proper way to carb.

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gt_andy

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Sorry for asking. But i have been looking for about 2 days now.

Anyways, I just scored a Kegging setup off Craigslist I got on trade. I got everything I need to run 3 kegs. I also have an extra fridge I want to cut two taps into.

I understand how everything works. Like I understand that some beers need to be at a set PSI at a certain temp. I know the graph. But I dont understand the graph. The number in the graph are the volume of co2 into the beer. But how do i know what that is for my brew I'm making.

I transferred my American pale wheat from brewerbest to a keg last night. Then put 10 PSI at it and cleared the headspace. now what do i do? Put in fridge at a higher pressure?

Help newb here.

Thanks
 
I like my beers carbed like a bottled beer, so I keep my kegerator at 12 psi at 40 degrees. If you look on a chart, that's 2.47 volumes of co2. That's pretty much what you get when you buy a beer at the store, and pour it into a glass at home. I like that level for most beers, including my oatmeal stout.

Carbonation is temperature dependent. So, for the same 2.47 volumes I have at 40 degrees, I'd need 28 psi at 68 degrees.

If your keg is not cold, you'd need a higher pressure than you would in the fridge for the same level of carbonation.

It will take about 10 days for the beer to carb up at the correct pressure.

If you are in a huge huge hurry, some people will crank the pressure up for the first day or two, then purge and reset to the proper pressure. This works pretty well, and will get the beer carbed up in about 3 days or so.

If you look at the carbonation chart, you can look at the temperature of your beer and set the pressure properly from that.
 
Is it ok to let it sit at room temp under presure at 10 PSI? Untill I can clear the fridge? I mean how can I store it if I'm not ready to serve it right now? Will it go bad? I just don't know ill be ready to get it in the fridge Untill next week.
 
gt_andy said:
Is it ok to let it sit at room temp under presure at 10 PSI? Untill I can clear the fridge? I mean how can I store it if I'm not ready to serve it right now? Will it go bad? I just don't know ill be ready to get it in the fridge Untill next week.
Click to expand...

It will be fine. I do this all the time. If you keep the keg in a cool area without a lot of temperature fluctuations you can store it for months.

I'd recommend topping of the keg with about 30psi CO2 before you store it. This makes sure the keg lid seals nice and tight.
 
For you Kegging experts. If I could get in the fridge now. Say its at 37 degrees. What PSI would you set. And how long will it take to Carb.

If i wanted to force Carb? Proceedure on that.

My fear is over carbing.
 
One more question. When you Carb and have the desired PSI. Should you keep the gas on it? Or will it Carb still if I disconnect the gas line.
 
gt_andy said:
One more question. When you Carb and have the desired PSI. Should you keep the gas on it? Or will it Carb still if I disconnect the gas line.
Click to expand...

Set it in the kegerator at 10 psi, assuming your fridge is at 37 degrees. You need to keep the gas on it, as that is what carbs the beer. The beer absorbs the c02 being fed to it through pressure. That's what "forces" the carbonation into the beer.

It will take about 10 days at 10 psi at 37 degrees.

If you have it at room temperature (which is absolutely fine!), you will need to set it at 30 psi (assuming 68 degrees). That's the same carb level, and will give you the same results.
 
Getting back to the original questions...

You pick a level of carbonation - either to style (here is a list of different styles and their respective "proper" carbonation levels) or your own whim, in volumes of CO2. Let's say you decided on 2.5 volumes, which as the list shows, is suitable for a whole host of different styles.

With that metric in hand, you pop open your handy, oft-referenced carbonation table.

You start with the temperature of the beer on the vertical axis. Let's say your beer is sitting quietly at 55°F. Find that row and scan across to the closest entry to 2.5. Then scan up the column to find the CO2 pressure required to achieve 2.5 volumes of carbonation at 55°F (20-21 psi). Et voila! Put that pressure on your keg and when the system reaches equilibrium your beer will be sitting at 2.5 volumes of CO2.

If you decide to drop the beer temperature along the way, consult the table again, using the new temperature to determine the appropriate CO2 pressure, lest you end up with an overcarbed mess.

It's that easy!

Cheers! ;)
 
day_trippr said:
Getting back to the original questions...

You pick a level of carbonation - either to style (here is a list of different styles and their respective "proper" carbonation levels) or your own whim, in volumes of CO2. Let's say you decided on 2.5 volumes, which as the list shows, is suitable for a whole host of different styles.

With that metric in hand, you pop open your handy, oft-referenced carbonation table.

You start with the temperature of the beer on the vertical axis. Let's say your beer is sitting quietly at 55°F. Find that row and scan across to the closest entry to 2.5. Then scan up the column to find the CO2 pressure required to achieve 2.5 volumes of carbonation at 55°F (20-21 psi). Et voila! Put that pressure on your keg and when the system reaches equilibrium your beer will be sitting at 2.5 volumes of CO2.

