Reccomendations for keg carbonation

BoomerBrews

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so I just picked up my first 5 gallon corny keg tonight used from a local store for $50. Seals are good and seems to hold pressure. I’ve heard various methods of carbonating but not sure what’s best. As of now I have just 1 5 gallon keg. 5 gallon co2 tank and kegerator. Any tips or reccomendations?
 
Did you get a regulator with it as well?
 
Did you get a regulator with it as well?
I have a dual body reg with a triple tower tap. I had a single reg with a single tap but got a great deal on a used multi tap set up. Have all the hoses and connections
 
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My tip if you havnt yet is strip the keg down and soak it all in cleaning solution over night give it a good rinse reassemble and sanitize then put it to use.
Soaking now in some hot water and soap I’ll empty it out and then fill it with keg cleaner and soak it for 24hrs, then hook up co2 and push it through the lines and then rinsr with water followed by starsan. Can never be too clean I feel.
 
Soaking now in some hot water and soap I’ll empty it out and then fill it with keg cleaner and soak it for 24hrs, then hook up co2 and push it through the lines and then rinsr with water followed by starsan. Can never be too clean I feel.
I actually melted the rubber handle and bottom base off my keg the other day cleaning it with boiling water:eek:! The ends became loose from the heat I sorta pushed the handle part back on but I think I'll have to glue them back on. Be careful on the heat:p
 
I actually melted the rubber handle and bottom base off my keg the other day cleaning it with boiling water:eek:! The ends became loose from the heat I sorta pushed the handle part back on but I think I'll have to glue them back on. Be careful on the heat:p
Good to know. I have the entire thing full of dawn and hot tap water. It had root beer in it. Could tell by the smell. I’m beyond excited to use the kegerator.
 
It's a good idea to check Craigslist if you can. I see used kegs pretty routinely for $30 to $50.
It's always a good idea to invest in a new seal set for every keg you get. I've had some of mine for a while and I bought a few 5-packs of seal sets and I'm going through all mine and starting fresh. The seals are about the only place that an infection can hide in a keg and even with a soaking, you never really get into all the crevices where the post seals are. And then there's the root-beer or cola smell you get in some of the used ones. Only way to ever really get rid of that is a complete seal change.
 
It's a good idea to check Craigslist if you can. I see used kegs pretty routinely for $30 to $50.
It's always a good idea to invest in a new seal set for every keg you get. I've had some of mine for a while and I bought a few 5-packs of seal sets and I'm going through all mine and starting fresh. The seals are about the only place that an infection can hide in a keg and even with a soaking, you never really get into all the crevices where the post seals are. And then there's the root-beer or cola smell you get in some of the used ones. Only way to ever really get rid of that is a complete seal change.
Thank you for the tip. So I got a new seal kit. Came with everything I need but the one inner seal on the co2 tube. I figured since it sealed I wouldn’t change them but what you said makes sense so i guess id rather be safe than sorry.
 
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You might be able to find some O-rings in the plumbing section of HD or Lowes or an Ace hardware for the CO2 tube. They're a fairly common size.
The poppets have a seal on them, too, but you have to replace the whole thing. Unless you think there's a likelihood that the keg had a sour beer or is just in putrid condition, you can usually get by with the existing ones. Universal poppets aren't all that expensive, though. ;)
 
You might be able to find some O-rings in the plumbing section of HD or Lowes or an Ace hardware for the CO2 tube. They're a fairly common size.
The poppets have a seal on them, too, but you have to replace the whole thing. Unless you think there's a likelihood that the keg had a sour beer or is just in putrid condition, you can usually get by with the existing ones. Universal poppets aren't all that expensive, though. ;)
Awesome thank you! Appreciate all the help and insight. Any insight on carbonating the beer once I get the corny all squared away?
 
For quick carb (echoing previous carbonation posts previously on these forums) reck chilled beer to keg set regulator to 30 PSI 24hrs purge I set my serving at or just below 10psi.

It's the line length vs serving pressure also diameter hose that can be tricky. My hose are 5mm ID 4 meters 12 ft long plenty of equalization in the line length then. I could em up and tape them so just a small length is hanging free for the disconect. The coils can be a PITA sometimes I run a keggerator I'd suspect top down keezer operation would be more convenient but then again us brewers always want something we dont already have:rolleyes:!
 
For keg carbing, I tend to hit the keg with 30 lbs of pressure on the outlet side and rock it for a few minutes. That gets a start on carbing. When that sits overnight, it'll drop down quite a bit. I usually check it for carb level and top it up once to 20 or 30 and then taper it off until it stabilizes at 5 or 6 lbs, depending on temp. I've pushed it to carb quickly by using 40 lbs overnight and it tends to be over-carbed and foamy until the CO2 gets settled into suspension.
Once it's in the kegerator at the proper volumes, you only need enough pressure to push it out of the keg and through the hoses to the tap. Longer hoses keep the foaming to a minimum. Shorter hoses require less pressure but may tend to foam. If you serve at higher pressure than what's called for in carbonation, it can foam up and eventually become over carbed. If you serve at lower pressure, eventually, you'll risk losing carb over a period of time. I run hoses that are about 6 feet long and run about 4-5 lbs of pressure on my system...Works for me. ;)
 
I'm very similar to @J A. After filling the keg, I hit it with 20-30# to get a good seal and then purge all air. I chill for a few hours or overnight and hit it with 35# for about 34-35 hours, then purge off the 02, set my reg to about 4-6 and just let it mellow out for a few days. Works very well for me. Just about everyone who force carbs will be similar with their own little variations that they have found works for them and their set-up.
 
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I usually keg and leave at 11-12 PSI and is usually carbed in 7-10 days. Of course the other method posted here is best if you are in a hurry and need a drink.:)
 
I am new to kegging myself, so far I have set the reg to 30PSI for 1-2 days, then turned it down to 10-12. I use a 10 foot 3/16" hose . It is a slow pour, but I like the anticipation of the delishiousness. I kegged a batch yesterday morning, and am presently enjoying a glass while watching my beloved Steelers battle the Broncos!
 
Depends how quick you want it really. Some of mine I carb at 35psi for 36 hours, others I just leave at 12psi for a couple weeks.
 
I'm a 130 pound weakling, so I don't rock the keg (I have trouble lifting it into the kegerator!). I put it on 30 psi for 24-36 hours in the kegerator, then purge and reset to 12 psi. It's decently carbed at 48 hours, but improves over the next day.

To decide your serving/permanent pressure, check out this keg carbonation chart:
https://www.kegerators.com/carbonation-table/
carbonation-table
 
I'm a 130 pound weakling, so I don't rock the keg (I have trouble lifting it into the kegerator!). I put it on 30 psi for 24-36 hours in the kegerator, then purge and reset to 12 psi. It's decently carbed at 48 hours, but improves over the next day.

To decide your serving/permanent pressure, check out this keg carbonation chart:
https://www.kegerators.com/carbonation-table/
carbonation-table
Thank you so much! That charts helpful. I’m going to be kegging my beer this weekend.
 
Guys looking for some help here. Filled the co2 up and Filled the keg up to 7psi. There was nothing in it other than maybe a tiny bit of leftover keg cleaner. Anyways after hitting 7psi I shut the valve and let it sit. This morning it was about .5 psi lower. I mixed some soapy water and put it around every connection and didn’t see any leaks. Any reccomendations?
 

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