Forced Caronation

Sean Fawcett

New Member
Trial Member
Joined
Apr 16, 2018
Messages
6
Reaction score
0
Points
1
Hi:

I've been brewing in 5 gallon batches and bottling for about five years. Recently a friend who owns a pub gave me a kegerator so I am experimenting with kegging. The kegerator has two taps but one regulator, so I can't force carbonate at the same time I have a keg tapped for serving.

So, what I am doing is:
  • Disconnect the input side from the serving keg and connect it to the output side of the new (to be carbonated keg)
  • Increase the pressure on the regulator to about 30psi
  • Disconnect the gas line from the new keg (it stays pressurized), adjust the regulator back to about 8 psi and reattach to the serving keg.
  • Repeat this process a couple of time a day for a few days. (Hopefully this will fully carbonate the new keg)
Does this make sense? Should I be doing something different?

Also, After the beer is fully carbonated, if I am not going to serve the bear for a couple of weeks or so, what pressure should I "store" the keg at? I assume if I leave it at 30 psi, it will be way too foamy?

Any advice would be greatly appreciated.
 
you only force carb at 30 for 1 to 2 days, you serve at 10 to 12 psi, you can unhook the gas to the drinking keg and still use it, the pressure to dispense beer isn't that much and you will get a good 5 or 6 pints before you recharge it, in that case just plug the 30 gas in for a few seconds then unplug if your still force carbing the other
 
What I do is force carb at around 30-35PSI for around 36-48 hours. Then I have left some for a few weeks sitting because I don't have a tap for it. Doesn't hurt it. If you don't leave the force carb pressure on to long the beer will absorb the gas and actually equalizes to a new pressure level. Hence the 10-12psi serving pressure, at that point you aren't really adding anymore gas to the beer, just keeping it from losing co2 in solution.

Also, Ozarks point is valid with the keg lines. I occasionally move a gas line and forget to move it back until suddenly my beer pours slow.
 
Given your variables, I would chill the keg to be carbed. When it’s chilled, Connect it to 25-30 psi. Gently rock the keg back and forth for 2 - 2 1/2 minutes. Disconnect, don’t purge. Dial back to 8 psi and reconnect serving keg. Your force carbed keg will be good in a day or two.
 
You could split the gas line coming off the regulator and just hook up kegs as needed. It'll take longer but you can just leave the new keg on gas for a week or so while drinking from the other keg. Once you get your lines balanced this method would keep your beer at a pretty consistent carb level. (I've had bad experiences over-carbing with the burst carb method)
 
I'll sometimes carb overnight( 40 psi for 24 hours) or just slow carb depending on what it is and what else I have pouring .
Advice above is solid but ill add a few things :)
I seat my keg lids with 40 psi and purge and carb kegs from the liquid side with an adapter , this forces co² up through the beer and kegs carb faster .
Check for leaks regularly, few things worse than trying to pour a beer and having no gas or a beery smelling puddle .
Your pub mate should know all about line cleaning so ask for some line cleaning solution but don't drink it !
Ex housemate drank 2 pints of it and was sick for well over a month the idiot
 
I don't even keep my kegerator kegs hooked up all the time. I have one CO2 rig that I use for everything and I just hit the kegs with CO2 whenever we use them and keep them topped up. If I'm serving a lot of beer at a party or something, I'll leave them hooked up at a low serving pressure, but otherwise they just sit at pressure with no gas hooked up. Never had any problems.
 
Jesus Christ, 2 pints?

Probably a Bud, miller or Coors drinker and couldn't tell the difference. Well, the blue mountains should have been a tell :)
 
Probably a Bud, miller or Coors drinker and couldn't tell the difference.
I don’t think you’d want to fight them. You’d be massively outnumbered!
 
Bright red ? Strong chemical smell and very very bitter should all have set alarm bells ringing .
musta thought shish Maks made a real bitter drop on this tap:p:p. two pints:D i havnt laughed this hard for awhile ha ha.

bet you musta loved hearing about he/she has got an IRON GUT!
 
looking at ordering one of these soon there Crunk to give it a go hopefully lower 02 and fresher lager for longer...
Benefit of looooong experience from Crunk .
You can natural carb without a spunding valve and still get almost nil oxygen .
I pick up the 2 free kegs tomorrow night and will have more kegs than taps to pour from again for a little while
 
Benefit of looooong experience from Crunk .
You can natural carb without a spunding valve and still get almost nil oxygen .
I pick up the 2 free kegs tomorrow night and will have more kegs than taps to pour from again for a little while

True that, no valve needed, just transfer to spunding keg 5 to 8 points above terminal gravity and let it go for a couple days till final gravity is achieved, then continue as normal.
 
True that, no valve needed, just transfer to spunding keg 5 to 8 points above terminal gravity and let it go for a couple days till final gravity is achieved, then continue as normal.
but spunding valve is a saftey net if you transfer early id assume
 
It eliminates the need to pop the relief valve, I do use mine I have it set at 12psi.
 
Thanks for the various replies... I guess a couple more specific questions...

If I force carb at 30 psi for 2-3 days and then don't serve the beer for 2-3 weeks do I just leave it unattached to the CO2 until it's time to serve?

Should I "store" it for those 2 weeks at a different pressure?

Should I hook it back up to the CO2 re-pressure to serving pressure and then "store" it at that pressure?

I certainly don't want it too foamy or flat when I finally server it.

Thanks!
 

Back
Top