Zapping a keg???

[MorrisBrewingCo]

I was at my LHbS today and saw this method for carbing a keg that I had never heard of:

1. Once keg is sealed with home brew refrigerate to 40F
2. Connect CO2
3. Adjust CO2 to add 20 PSI
4. Zap keg by agitating rolling or shaking for 2 minutes
5. Disconnect CO2
6. Refrigerate for 5 house
7. Repeat steps 3 and 4 of adding 20 PSI and zap keg for 2 minutes.
8 Adjust PSI to serving PSI.

They say the beer is ready but I'm thinking it'll have to sit for at least 24 hours. I just tried this method and the beer came out way too foamy from being "Zapped". I'm about to go home and try again but anyone else ever heard of or tried carbonating a keg this quickly? I personally would of preferred 10 PSI for 10-14 days but its this method or no beer.

 

[beaksnbeer]

Most refer to this as "Burst carbing"

 

[JuanMoore]

It's really hard to control the amount of carbonation that way, and it leads to severely overcarbed beer more often than not. If you really want to shake/roll the keg to carbonate it, do it at the appropriate serving pressure instead of jacking it up to 20psi.

 

[BigFloyd]

It's the "carb & shake" method.

I did it once. I'll not do it again. That batch never did clear up even after weeks of sitting in the keezer.

I now put it on service pressure (about 10psi) and leave it alone for two weeks.

 

[kh54s10]

There are many differing amounts of pressure and time. I have heard of 30 lbs overnight, vent and set to serving pressure. Sometimes it is suggested 5 more days, Also 30 lbs for 24 hours etc.

Also 20 lbs and varying amounts of time then serve. This is also temperature sensitive. How much pressure, how long is somewhat dependent on the refrigeration temperature,

You will have to experiment to find out what works.

I am new. I did the last one at 30 lbs overnight and it took another week to settle, maybe, I am drinking it now and it is still changing. The next one is on serving pressure and I will try it next week, about 2 weeks total.

 

[beaksnbeer]

There are many differing amounts of pressure and time. I have heard of 30 lbs overnight, vent and set to serving pressure. Sometimes it is suggested 5 more days, Also 30 lbs for 24 hours etc.

Also 20 lbs and varying amounts of time then serve. This is also temperature sensitive. How much pressure, how long is somewhat dependent on the refrigeration temperature,

You will have to experiment to find out what works.

I am new. I did the last one at 30 lbs overnight and it took another week to settle, maybe, I am drinking it now and it is still changing. The next one is on serving pressure and I will try it next week, about 2 weeks total.

You won't be disappointed with the "set and forget" method

 

[antitelephonica]

Since I am always playing catch-up and need my beer yesterday, I do it thusly, everytime:
Chill keg overnight
Dial CO2 to 30psi
Rock keg horizontally, rapidly for 2 minutes
Remove gas, let sit for 1hr, bleed pressure, set to 10, drink

One day when I get out of beer-debt, I'll have the luxury to try those other methods. Meanwhile, I get to drink the E.W. PA I kegged yesterday.

It does taste green and a little over-carbed, but it's in my glass, and for now that's what I need.

 

[ryan_george]

I usually do one of two methods of carbing. The easiest (and most used) method is the set-and-forget. I have no interest in babying a keg by rolling it around for a few minutes, and especially since switching to 15 gal sankes, there's no chance I'm hauling those around more than needed....
The other method, since I only have one regulator, is to pressurize the keg to ~30 psi and then disconnect the line so I can continue to serve my other beers at ~8 psi. I usually top it up to 30 psi once a day for a few days, and then connect it to the "standard" serving pressure. This does speed up carbonation by a few days, but it's still not instant.

But, I'll drink uncarbed beer all day, so it really isn't an issue for me to have it perfectly carbed as soon as possible.

 

[Hammy71]

I burst carbed once (zapped) and hated it. It's simply a short cut if your impatient. I'm more appalled that a LHBS would teach this. If their object is for you to enjoy your brewing experience so you come back and buy more, why set you up for the chance of failure? Not saying it doesn't work...it's just inconsistent. If you own a business, you want to keep things simple and consistent for the customer.

 

[wilserbrewer]

I have found a good compromise between burst carbing and set and forget, push 30 psi on cold beer for 30 - 36 hours, reduce pressure and vent keg to serving pressure, this will get you close, and shave 7-10 off the schedule IME.

The idea of rocking a keg to force carb was never much fun and never worked real well for me....however, if I was stuck on an island and wanted a beer....I'd try it again...cheers.

