Carbonation pressure and Serving pressure

[twistyboy]

hey guys,

I have just started kegging.I've put the beer in the fridge at 38f and set the regulator to 8 psi to have 2.2 vol (porter in the keg). My question is : i have reed that the best serving pressure is 10-12 psi, so if i wait a week with the set and forget method, after i have to set the regulator to 10-12?is it gonna overcarbonated the beer?

 

[Yooper]

hey guys,

I have just started kegging.I've put the beer in the fridge at 38f and set the regulator to 8 psi to have 2.2 vol (porter in the keg). My question is : i have reed that the best serving pressure is 10-12 psi, so if i wait a week with the set and forget method, after i have to set the regulator to 10-12?is it gonna overcarbonated the beer?

Yes, if you want to have 2.2 volumes of co2, you'll want to hold it at 8 psi. You can serve just fine with 8 psi.

 

[hifidelity]

8 PSI will serve up a beer just as well as 10-12, only a bit more slowly.

 

[kcbeersnob]

I brew a lot of English beers and often serve at 8 psi.

 

[twistyboy]

Yes, if you want to have 2.2 volumes of co2, you'll want to hold it at 8 psi. You can serve just fine with 8 psi.

ok thanks. but im right if i say that that it will change the co2 vol. if i change the pressure after the carbonation time?

 

[philipCT]

I've found that 10-12psi will make the beer "foamy" when serving while 8psi is just about perfect. The hard thing to get is that it really takes 7-10 days for the beer to get *fully* carbonated in the set-and-forget method.

Personally, this is where my patience runs out. I burst carb to speed that process up: pressurize the keg at 30psi, disconnect and roll the keg around for a few minutes. Reconnect at 30psi for 24 hours, then release pressure in the keg, reconnect to 8psi and wait 5 days. Perfect carbonation every time.

 

[kcbeersnob]

ok thanks. but im right if i say that that it will change the co2 vol. if i change the pressure after the carbonation time?

Yes it will. The process will accelerate as the keg becomes emptier.

 

[chickypad]

ok thanks. but im right if i say that that it will change the co2 vol. if i change the pressure after the carbonation time?

Yes, if you up the pressure then over time the beer will re-equilibrate to that new level, about 2.5 vols at 11 psi and your temp.

Edit: a little slow on the typing

 

[fantomlord]

I've found that 10-12psi will make the beer "foamy" when serving while 8psi is just about perfect. The hard thing to get is that it really takes 7-10 days for the beer to get *fully* carbonated in the set-and-forget method.

Personally, this is where my patience runs out. I burst carb to speed that process up: pressurize the keg at 30psi, disconnect and roll the keg around for a few minutes. Reconnect at 30psi for 24 hours, then release pressure in the keg, reconnect to 8psi and wait 5 days. Perfect carbonation every time.

no offense, but it seems like a bit of a crap shoot to get perfect carb every time with that method since you roll your keg around for "a few minutes." Doesn't sound very precise to me...but if it works for you, and you're happy with it, carry on. I prefer a little more precision and repeatability for my beers, and I'm patient enough to employ the 30psi for 36 hours, then drop to serving pressure method.

10-12psi will only make your beer pour foamy if your lines are too short. If you have long enough lines, you can serve good pints at 12 psi.

 

[philipCT]

no offense, but it seems like a bit of a crap shoot to get perfect carb every time with that method since you roll your keg around for "a few minutes." Doesn't sound very precise to me...but if it works for you, and you're happy with it, carry on. I prefer a little more precision and repeatability for my beers, and I'm patient enough to employ the 30psi for 36 hours, then drop to serving pressure method.

10-12psi will only make your beer pour foamy if your lines are too short. If you have long enough lines, you can serve good pints at 12 psi.

I'm all for precision where it makes a difference. Kinda doesn't matter how you get there as long as you arrive at the right place, which it seems we both do.

Rolling the keg around speeds absorption of the CO2. In my experience, rolling it around for 1 minute or 2 minutes seems to achieve about the same absorption. Probably a curve function in there. Leaving it at serving pressure for 4-5 days after the burst carb slowly brings the pressure up to the desired vol over the next few days.

Having said that, I've read others do 30psi for 36 hours too, so maybe I'll try that on the APA I'm burst-carbing right now. I've been wary of over-carbing.

True about line length - I almost forgot about that since I've been working on my kegerator and serving temporarily off cobra taps out of a fridge Those lines are short, so I have to keep the press to 8psi to avoid foaming. I've got 10' lines in the kegerator. Can't wait to bring that puppy back inline.

 

[mikeasu]

10-12psi will only make your beer pour foamy if your lines are too short. If you have long enough lines, you can serve good pints at 12 psi.

I figured out the lengths of lines and pressures for 2(8 psi), 2.5(12 psi), 3.0(18psi), serving at 40°, and made a series of liquid lines with quick disconnects - change beer and desired carb level, swap out liquid line. Dual CO2 reg., so can and have served two different carb levels at the same time. Will be testing out the 3.0 level with my dubbel this weekend. I also usually use the set-and-forget method, but tried the 30psi for 24h this time too - just to be sure the beer is ready Sunday (taking growler to in-laws for Easter)

 

[Ole_Smoky]

I use this site for figuring out what pressure and line lenghts I need. So far its worked out well for me. My keezer sits at 36* and I run 4 different secondary regulators. I have a bunch of spare lines made up in 3 different lengths depending on what beers Ill have in the keezer. Porter/Stout @ 2.5', Ale/Lager @ 3.5' and Wheat beers @ 8'!!