I am using a ball lock system, but I am having trouble getting my brew to carbonate. I have tried the shake n bake, high psi and let it sit for days. now I am using a fridge and holding pressure at 35psi through the liquid side for 15 to 24 hrs. am I doing something wrong?
trouble carbonating
- Thread starter bcharlsen
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Well, with all that you're doing in an attempt to carb this beer, there's no way of telling how it's going to end up. Probably overcarbed.
First, chill the keg. After that, the two basic (and simple) methods I like are:
1) Set it at 11-12 psi and leave it alone at least 10 days
2) Set it at 30psi for 36 hours. Vent and drop it to 11-12psi for a couple days.
First, chill the keg. After that, the two basic (and simple) methods I like are:
1) Set it at 11-12 psi and leave it alone at least 10 days
2) Set it at 30psi for 36 hours. Vent and drop it to 11-12psi for a couple days.
me I like #2 use this method all the time the beer comes out great first couple days at 10-12 psi beer is good after that perfect
all the best
S_M
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I haven't read any books or anything, just gotten input from a buddy. But what I normally do when force carbonating is set the psi at somewhere in the 10-12 range and just bleed the keg every time I walk by my kegerator. I'll bleed it and let the Co2 refill 2-3 times per day over 4 or 5 days and by the 5th day I usually have a perfect head and will lower the psi to 4 or 5 so it isn't too strong coming out. I'm sure there's a lot of ways to do it, but that method has never failed me.
Good luck!
Good luck!
Why would you purge the keg at 10-12 psi? That's actually about the correct pressure, and letting it out and letting it refill won't change or hurry the carbonation level- just waste gas.
That's what struck me about it. Bleeding a keg while carbing at 10-12psi does nothing but waste CO2.
Also, if you have to drop the pressure to 4-5psi to serve (assuming that it's properly carbed), that's not a balanced system. Either your beer line is much too short, too large of a diameter (3/16" is what you need) and/or the temp is too high.
What you just described indicates that:
1) It's probably not completely carbed yet. Leave it at 10-12psi for another week.
2) Your beer line may be to short or too large of a diameter. Buy 12ft of 3/16" diameter beer line. At 38-40*F and 11psi, that ought to give you the level of carbonation you want and nice pours.
FYI--- treat the tap like an on/off switch. Opening it part-way causes lots of foam even if all else is set up right.
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