I find my beer to be much better after at least a week in the keezer, and better still after two weeks.

 

[BigFloyd]

I find my beer to be much better after at least a week in the keezer, and better still after two weeks.

Same here.

 

[USAFSooner]

Forget that mess. Set it to serving pressure (10PSI) and leave it alone for a week or better yet two.

 

[PLOVE]

push 30 psi on cold beer for 30 - 36 hours, reduce pressure and vent keg to serving pressure

This. +1

 

[cpa4ny]

Hi - how about one of those "carbonating lids" that they sell? It's a keg lid with carbonating stone attached to it with a gas tube. Heard those work fairly well (haven't tried it yet though).

 

[Yooper]

I have found a good compromise between burst carbing and set and forget, push 30 psi on cold beer for 30 - 36 hours, reduce pressure and vent keg to serving pressure, this will get you close, and shave 7-10 off the schedule IME.

This is what I do when I'm hit a hurry. It works great for me, and the beer clears nicely as well.

Hi - how about one of those "carbonating lids" that they sell? It's a keg lid with carbonating stone attached to it with a gas tube. Heard those work fairly well (haven't tried it yet though).

You can do that, and it will carb up a tiny bit faster (maybe a day or so).

 

[Jaybird]

I add my Co2 through my "Beer out" port and its ready in about 24 hours. I allows the Co2 to float up through the beer. I just start off with cold beer turn the PSI all the way down on my regulator, connect to my beer out port and turn up the gas till I just start to hear gas flow and leave it there. About every 2 hours go out and turn it up 1-2 PSI or so. It will carb up real fast and by the time you get to serving PSI your good. Just make sure you have a 1 way valve on your regulator.
Easy like Sunday morning!

Cheers
Jay

 

[Wacki]

I add my Co2 through my "Beer out" port and its ready in about 24 hours. I allows the Co2 to float up through the beer. I just start off with cold beer turn the PSI all the way down on my regulator, connect to my beer out port and turn up the gas till I just start to hear gas flow and leave it there. About every 2 hours go out and turn it up 1-2 PSI or so. It will carb up real fast and by the time you get to serving PSI your good. Just make sure you have a 1 way valve on your regulator.
Easy like Sunday morning!

Cheers
Jay

I'll have to try that method next time...that sounds better than bursting.

I'm surprised at all the people saying not to burst carb, I'm not the most experienced kegger (about 5 batches so far), but I had NO problems whatsoever burst carbing, and carbed up my Tripel in an afternoon last time. I think the trick to "zapping" is to tone down the pressure each time...I.e. hit it with 30lbs and shake it up, lower to twenty lbs and shake it up, lower it to serving pressure and shake, repeat at serving pressure until you can't hear gas entering the keg anymore. I usually hit it with pressure, disconnect the gas, then roll it on the floor for a few mins, all while the keg is cold.

I'm pretty sure as long as you get down to the serving pressure level an you can still hear gas coming in before you shake, you won't be over carbed using that method. Hell, just hitting it with serving pressure and shaking like 5-6 times should get you a fair amount of carbonation, if not exactly the end vols you are looking for.

Lastly, I will say that the carbonation on beer I "set and forget" is much more fine or something (smaller bubbles? Idk), but the beer will normalize to that point with time using the burst method too.

 

[KurtB]

I am like wilserbrewer, Yooper, and may others, firmly in the 30psi for a day, then drop it. No shaking needed.

I normally keg on a Thursday night and set the pressure to around 30 psi, Friday after work (or late on Saturday morning ) I lower the pressure to my serving pressure and vent the keg. Leave it sit in the keezer until the next weekend and drink it. Sometimes it may still be a bit under-carbonated but my friends don't really notice. In a couple more days it is perfect.

I figure I waited 4+ weeks to make the beer, what is another week to let it carbonate. Besides, with a short pipeline built up, I never feel in a rush to get a keg ready to drink.

 

[mikescooling]

If you really want to burst carb a keg, with co2 hooked-up flip the keg on it's side and roll it back and forth with your foot for 5 minutes. You'll hear the co2 feed into the keg. Have I done this? yes. Is this a good way IMHO? no. Look at how much carbing up water changes the taste, same with beer. Take the time (if you have it) and do it slow.

 

[MorrisBrewingCo]

The beer is still coming out of the keg extremely foamy so I am extending my 5 ft hose to a 10+ foot hose to see if that solves the issue.

