Wedding Brew Planning CO2 questions

[sunnysidedenverbrewer]

Hello,
This is my first post but one close to my heart!

I am getting married on July 6th and have been planning four 5 gallon batches. I brewed a Brown Ale (kegged one week ago), an ESB (getting kegged this week), and planning a Hoppy IPA and Dunkel for this Monday.

Quick Recap:
Brown Ale Kegged 5 weeks before event
ESB kegged 4 weeks before event
Dunkel kegged 2 weeks before event
IPA kegged 1 week before event (extra week in secondary/dry hopped)

My questions involve storing the kegged beer properly before the big day.

1- Any recommendations for CO2 pressure for beer in fridge leading up to the big day? Currently I have the brown and soon the ESB in the fridge at
38* , forced carbonated at 30PSI for 24 hours then 12 PSI indefinately.

2- I'm going to transport the 4 cornys in my car 100 miles up to the mountains two days before the event. I built a Keezer for the event. Should I set up the keezer in my hotel room, put the cornys in at proper temp and also rehook up the CO2 during the two days? I could just bring in the cornys and put them on ice...

3- I'm going to set up the keezer and cornys approximately 3 hours in advanced. Wish I had more time but the venue allows for only 3 hours in advance. What sort of problems could I run into regarding foam?

4- If the beers are pouring foamy during the wedding, what is a best practice? I will have pitchers available for the bartenders to use just in case. I have read that pulling the pressure valve only creates more foam. Since these beers will be well carbonated using my above pre-planned storage methods, just wondering if anyone has "day-of" advice.


Thanks for any suggestions!

 

[DPBISME]

I do this all the time.... moving and carbonating beer quickly.... brewed for a wedding yesterday.

I have been priming in the keg and always just a little over...

I get the beer to the event, get in on ice as soon as possible, and test it as soon as possible.

I don not connect the gas. If the beer is over carbonated I vent the keg a bit (not all the way) and start pouring it into pitchers and letting it settle a bit... guests get beer from the pitchers.

Once the beer is flowing correctly,,, usually a pitcher or two I reconnect the gas at about 8 pounds and let them pour there own.

Not very scientific but it works and then you are done with it....

Your three hours is plenty of time if you use this method... and in your case I would think your beer could be tested the night before...

Summary: Get the beer pouring correctly... then attach the gas just enough to push the beer at a resonable rate. Don't waste anybeer by having a couple large pitchers, milk jugs or something to poour it in before serving.

I will be doing this in two weeks for a beer I brewed Yesterday... it will have to be force Carbonated.

 

[glugglug]

Make sure your co2 tank is full, or at least half full.

 

[broadbill]

Make sure your co2 tank is full, or at least half full.

hell, I'd make sure you had a spare.

 

[glugglug]

hell, I'd make sure you had a spare.

True dat!

 

[zx2tuner]

Just went on a camping trip with 2 5 gallon Kegs left in my mini refrigerator. Just shoved blankets inside to keep them tight and used a ratchet strap to keep the door closed/fridge from moving around. I dc the gas and took the tank out for blanket room. Trip was 4.5 hrs and when I arrived first beer poured perfect.