Noob Kegging question --Please help 'un'confuse this for me!

[alby44]

'Kegged' my first beer (a Hefe) on Monday and think I screwed up....not sure how much or little. Siphoned off to my keg ok, then hit it with 5 PSI, then purged. Placed back in fridge to 'serving' pressure of 15 psi....or so I thought.

Had an epiphany at work that the gas relief valve has been closed since Monday and not set to 'on' (ie parallel with gas line). So, wondering what I should do at this point....lines are still connected (both gas and beer).

Should I disconnect, purge, then hit it w/a higher psi (25 or so), roll on floor, then place in fridge?

In my excitement to keg, I'm pretty sure I confused 'set and forget' (boy did I forget:cross and 'burst' carbing, so any insight would be most appreciated!

 

[Hello]

You don't need to force carbonate unless you want it done asap.

You're fine. You purged with CO2 so obviously the gas was on at some point or nothing would happen when you open the relief valve on the keg.

Just turn on the gas to about 15 PSI and wander away. If you want to force carb then you use the shake method of course.

 

[GilaMinumBeer]

I say open the valve and walk away for a week.

 

[Howhownow]

As long as your sanitation is good (which is a bit easier here, with finished, alcoholic beer), you should be good.
It sounds like you had some CO2 PSI, if you heard the woosh when you purged.
You are basically at square 1 at this point- set and forget, or force carb.

 

[alby44]

Thanks for validating...I think I'll just open the valve and resume what I was originally going to do. What a brainfart;\

 

[BierMuncher]

No harm done. But….this is your first beer and your first kegging experience…you need to pull a proper pint sooner than later.

If it were me, I’d (and this is my normal charging routine anyway):

• Set your gas on that chilled keg to 30PSI.
• Set your timer for 36 hours.
• At the end of 36 hours, shut off the gas, bleed the excess pressure from the keg, set the gas to 12-15 (serving) PSI and sample.
• A chilled keg should be pretty darn close to properly carbonated at 30PSI x 36 hours.

If you’re a little light on carbonation, get it back to 30PSI for 4-5 hour sets and keep resampling.

 

[alby44]

No harm done. But….this is your first beer and your first kegging experience…you need to pull a proper pint sooner than later.

If it were me, I’d (and this is my normal charging routine anyway):

• Set your gas on that chilled keg to 30PSI.
• Set your timer for 36 hours.
• At the end of 36 hours, shut off the gas, bleed the excess pressure from the keg, set the gas to 12-15 (serving) PSI and sample.
• A chilled keg should be pretty darn close to properly carbonated at 30PSI x 36 hours.

If you’re a little light on carbonation, get it back to 30PSI for 4-5 hour sets and keep resampling.

Thanks for the insight on your process...much appreciated and I'll definitely adopt going forward. And yes, while slightly flat, I've sampled that golden goodness each day this week

 

[MyNameIsPaul]

No harm done. But….this is your first beer and your first kegging experience…you need to pull a proper pint sooner than later.

If it were me, I’d (and this is my normal charging routine anyway):

• Set your gas on that chilled keg to 30PSI.
• Set your timer for 36 hours.
• At the end of 36 hours, shut off the gas, bleed the excess pressure from the keg, set the gas to 12-15 (serving) PSI and sample.
• A chilled keg should be pretty darn close to properly carbonated at 30PSI x 36 hours.

If you’re a little light on carbonation, get it back to 30PSI for 4-5 hour sets and keep resampling.

This is the easiest way to go, IMHO. Works like a charm every time!

 

[day_trippr]

fwiw, anytime you're using exogenous CO2 to carbonate beer you are "force carbonating".

Within that domain you have the so-called "set and forget" ideal pressure vs temperature for as long as it takes scheme, you have the "burst carb" set a high pressure for a short duration and then bring it back down scheme, and you have the "shake and bake" set the same pressure as the "set and forget" method but shake the living cr@p out of the keg until the beer won't take any more gas scheme...

Cheers!

 

[DrunkleJon]

I am lazy and highly advocate the set and forget method. No real chance of overcarbing that way. Otherwise if you are going to burst carb I would reccomend the more patient set higher and wait method over the shake method though you could do a combination shake at serving pressure and speed it up some that way. Just be sure your beer is cold when you put it on pressure. CO2 dissolves much easier that way.