this way we can end the issue with numbers, once and for all.

 

[Wild Duk]

Gas side. 7 days. 14 ish psi. Works great for me...

 

[voodoophil]

I gas liquid side, shake and drink 20min later.

 

[ArcaneXor]

I carb through the gas-in with agitation.

 

[G-Hog]

Kegged my first beer a few weeks ago using the set it and forget it deal. But even after 3 weeks it was under carbed. My beer is a German style light ale, and my keezer is set to 38 degrees. I have my pressure set at 10psi. I had it on the gas side, but after talking to my LHBS, they recommended carbing through the liquid side. They told me to leave it on the liquid side for a week and it should be good to go. I will be checking it out tonight.

 

[mountainman13]

I gas liquid side, shake and drink 20min later.

This
Until I get around to building my keezer and only have 3 taps, one of which is nitro, I will continue to cold crash overnight, hook up to liquid post, gab a beer and roll it in my lap for 5-7 minutes. Works every time, and the keg will settle out eventually if you are worried about that sort of thing.

 

[spearko520]

i have a liquid QD hooked up to a gas line for quick carbing and for scrubbing DMS by bubbling and off gassing, so when i do that i hook to the liquid post, as i kind of agree that pushing the co2 through the liquid seems to get it into solution a little faster. This line is external to my set up, and the keg will be sitting in the middle of the room, so there is really no chance of problems due to post confusion. if i am just throwing the keg in the cabinet to forget it, i will only hook up to the gas post, and let it take the 5 or 6 days to carb up.

 

[RJS]

hmm

Interesting results...Keep going people, keep going!

 

[GilaMinumBeer]

So, your both saying carbonating from the Gas side is normal. Anyone know where this came from?

Yes, i realize it says Gas on it but gas also is used to serve, so its not clearly saying both gas steps are for one post.

I can't recall for certain, but, wasn't the majority of the carbonation produced by soda fountains done inside the faucet itself?

 

[barrooze]

I found the liquid side much quicker, however I WILL NOT Use the liquid side again! Let me preface that I was not thinking when I did the following, and I (stupidly) DO NOT have check valves on my manifold! I have a gas outlet between the regulator and the gas manifold, so I can easily purge kegs, bottles, etc.

The other day, shortly after I hooked up a newly kegged beer to the gas via the liquid post, I used the gas outlet to purge a carboy with CO2. Shortly after opening the valve on the outlet, beer started coming out of the gas tube purging my carboy! Yikes! If I hadn't had the gas connected to my liquid side, I wouldn't have had this issue.

So, I'd only recommend using the liquid side to force carb if you have check valves on your manifold.

 

[RJS]

I can't recall for certain, but, wasn't the majority of the carbonation produced by soda fountains done inside the faucet itself?

Yes, in my experience.

For, example movie theater soda machines have CO2 mix right at the tap so everything happens all at once. But this is with syrup bags, not kegs.

 

[RJS]

Only 6 of us liquid carb brewers so far. We could start a small HBT Group for liquid carbing only. No gas carbing allowed.