Ok stupid carbonation question (keg)

[mcarb]

So I tried force carbonating and decided to just let it wait. Now I am not sure if I am overcarbed or under carbed.

So I have done repeated purge sessions, followed by keeping the keg at 12 psi as directed by Brewsmith.

When I pour the beer, I get a full glass of foam as if it is overcarbed. But even if I let all of the pressure out and pour slowly, the beer is flat. Tons of foam, no carb in the beer.

Does it just take time to settle in? Right now I decided to just leave the dial at 12 psi and let it sit for a week instead of trying it every day. Alternatively, I could purge it again and let it go completely flat and start over. Not sure what to do?

 

[woodstone]

Is the beer chilled? Are you using cornys?

 

[mcarb]

Yes and yes. My fridge is at 45 degrees. I think I may have overcarbed, then let out too much pressure, then filled it back up. Now I don't know which way to go with it.

 

[InLimbo]

I wonder if your temperature has anything to do with is. My friend keeps his below 40, but he also doesn't force carbonate. You can try dropping your temperature, to see if that helps at all. But I think you're probably just over carbed, like you've said.

 

[mcarb]

I think it just needs time. I got home from work and poured one. It still had a huge amount of foam/head but was now starting to seem a little carbonated. I think I'll let it sit at 11 psi for a few more days. It's still green anyways.

 

[Nuggethead]

How long ago did you keg it.

 

[Nuggethead]

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f35/keg-force-carbing-methods-illustrated-73328/

Read this sticky by BobbyM and compare to your method.

 

[SweetSounds]

Yea, it's not fully carbed yet...

Let the pressure off the keg, hook it up to serving pressure, and leave it. For a total of 2 weeks or so. Then you should be good to go.

If your lines are the correct length for your serving pressure and temperature (Usually around 8-10 feet, sometimes shorter) you should never need to change the pressure on the keg from carbing to serving.

 

[mcarb]

Cool, thanks. At what pressure do you serve? I am running between 5-8 psi.

I kegged the beer last Thursday (Friday?).

 

[Bobby_M]

I carbonate and serve at about 12-13 psi. If I am patient, that's the pressure the newly kegged beer get from day one and I start drinking in about 2 weeks. If I'm in a hurry, I initially put the beer on 30psi for 24 hours, then purge it down to 12psi and leave it there. That shaves off about a week of waiting. If you can't pour at 12psi without blowing a hole in your glass, it means you need smaller diameter beer lines at a longer length (like 8-10 feet).

 

[Yooper]

Cool, thanks. At what pressure do you serve? I am running between 5-8 psi.

I kegged the beer last Thursday (Friday?).

I serve at 12 psi- the same as carbing/storing pressure. I never adjust my regulator.

If you're getting foaming when serving, your lines aren't long enough. Try 8-10' beer lines.

 

[Special Hops]

Also the length of your beer lines has an impact. I had constant foaming problems no matter what I set the pressure at. Then I got new, longer beer lines and problem solved.

 

[SweetSounds]

That's 4 days on gas - Your beer is nowhere near carbonated yet. You're not over carbonated because after the foam settles, your beer is flat. Over carbonated beer usually foams like hell and still has fizzzz..

Crash course:

Carbonation is measured in "Volumes of CO2"
IOW a volume of CO2 in a volume of beer, at a specific temperature.

You can use the carbonation chart here:
http://www.kegerators.com/carbonation-table.php

If you want your beer carbonated at 2.5 volumes, and your cooler is set at 40 degrees, your CO2 should be set at about 12 PSI.
That's it - That's all. This is the pressure you should carbonate at, and the pressure you should serve at.

If you have foaming issues after 2 weeks of carbonating at that temperature and pressure, it's your lines not your pressure that are causing issues.

We talk about balancing lines in a kegging setup. That means that there needs to be an amount of back pressure or resistance in the lines to slow the beer down on it's way out of the keg. If it goes too fast (Causes pressure to drop and CO2 to come out of solution) it'll foam. Longer, smaller lines are the best way of doing this.

Once you have the proper carbonation in your beer, try using 15' of 3/16 beer line. If the pour is too slow, or too little head, cut some off. Rinse and repeat until you have the amount of head you like. Usually it winds up around 10' or so.

In the end you'll wind up with perfect pours of well carbonated beer without the foam gun problems - And you'll never have to touch your regulator again.

 

[mcarb]

Excellent post. Thank you.

That's 4 days on gas - Your beer is nowhere near carbonated yet. You're not over carbonated because after the foam settles, your beer is flat. Over carbonated beer usually foams like hell and still has fizzzz..

Crash course:

Carbonation is measured in "Volumes of CO2"
IOW a volume of CO2 in a volume of beer, at a specific temperature.

You can use the carbonation chart here:
http://www.kegerators.com/carbonation-table.php

If you want your beer carbonated at 2.5 volumes, and your cooler is set at 40 degrees, your CO2 should be set at about 12 PSI.
That's it - That's all. This is the pressure you should carbonate at, and the pressure you should serve at.

If you have foaming issues after 2 weeks of carbonating at that temperature and pressure, it's your lines not your pressure that are causing issues.

We talk about balancing lines in a kegging setup. That means that there needs to be an amount of back pressure or resistance in the lines to slow the beer down on it's way out of the keg. If it goes too fast (Causes pressure to drop and CO2 to come out of solution) it'll foam. Longer, smaller lines are the best way of doing this.

Once you have the proper carbonation in your beer, try using 15' of 3/16 beer line. If the pour is too slow, or too little head, cut some off. Rinse and repeat until you have the amount of head you like. Usually it winds up around 10' or so.

In the end you'll wind up with perfect pours of well carbonated beer without the foam gun problems - And you'll never have to touch your regulator again.

 

[PleasantValleyHops]

my last keg i did a 30 psi start pressure and rolled it and swished it around for a few hours, (about every hour purge, swish, rehook CO2) then set to about 12 psi and around 2-3 days was good to go.., looks like no one asked.. are your lines clean?? this will cause a lot of head/full glass of foam. i serve at 14 psi but mines a ~25-28 ft glycol chilled set up..