Spunding Valves on Storage Kegs?

[Clint Yeastwood]

I'm starting to develop a beer library, meaning I have beers on hand that are not connected to faucets yet.

I have a question for people who store beer in kegs. What do you do to regulate carbonation? Sometimes yeast finds a way to keep going after you think it's done, and I don't want to grab a keg that's supposed to be at 12 psi and find out it's more like 30.

I was thinking of putting a spunding valve on each keg until I'm sure it's not going to act up. A simple gauge will tell me if the pressure has gone up, but it won't do anything to release the gas.

 

[Broken Crow]

I'll get the shopping suggestion out of the way to start: Buy or build more fermenters.
Just leave it in the fermenter longer. I regularly fill kegs and do my best to determine the temperature at time of filling and leave them under carb-chart pressure for desired volume and leave them sit in my 68° basement. When I put them in my kegerator and after they've had time to chill, I plug in only the liquid line and pour enough to watch the flow to see If I got it right (as well as to make sure that the liquid level in the keg has fallen below the level of the uncut gas diptube) before plugging in the gas.
Occasionally I'll find one slightly overcarbed, but not "glass-of-foam" so, and it'll settle out after a day or so. I got in the habit of leaving beer in the fermenter at least a week or so longer than 'when I'm certain it's finished' and very rarely get surprises other than: "Wow, this beer is so much clearer than I expected!" Unless you want to spend quite bit extra $'s on high-quality and accurate spunding valves, as much as I value the cheap kegland ones, I wouldn't trust them to make any long-term difference that can't be had by just making beyond certain the beer is 'done' before kegging and trusting my measurements.

 

[pvpeacock]

If I am kegging a beer and don't have room for it in my keezer, I prime it with 1/2 cup of sugar which should under-carbonate it. I then store the keg at room temperature in my garage until a spot opens up in the keezer. I do not use a spunding valve, because I expect the keg to be under-carbonated to begin with. When a spot opens up in the keezer, I put the keg in, attach it to CO2 at my desired PSI and give it a few days to a week to cool and finish carbonating. I have had a few that seemed over-carbonated when I first tapped them despite using half the priming sugar. For those, I shut off the CO2 and purge the keg from time to time for a day or two to reduce the CO2 volume.

 

[sibelman]

I was thinking of putting a spunding valve on each keg until I'm sure it's not going to act up.

I've been having the same thought re stronger beers - two are continuing to build pressure in their kegs now.

Even if @Broken Crow were right about cheaper spunding valves, the cost (and space requirements) of his recommended additional fermenters far exceed the idea of additional spunding valves.

 

[sibelman]

btw, another choice would be a simple airlock on the keg-as-secondary.

 

[Clint Yeastwood]

I'd like to keep some pressure in there, though.

 

[Brooothru]

At any given time I have two kegs in the kegerator and four kegs in a beer fridge. I can easily tell if one of the beers on tap is getting a pressure build up just by pulling a pint. But the kegs in the beer fridge I have to make sure to check pressure once a week or so. If it's just a tiny increase I simply 'burp' the PRV to bring it back down to normal. If the pressure seems abnormally high, I have to assume either an infection or incomplete fermentation prior to packaging. Low pressure means I've either got a gas leak or CO2 is getting absorbed into the beer (or, somebody's helping themselves to my beer stash!).

I'd be leery about spunding valve as a long term storage measure. Yeah, frequent checking of pressures is a pain, but it's a reliable method and doesn't really take much time. I'm always doing something in the brew area anyways.

 

[Clint Yeastwood]

What are you using to check pressure?

 

[Brooothru]

What are you using to check pressure?

Just a simple 0-60 psi gauge attached to a Gas In quick disconnect. Takes a minute or two to connect, read pressure, zero the gauge, and take the next reading for four kegs. I'd post a picture but we're on the road.

 

[sibelman]

What are you using

I've been moving my spunding valve from one secondary/keg to another.

 

[odie]

easiest fool-proof way is to use low pressure PRV.

If you are storing room/cellar temps...use the red PRVs. they are around 25-30 psi. when you are ready to chill and serve the psi should drop into the serving range.

If you are cold storing at serving temps, try the blue (10 psi) or purple (15 psi). Probably not needed. Those are more for say pressure fermenting without a spunding valve. That's how I use the blue ones.

 

[Clint Yeastwood]

Does someone here have a carbonation chart that goes up to 75 degrees F?

 

[jschein]

This one works with any temperature
https://www.brewersfriend.com/keg-carbonation-calculator/

 

[Clint Yeastwood]

Thanks. I would not have found that for a while. Looks like 2.5 volumes would be over 30 psi at 75. But I don't know if this answers my question, which is, "What CO2 pressure do I need at 75 to get 12 psi at 35?" The ideal gas law is no help because CO2 comes out of solution with heat.

Will a pressure that gives 2.5 volumes at 30 psi and 75 and sends foam flying all over the place give 2.5 volumes and a pleasant pressure of 12 psi at 35?

 

[DuncB]

I wouldn't trust the spunding valve to not leak, also an infection risk as difficult to sanitise.
I'd periodically check with normal gauge and if necessary pull the PRV if overcarbed. If only a little over pressure and due to soon insert to keg fridge I'd leave it and let it balance in the keg fridge. Drinking a jug full helps.

 

[odie]

Thanks. I would not have found that for a while. Looks like 2.5 volumes would be over 30 psi at 75. But I don't know if this answers my question, which is, "What CO2 pressure do I need at 75 to get 12 psi at 35?" The ideal gas law is no help because CO2 comes out of solution with heat.

Will a pressure that gives 2.5 volumes at 30 psi and 75 and sends foam flying all over the place give 2.5 volumes and a pleasant pressure of 12 psi at 35?

I don't think the "volume" of CO2 will change. If temperature drops, so will PSI...but the associated volumes/carbonation of CO2 I think remains steady.