 

[MorrisBrewingCo]

After it is all said in down I can laugh and admit I've learned the hard way, set and forget. Zapping is just not worth the cost of my time and money when the beer is foamy. All the people who force carb admit the beer tastes better after being in the keg awhile because it needs that time in the keg with Co2 running through it. Learn from my mistake and just have patience. If you brew according to your personal average consumption you should have another keg of beer to drink off of.

 

[day_trippr]

^ And welcome to our little club

Imnsfho it's a demonstrable myth that top-blasting a keg over 24-48 hours with high pressure CO2 will result in the same quality as a slow and steady carb over a couple/few weeks...

Cheers!

 

[Yooper]

After it is all said in down I can laugh and admit I've learned the hard way, set and forget. Zapping is just not worth the cost of my time and money when the beer is foamy. All the people who force carb admit the beer tastes better after being in the keg awhile because it needs that time in the keg with Co2 running through it. Learn from my mistake and just have patience. If you brew according to your personal average consumption you should have another keg of beer to drink off of.

Well, most of us do learn the hard way. Experience is usually the best teacher in most things, and it's a "live and learn" thing in this case for sure.

That said, I still sometimes put a new keg at 30 psi for 24 hours (at fridge temperature) and then purge and reset at 12 psi after that. It does hurry up the carbonation process along, but without a carbonic acid "bite" or overcarbing. That's the only way I'll burst carb/quick carb a keg.

 

[PLOVE]

^ And welcome to our little club

Imnsfho it's a demonstrable myth that top-blasting a keg over 24-48 hours with high pressure CO2 will result in the same quality as a slow and steady carb over a couple/few weeks...

Cheers!

Huh? How do you think the big boys carbonate? 1-2 days at high pressure in a bright tank with a beer stone. I think your confusing green beer, which often does need several weeks at fridge temps to mellow out with some off flavor imparted by burst carbonating. Just my opinion - what every works for your setup.

 

[FastAndy]

1-2 days? More like 20 minutes to an hour usually. At least in our brewer it tends to depend more on the tank, temperature and the specific beer in that tank. Our 100 bbl brite tanks tend to take no longer than our 50 bbl or 25 bbl serving vessels. When we nitrogenate our stout and porter it happens in less than a half hour.

Edit: we also have equipment to test our carb levels at anytime so 45-50 psi through a carbonation stone and a tank that is easy to adjust bleed off does not compare to what we do at home as over carbonation isn't a problem. At home I personally have always been in the slow but reliable set and forget method.

 

[day_trippr]

Huh? How do you think the big boys carbonate?[...]

Note the words "top blasting". Brite tanks are typically equipped with carbonation stones at the bottom that bubble CO2 up through the beer column. Big difference in the dynamics...

Cheers!

 

[PLOVE]

FastAndy - Thanks for clarifying. Wow! 20 minutes. That is fast.

However, I still don't see how carbonating from the top or bottom would make any difference in product taste/quality. Ultimately, no matter how you do it - slow or fast - all you're doing is putting CO2 into solution, under high pressure, as quickly as possible to achieve a final pre-determined volume of CO2. Having a beerstone mounted at the bottom of the tank likely allows you to do this more quickly by increasing surface area, but it does change the end goal.

I do burst carb to save time, but if there really is some reason why this is affecting the quality of my beer I'd like to know. Overcarbing is definitely a potential problem, but is easily avoided once you get to know you carb system. But is there any literature out there that someone can share that demonstrates that carbonating pressure changes the chemistry of beer? I'm really curious about this.

Thanks,
P

 

[FastAndy]

I agree. I don't think it has an impact on flavor or quality either way as long as you don't over carbonate. I say use why ever method works for you. The set and forget method works for me because chances are I will get side tracked or forget and end over carbing. It might be interesting to do a side by side comparison with two kegs of just plain water carbed different ways. See if one or the other has more carbonic bite or anything.

Cheers

 

[Yooper]

Remember that even if a brewery carbs their beer up in 20 minutes, it's not served that day. It's typically then bottled and sold, or sent to their serving tanks for a bit. That gives the "carbonic acid bite" time to mellow.

 

[BigFloyd]

Remember that even if a brewery carbs their beer up in 20 minutes, it's not served that day. It's typically then bottled and sold, or sent to their serving tanks for a bit. That gives the "carbonic acid bite" time to mellow.

Dats exactly what I was thinking as I read through the last few posts. I've tasted the bite right after burst carbing and then noticed how it faded away over the next week or two. Now, I just set at 11psi and wait the 10-14 days.