MULTI KEG CARBONATION QUESTION

[SeanKTM300]

Hoping someone here can give me a definitive answer.

If I daisy chain 6 x 20 L kegs together, set the CO2 carbonation pressure at 15psi over 10 days, will all the kegs be equally as carbonated as if I had attached just one keg to the CO2 bottle at 15 psi over 10 days.

And, would the length of gas line to each keg have to be the same or does the length not matter ?

 

[Josh Hughes]

Good question. Following this

 

[Minbari]

Hoping someone here can give me a definitive answer.

If I daisy chain 6 x 20 L kegs together, set the CO2 carbonation pressure at 15psi over 10 days, will all the kegs be equally as carbonated as if I had attached just one keg to the CO2 bottle at 15 psi over 10 days.

And, would the length of gas line to each keg have to be the same or does the length not matter ?

You would need too get a 6 port manifold. Then run gas to the gas port on each keg. Daisey chain would not work to carb them, it would only carb the first one, but you can do that to serve.

No gas line length won't matter and yes they will all carb up the same based on temp and pressure applied

 

[HighVoltageMan!]

No gas line length won't matter and yes they will all carb up the same based on temp and pressure applied

The gas volume per minute/hour to carb a keg is very low. So as Minbari stated, it would work. Not sure what you meant by daisy chaining them, but again as Minbari pointed out they would need to be in a parallel configuration.

The other thing to consider is the beer's gravity. If the gravity of each beer is the same, the carbonation level would be the same. But the lower the gravity, the more co2 will dissolve into solution. So it's possible to have variations in the level of carbonation with the same co2 pressure.

 

[SeanKTM300]

So like this then ?
They would all :

• carb to the same level
• at the same time
• in the same time it would take to carb 1 single keg
  

 

[SeanKTM300]

Oh, and I forgot to ask.

Would a 50 L keg carbonate as fast as a 20 l keg. Or would a 50 L keg take 2,5 times a long ?

Do different shapes of kegs carbonate at different rates. Say a 30 L torpedo vs a 50 L sanke keg ?

 

[Minbari]

So like this then ?
They would all :

• carb to the same level
• at the same time
• in the same time it would take to carb 1 single keg View attachment 24859

Yes, you want it just like that. As @HighVoltageMan! Said. If they are different beers, it will carb up at slightly different speed. If they are all same/similar, they will carb up at the same speed.

Oh, and I forgot to ask.

Would a 50 L keg carbonate as fast as a 20 l keg. Or would a 50 L keg take 2,5 times a long ?

Do different shapes of kegs carbonate at different rates. Say a 30 L torpedo vs a 50 L sanke keg ?

Carb speed is a function of gravity, volume, pressure and surface area. More volume will take longer. Shape will effect it to some degree. Think of it this way. If the keg were 4" around and 10 feet tall vs 3ft around and only 6 in tall. One will have more surface area and carb faster.

I usually carb my 5gal ball lock kegs at 30psi for 3 days, then turn down to serve pressure. Also depends on vol of carbonation. You will not carb a soft stout as much as pilsner

 

[SeanKTM300]

Got it, thank you all !

 

[Minbari]

One other thing to consider is multi reg set up too. (Not to further complicate things ).

You have the main reg on the co2 tank, then the 6 port manifold. You can add a regulator to a line to bring the pressure down on a specific line(or group of lines) to control carbonation level on a specific keg.

Also handy if you have 3 that are ready to serve and 3 you are carbing.

 

[Craigerrr]

I have to say that unless someone has experience where multiple kegs connected to the same co2 source will carbonate one at a time in succession of distance form the source, this will not be the case. The laws of physics (paraphrasing this here) state that the pressure in a vessel regardless of shape will be equal against all surfaces, and distance from the source (excepting flow and pressure losses through lines, which is immeasurable in our application). As long as there is co2 pressure being applied within a keg or kegs, co2 will be absorbed into your beer, although quite possibly at different rates based on size and shape of keg.
Due to this (sorry if this has been covered off) you may want to be careful not over carbonate one keg if it's size and shape will cause co2 to be absorbed more quickly. I think the dudes name was pascal...

