What pressure/how long to carb warm soda in keg?

[duganderson]

I'm looking at getting a keg for making soda but I don't have an extra fridge for it. I am planning to make and carbonate room temperature soda and then put it in a trash can with ice to cool for a party after being carbonated.

Can you do this? What pressure would you carbonate it at if it's warm? How long does it take to cool a warm keg of liquid? What is a good size container or garbage can for cooling a 5 gallon keg with ice?

Thanks, Doug

 

[marzsit]

i haven't carbonated warm soda, but i have carbonated warm plain water. took a week at 50psi, chilled the keg and dispensed it at 30psi. worked great. mixed soda should work out the same i would think.

 

[duganderson]

Marszit,

What do you mean by carbed at 50 psi and served at 30 psi? Does this mean the pressure drops when you cool it?

Don't you set the psi at 10 to actually serve it?

Any help understanding this would be appreciated.

Thanks, Doug

 

[Yooper]

Marszit,

What do you mean by carbed at 50 psi and served at 30 psi? Does this mean the pressure drops when you cool it?

Don't you set the psi at 10 to actually serve it?

Any help understanding this would be appreciated.

Thanks, Doug

Soda is much more highly carbed than beer. I serve it at 30 psi with 25 feet of line. I also carb it in my fridge, at 39 degrees, and it's still 30 psi. At room temperature, you may have to go to 50 psi for a week or more and I have a feeling trying to serve it with a short beeline will be a foamy mess.

 

[marzsit]

Soda is much more highly carbed than beer. I serve it at 30 psi with 25 feet of line. I also carb it in my fridge, at 39 degrees, and it's still 30 psi. At room temperature, you may have to go to 50 psi for a week or more and I have a feeling trying to serve it with a short beeline will be a foamy mess.

exactly. attempting to dispense a warm keg of soda is almost impossible...

commercial carbonators used in restaurants operate at 100psi or more at city water inlet temps, around 50 degrees. higher pressure is needed to carbonate at higher ambient temperatures.

once the keg is carbonated and chilled, it can be dispensed at a lower pressure, but not as low as beer.