Rapid forced carbonation

[acm28]

Hello everybody!
I would like to know if you can help me, I normally bottle the beer but sometimes I put it in a 4L stainless steel barrel/mini keg (perfect because it fits inside the fridge) and use some mini cylinders (I think 16g) to carbonate it. Since mini cylinders are more expensive than a 2kg cylinder, I decided to buy one but I forgot that it doesn't fit inside the fridge (something I'll have to solve soon). Given this, I can't keep the mini barrel in the cold connected to the CO2.

I used to leave it running at 25 psi for 24 hours to carbonate, then lower it to 12 psi to serve. Since I can't keep the beer at 25 psi for 24 hours in the cold, I would like to know if you have any solution to carbonate it in 24 hours.
Can I adjust the CO2 pressure little by little (every x hours) or do you have another suggestion?

(before you ask, the 25psi for 24h is not based on any carbonation table, I found this method somewhere online, tried it and it worked well, hence doing it like this)
(the beer is a recipe I made, but it's something between a Belgian saison and a double)

Thank you all in advance!

 

[keystonehb]

Is this a fridge that you use just for the beer on tap or your food fridge? If you just use it for brewing and are handy you can put a hole in it and run a co2 line in through it like a normal kegerator would have.

If that is not an option and you have somewhere cool to keep it (such as a 55 degree basement) you could try different times and pressures for that, but the colder it is the faster it absorbs CO2.

WORST case scenario, you could also try the "rocking"method where you attach the keg to co2 and roll it back and fourth with you foot for about 30 minutes and it quick carbs it. Just be careful to test it along the way as it can easily over carbonate at that.

 

[acm28]

Is this a fridge that you use just for the beer on tap or your food fridge? If you just use it for brewing and are handy you can put a hole in it and run a co2 line in through it like a normal kegerator would have.

If that is not an option and you have somewhere cool to keep it (such as a 55 degree basement) you could try different times and pressures for that, but the colder it is the faster it absorbs CO2.

WORST case scenario, you could also try the "rocking"method where you attach the keg to co2 and roll it back and fourth with you foot for about 30 minutes and it quick carbs it. Just be careful to test it along the way as it can easily over carbonate at that.

It's for food, ie I'll get one just for beer soon but I'm still thinking about it.
I was asking about a quick method, not to use in the future but just now, next time I intend to have all the problems solved.

 

[mashdar]

If you get the beer cold, you can shake it under 30psi for a few minutes to carb it. But to drop the temperature, you have to worry about a vacuum forming - might need to top off pressure now and then.

(Shaking depends on vastly increasing beer-gas surface area from bubbles, as well as rapid mixing of the beer. If the mini keg is very full, it may be hard to get much surface area.)

edit: also beware beer getting back into your regulator, if that's possible.

 

[acm28]

If you get the beer cold, you can shake it under 30psi for a few minutes to carb it. But to drop the temperature, you have to worry about a vacuum forming - might need to top off pressure now and then.

(Shaking depends on vastly increasing beer-gas surface area from bubbles, as well as rapid mixing of the beer. If the mini keg is very full, it may be hard to get much surface area.)

edit: also beware beer getting back into your regulator, if that's possible.

Great! So that's more or less what I'm doing. I filled the minikeg and left it empty for a while (maybe 10%), then I set it to 25psi, disconnected the CO2 connection and let it cool down. Since then I've been setting it back to 25psi after a while.
I haven't shaken it much, in fact, very little ...
My initial idea was to leave it for a few periods of time, while it's cold (from the time I take it out of the fridge until it starts to heat up) at 25psi until it stabilizes more or less, but maybe I'll follow your advice

(It's unlikely that it will go back to the regulator, I have a non-return valve halfway up the CO2 hose)

 

[sixstring]

I found this video this morning and used the method this guy used at 43 seconds in. I can honestly say it worked, as I've been drinking the EPA i kegged and force carb'd this morning. His fridge is a bit gross though. Needs a good clean in my opinion

 

[acm28]

I found this video this morning and used the method this guy used at 43 seconds in. I can honestly say it worked, as I've been drinking the EPA i kegged and force carb'd this morning. His fridge is a bit gross though. Needs a good clean in my opinion

Wow, incredibly fast. How did it turn out? (compared to a slower carbonation)
Thank you

 

[sixstring]

I posted a pic of a pint i poured yesterday evening: https://www.homebrewtalk.com/threads/new-post-a-picture-of-your-pint.285100/post-10460223
I'd say it turned out pretty nice. You still need to wait for it to fully carbonate over time but if you want something to drink the day you keg it, then this will put you most of the way there.

 

[acm28]

I posted a pic of a pint i poured yesterday evening: https://www.homebrewtalk.com/threads/new-post-a-picture-of-your-pint.285100/post-10460223
I'd say it turned out pretty nice. You still need to wait for it to fully carbonate over time but if you want something to drink the day you keg it, then this will put you most of the way there.

Sorry for just replying now.
Wow, looks great.I ended up trying the method you said, it wasn't perfect but it was quite acceptable.
Thanks!

 

[sixstring]

Sorry for just replying now.
Wow, looks great.I ended up trying the method you said, it wasn't perfect but it was quite acceptable.
Thanks!

Yep, it's not perfect, but I don't think anything is when you rush it. But it definitely works in a pinch. Glad it worked out for you too. Hopefully this doesn't offend anyone, but i call it the Stevie Wonder method now

 

[JackAttack939]

I found this video this morning and used the method this guy used at 43 seconds in. I can honestly say it worked, as I've been drinking the EPA i kegged and force carb'd this morning. His fridge is a bit gross though. Needs a good clean in my opinion

I have done something similar many times! I just let it lay long ways on the floor and roll it back and forth under my feet. A few minutes of rolling will force carb fast

 

[JackAttack939]

I forgot to add I raise the pressure to 25-30 for the rolling. After that I reduce to serving pressure of 12 and return the pony keg back to the fridge.