Kegging a BA stout. Plan?

[olotti]

So my plan is to transfer from secondary to keg then set at 30psi for 2 days to quick carb it, no rolling or shaking but I’m gonna put it in my keezer at 36deg. After 48hrs i was planning to drop to 6-8psi for serving pressure. My question is before I drop to serving pressure do I need to pull the relief valve on the keg, this is what I do for burst carbed neipas but never kegged a stout before, then set to serving pressure or can I just drop it from 30 to 8psi, my initial thought is I’ll have to pull the relief valve then drop psi so it doesn’t overcarb. Second if I’m carbing cold in my keezer will 48hrs be long enough and if it’s undercarbed do I just crank up the psi again for another 24hrs then drop back down and recheck?

 

[Spundit]

1. After setting the keg to 30psi you will need to pull the pressure relief before setting it to serving pressure.

2. At 30psi 48hrs is on the high end of what I ussually see recommended. 24-36hrs is more common. It won't be fully carbonated but it should be drinkable. It will further improve over the following 3 or 4 days.

 

[IslandLizard]

or can I just drop it from 30 to 8psi,

That's what I do, but it can be difficult to gauge when you've reached 8 psi, and stop venting. After a few times you'd recognize the sound of 8 psi.

First reduce the regulator pressure, just "by feel" where 8 psi could be it's not that critical, but you won't see the new pressure until you start venting. You can estimate it by the sound, do it in short bursts, and keep adjusting the regulator downward, checking the dial, repeat until you get there.

Once you hear the regulator groaning again, you've deflated below 8 psi.

Now, the beer itself may already be at a much higher carbonation level than 8 psi (your target pressure) which would be over-carbonated, so it will release that extra CO2 into the headspace slowly. In that case you will need to vent a few times over the next day or 2, until it's all stabilized and the same everywhere.

BTW, 8 psi is quite low. Why pick that number?

 

[olotti]

That's what I do, but it can be difficult to gauge when you've reached 8 psi, and stop venting. After a few times you'd recognize the sound of 8 psi.

First reduce the regulator pressure, just "by feel" where 8 psi could be it's not that critical, but you won't see the new pressure until you start venting. You can estimate it by the sound, do it in short bursts, and keep adjusting the regulator downward, checking the dial, repeat until you get there.

Once you hear the regulator groaning again, you've deflated below 8 psi.

Now, the beer itself may already be at a much higher carbonation level than 8 psi (your target pressure) which would be over-carbonated, so it will release that extra CO2 into the headspace slowly. In that case you will need to vent a few times over the next day or 2, until it's all stabilized and the same everywhere.

BTW, 8 psi is quite low. Why pick that number?

Thanks for the tips. Why 8psi? I like my stouts on the low end of carbonation, literally just enough so it’s not totally flat. I feel in a big stout it improves the mouthfeel. This is also my pressure 8-10psi I use for neipa’s as again I think it just lends to that creamy slicker mouthfeel. So really. Just personal preference.