If you decide to drop the beer temperature along the way, consult the table again, using the new temperature to determine the appropriate CO2 pressure, lest you end up with an overcarbed mess.

It's that easy!

Cheers! ;)
Click to expand...

ok I follow but do you need to drop the pressure from 20-21psi to serve I'm assuming? To what? What variables are involved in serving pressure? Do you ever need to reforce carb because equlib has been lost through volume dissipation via serving? How long until equilibrium is normally reached?

Sorry for the litany of questions but I'm about to buy some kegging goodies real soon and obviously don't know enough about it....
 
With a properly design dispensing system, you use a single CO2 pressure from beginning to end, from carbing to serving the last drop. Pick a carbonation level, dial the regulator to deliver the proper pressure for the temperature of the beer, carb up the beer, serve the beer. Keeping the CO2 pressure consistently dialed in to maintain the desired carbonation level is key. If you lower the pressure, your beer will slowly lose carbonation to reach equilibrium. If you feel you need to change the CO2 pressure to serve, something is wrong, most likely insufficient beer line resistance...

Cheers!
 
day_trippr said:
With a properly design dispensing system, you use a single CO2 pressure from beginning to end, from carbing to serving the last drop. Pick a carbonation level, dial the regulator to deliver the proper pressure for the temperature of the beer, carb up the beer, serve the beer. Keeping the CO2 pressure consistently dialed in to maintain the desired carbonation level is key. If you lower the pressure, your beer will slowly lose carbonation to reach equilibrium. If you feel you need to change the CO2 pressure to serve, something is wrong, most likely insufficient beer line resistance...

Cheers!
Click to expand...

ok. got it. basically you're saying if i had 3 kegs with 3 different styles of carbonation (3.0 vol belgian, 2.0 stout and a mead that wasn't carbed but just served from a keg) i would need a triple or 3 body regulator? seems kinda crazy

you can't force carb the 2 beers at their appropriate rates then crank it down to a serving pressure to use a dual body regulator in the scenario i described?

seems like the people i know who are kegging, carb at 30psi for 2 days then crank down to serve at 10-12. that being said, they are very much the opposite of me... who will read 3 books before even trying something, so advice is taken with a grain of salt...
 
This particular forum is blessed with around 50% of the threads regarding over-carbed kegs. None of the victims used steady CO2 pressure.

Yes, if you wanted to have three distinctly different carbed brews on tap, you'd need three regulators. Anything less would require compromise. Carbing a spritely wheat to 3.5 volumes would require significantly higher pressure than serving a porter at 2 volumes. If you carbed the wheat to 3.5 volumes and then turned the gas down for serving, it would gradually flatten to the lower pressure.

Some folks do go down that road with multiple secondary regulators fed by a single primary. Others use a consistent carb level regardless of style. It's a choice...

Cheers!
 
day_trippr said:
This particular forum is blessed with around 50% of the threads regarding over-carbed kegs. None of the victims used steady CO2 pressure.

Yes, if you wanted to have three distinctly different carbed brews on tap, you'd need three regulators. Anything less would require compromise. Carbing a spritely wheat to 3.5 volumes would require significantly higher pressure than serving a porter at 2 volumes. If you carbed the wheat to 3.5 volumes and then turned the gas down for serving, it would gradually flatten to the lower pressure.

Some folks do go down that road with multiple secondary regulators fed by a single primary. Others use a consistent carb level regardless of style. It's a choice...

Cheers!
Click to expand...

ok i'm tracking.... and your advice most certainly makes sense.

Read off that chart, pick appropriate pressure for your fridge temp and co2 volumes.... apply it and carb slowly over a week or possible more? Serve at same pressure n temp with no future worries.

How about length and diameter of line.... all kinds of crazy advice im seeing. My setup will be two or 3 corny kegs with all the co2 and lines within the bottom of an upright refrigerator, taps drilled into the door.....

I'll be calling the keg connection tomorrow and hopefully they can help me sort out exactly my needs.

Is there an all inclusive text or online faq you recommend? I'm finding too much damm conflicting info.
 
If you've got a variety of pressures and beer styles (I don't), then I'd suggest 12' of 3/16" line. That can pour a flat/cask ale, and a highly carbed witbier without foaming. I'd put 12' on all taps and then you won't have to worry about serving at all.

The more highly carbed the beer, the longer the line needs to be to serve it. If you go with 12' lines, it may take 2 seconds longer to pour a beer but you won't have any issues with serving with pressures higher than average.
 
copy. can you just spool it up in the fridge or does it have to be higher/lower than the keg origin point?
 