 

[Minbari]

I have to say that unless someone has experience where multiple kegs connected to the same co2 source will carbonate one at a time in succession of distance form the source, this will not be the case. The laws of physics (paraphrasing this here) state that the pressure in a vessel regardless of shape will be equal against all surfaces, and distance from the source (excepting flow and pressure losses through lines, (immeasurable in our application). As long as there is co2 pressure being applied within a keg or kegs, co2 will be absorbed into your beer, although quite possibly at different rates based on size and shape of keg.
Due to this (sorry if this has been covered off) you may want to be careful not over carbonate one keg I it's size and shape will cause co2 to be absorbed more quickly. I think the dudes name was pascal...

I think what he was asking is if he could daisy chain them. So one kegs gas in, then liquid out to next gas in........x6 and would they all carbonate.
There is no way. The pressure would be equal at all kegs, but keg 2-6 wouldn't have any co2 in them.

@SeanKTM300 can you confirm that was your original question?

 

[Craigerrr]

I think what he was asking is if he could daisy chain them. So one kegs gas in, then liquid out to next gas in........x6 and would they all carbonate.
There is no way. The pressure would be equal at all kegs, but keg 2-6 wouldn't have any co2 in them.

@SeanKTM300 can you confirm that was your original question?

Sorry, I didn't see any reference to using liquid liquid lines. As long as all gas posts are connected to the co2 source, co2 will be absorbed into the beer in every keg simultaneously.

 

[Steve SPF]

So like this then ?
They would all :

• carb to the same level
• at the same time
• in the same time it would take to carb 1 single keg

That's the way I would do it. Ideally you would have a primary regulator and then a secondary for each branch/keg in order to deal with them separately. We work them in pairs sometimes so one secondary reg will serve two kegs, we can isolate diferent beers that way.

Should also be said that if there's a leak anywhere then all the kegs will empty of gas at the same rate/time so you can have a real problem on your hands beore you know it.

Should also be said that without any non-return valves connecting diferent beers to the same loop is asking for trouble as well. The kegs are effectively connected to each other so there's an excellent route for contamination and infection between the kegs. And for your stout to find its way into your lager etc...

 

[Steve SPF]

I have to say that unless someone has experience where multiple kegs connected to the same co2 source will carbonate one at a time in succession of distance form the source, this will not be the case. The laws of physics (paraphrasing this here) state that the pressure in a vessel regardless of shape will be equal against all surfaces, and distance from the source (excepting flow and pressure losses through lines, which is immeasurable in our application). As long as there is co2 pressure being applied within a keg or kegs, co2 will be absorbed into your beer, although quite possibly at different rates based on size and shape of keg.
Due to this (sorry if this has been covered off) you may want to be careful not over carbonate one keg if it's size and shape will cause co2 to be absorbed more quickly. I think the dudes name was pascal...

Jeeps! Applied physics, who knew that stuff would come in handy?? There's a great knowledge base around here

 

[Over The Cliff Brewing]

Maybe I missed something here but if you connect the kegs by the in and out connections, wouldn't the beer flow out into the next keg and then the next until it blows pressure back into the regulator? I'm a finance guy not an engineer.....

 

[Steve SPF]

Maybe I missed something here but if you connect the kegs by the in and out connections, wouldn't the beer flow out into the next keg and then the next until it blows pressure back into the regulator? I'm a finance guy not an engineer.....

Something like that yes. If you set up as per the diagram then each branch off the main feed will run gas to a keg at the rate specified by the regulator.

 

[Minbari]

Maybe I missed something here but if you connect the kegs by the in and out connections, wouldn't the beer flow out into the next keg and then the next until it blows pressure back into the regulator? I'm a finance guy not an engineer.....

Yes, this can be done quite easily, if the beer is the same. You put gas in keg 1, liquid out to gas in on 2 to etc. The last keg liquid out goes to the faucet. It will empty them in order 1...2...3....etc. it wouldn't go back towards the regulator.

 

[SeanKTM300]

Sorry, I probably was not being clear. By Daisy Chaining I meant running separate gas lines into each keg from a single pressure source. No liquid lines involves.

 

[Minbari]

Sorry, I probably was not being clear. By Daisy Chaining I meant running separate gas lines into each keg from a single pressure source. No liquid lines involves.

Ah ok. Usually daisy chaining means to run something in a series. From one to the next to the next.

 

[Craigerrr]

Sorry, I probably was not being clear. By Daisy Chaining I meant running separate gas lines into each keg from a single pressure source. No liquid lines involves.

Is your avatar picture a picture of the system you use? What is your batch size?