Whoa, lol

So you want to maintain the same pressure throughout the entire process. This makes sense so you dont lose your carb level. But why does everyone drop the pressure to 5-10 PSI to serve?

I got mine all carbed up last night and tired it for the first time. Seemed good and carbed. Although i did get a large head. It did die down after time. But i also had dropped the pressure to about 9PSI. SO your saying i need to keep it at the set 15psi?

So confusing. I thought kegging was easier. lol
 
gt_andy said:
Whoa, lol

So you want to maintain the same pressure throughout the entire process. This makes sense so you dont lose your carb level. But why does everyone drop the pressure to 5-10 PSI to serve?


So confusing. I thought kegging was easier. lol
Click to expand...

I know right!

Well my setup is on the way from keg connection. I got a few days to figure it out before blowing up the garage....


edit... i specified 12' beer line too, thanks for that info
 
gt_andy said:
Whoa, lol

So you want to maintain the same pressure throughout the entire process. This makes sense so you dont lose your carb level. But why does everyone drop the pressure to 5-10 PSI to serve?

I got mine all carbed up last night and tired it for the first time. Seemed good and carbed. Although i did get a large head. It did die down after time. But i also had dropped the pressure to about 9PSI. SO your saying i need to keep it at the set 15psi?

So confusing. I thought kegging was easier. lol
Click to expand...

Who are these "everyone" who drops the pressure to 5-10 psi to serve? No one I know does that.

I have 5, sometimes 6, kegs on tap. I can't even imagine trying to say, "Well, I want to drink beer #1. So, drop the pressure in that keg, and drink. But now I want some of beer #3! But later, maybe some of beer #5." All that turning off the gas, purging, resetting, pouring, resetting, etc? no way.

My kegerator is at 12 psi. Unless I have something else I want at a different pressure (say, a saison which is almost never), it always stays at 12 psi. If I did have a saison at 15 psi, it would always stay at 15 psi. No up/down/resetting.

so, yes. Once you get your system balanced, you don't reset it to pour.
 
Yooper said:
Who are these "everyone" who drops the pressure to 5-10 psi to serve? No one I know does that.

I have 5, sometimes 6, kegs on tap. I can't even imagine trying to say, "Well, I want to drink beer #1. So, drop the pressure in that keg, and drink. But now I want some of beer #3! But later, maybe some of beer #5." All that turning off the gas, purging, resetting, pouring, resetting, etc? no way.

My kegerator is at 12 psi. Unless I have something else I want at a different pressure (say, a saison which is almost never), it always stays at 12 psi. If I did have a saison at 15 psi, it would always stay at 15 psi. No up/down/resetting.

so, yes. Once you get your system balanced, you don't reset it to pour.
Click to expand...

I have 5 kegs on tap and keep my co2 at about 17psi. When I want a beer I shut the valve from my manifold and open the purge value for a little and then pour my beer. I usually drink a couple from the same keg so I leave it that way and open the value up when I'm done.

The only reason I started doing this was that I was getting dinged in competitions for low carb, so for most beers I carb up and try to leave them at 17-18psi.
 
Question:
Now if you have the keg and the CO2 tank in the fridge and the temp is 38F, would you still set it to the 12# or do you have to adjust the CO2 to account for the fact that the CO2 tank is cold? I was told that the regulator will not be accurate at colder temps.
 
Cider123 said:
Question:
Now if you have the keg and the CO2 tank in the fridge and the temp is 38F, would you still set it to the 12# or do you have to adjust the CO2 to account for the fact that the CO2 tank is cold? I was told that the regulator will not be accurate at colder temps.
Click to expand...

It doesn't matter if the c02 is warm or cold. The regulator is fine at fridge temps.

What matters is the temperature of the beer, and so the force carb chart is beer temperature and I keep my regulator at 12 psi.
 
yoop, my keg is set up.

Temp at 38F, 12psi of CO2...slow and steady carb with 12' beer lines. Like you guys said and about 2.5 volumes for an American Ale following the slow force carb charts

In 2 weeks ill take a pull. I'm pretty excited!

ForumRunner_20130531_205907.jpg



Side note, where is the best place to pick up used ball lock cornies?
 
butterpants said:
Side note, where is the best place to pick up used ball lock cornies?
Click to expand...

Good question. In the last year I've noticed a big drop in the availability of used ball locks. And new ones are high $$$.

Keep some money stashed and keep an eye out at online HBS'. The moment you see one selling some, jump!

More likely you'll find a deal on CL tho.

pb
 
Came across something today that needs more attention. If you live at altitude (im at 7000') you'll need to bump your CO2 pressure up if you're using one of those pressure/temp/volumes graphical charts and want it to be calibrated. Running the numbers due to air pressure differences to get 2.5 volumes at 40 degrees I need almost an extra 4psi. Pretty significant and easily overlooked......
 

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