New Brunswick Craft Brewers Association

Brewing => Technique => Topic started by: robcoombs on July 22, 2015, 02:15:10 PM

Title: How do you carb your kegged beer?
Post by: robcoombs on July 22, 2015, 02:15:10 PM
I'm finally gettig ready to keg my first two beer this weekend  :banana: . I'm wondering what everyone does to carb their beer. I've heard of people force carbing at 30 for 24 hours, then down to 10 for serving but also heard of much lower rates, 10 for 24 hours, then 4 for serving. I've also heard people just keeping it at 10-12 until the beer is carbed. What works best for everyone?
Title: Re: How do you carb your kegged beer?
Post by: pliny on July 22, 2015, 03:04:38 PM
30 PSI for 48 hours.
Title: Re: How do you carb your kegged beer?
Post by: jamie_savoie on July 22, 2015, 03:17:10 PM
also look into keg conditioning (adding sugar in the keg)
you get the bottle condition advantage without the bottling hassle
I tend to only do it on my Belgians and when I’m not in a hurry for a beer
Title: Re: How do you carb your kegged beer?
Post by: Al-Loves-Wine on July 22, 2015, 03:20:38 PM
I am same 30 for 48 then back to serving pressure.
Title: Re: How do you carb your kegged beer?
Post by: Jake on July 22, 2015, 03:32:39 PM
IN A BRITE TANK!

Woooooooooooooooooooooooo!!!!! (Ric Flair voice)

Your best bet will be to wait as it eliminates the risk of over-carbing. But since it's your fist keg, understandable if you want to go the 30psi for 48 hrs route. Do must people chill their beer first before turning up to 30? or right away you just crank it up?

Title: Re: How do you carb your kegged beer?
Post by: Two Wheeler on July 22, 2015, 03:53:40 PM
I do one of three methods, depending on how quick I want to get my drank on.


Option 3 works good in a pinch if the beer is cold.
Title: Re: How do you carb your kegged beer?
Post by: Two Wheeler on July 22, 2015, 03:58:55 PM
Quote from: Jake on July 22, 2015, 03:32:39 PM
Do must people chill their beer first before turning up to 30? or right away you just crank it up?

I *THINK* that if the beer is warm the CO2 will be less soluble so it will take much longer. I don't think that it is harmful or wasteful to hook up 30 PSI to a warm keg of beer though, it just won't be effective until it cools
Title: Re: How do you carb your kegged beer?
Post by: blisster on July 22, 2015, 04:41:21 PM
I hook my kegs at 30-40psi (and sometimes add gelatine) as soon as I put them in the fridge and leave there for 48-60 hours depending on much carbonation I want then dial it down to 8ish for serving. 

I like my IPA's quite carbonated (I aim for 2.6 volume) but have no way of measuring what the actual volume is... I use the chart bellow as a reference and go by "feel"...  That seems to work quite well.

The warmer the beer, the longer it takes... I've carbed a couple kegs outside the fridge (around 55F?) and I it took about 10 days to get a decent carbonation on them.

(http://i935.photobucket.com/albums/ad200/blysster/Carb%20Chart.jpg)
Title: Re: How do you carb your kegged beer?
Post by: feldmann on July 22, 2015, 04:42:37 PM
I always just set to 10 and leave it and I've never really had a problem. Its generally carbed in 1-2 weeks for me. I keep my keezer at about 7-8C.
Title: Re: How do you carb your kegged beer?
Post by: feldmann on July 22, 2015, 04:44:07 PM
Quote from: jamie_savoie on July 22, 2015, 03:17:10 PM
also look into keg conditioning (adding sugar in the keg)
you get the bottle condition advantage without the bottling hassle
I tend to only do it on my Belgians and when I’m not in a hurry for a beer

Not to hijack the thread, but how does the carbonation last using this method? The same as using CO2?
Title: Re: How do you carb your kegged beer?
Post by: robcoombs on July 22, 2015, 06:26:09 PM
I want to get the first batches carbed quickly as it's first time kegging. So with that in mind and the fact that they are both hoppy beer I'll try the 30 for 48 hours, then dial it back to 10. I'll likely chill the keg first for a day.

Thanks for all the feedback guys!
Title: Re: How do you carb your kegged beer?
Post by: jamie_savoie on July 22, 2015, 06:57:58 PM
Quote from: feldmann on July 22, 2015, 04:44:07 PM
Quote from: jamie_savoie on July 22, 2015, 03:17:10 PM
also look into keg conditioning (adding sugar in the keg)
you get the bottle condition advantage without the bottling hassle
I tend to only do it on my Belgians and when I’m not in a hurry for a beer
,
Not to hijack the thread, but how does the carbonation last using this method? The same as using CO2?
I'm not sure if I understand, but once the keg is carbed after about 10-14 days, I purge it to avoid having beer going into the line, then hook it up to serving pressure. At this point the co2 is just to push the beer out.
Title: Re: How do you carb your kegged beer?
Post by: Roger on July 22, 2015, 11:24:26 PM
I also use the 30 psi for 48 hrs then I turn off the gas, purge out the 30psi then set it to serving pressure. Always worked for me.
Title: Re: How do you carb your kegged beer?
Post by: JamesC on July 23, 2015, 01:01:05 AM
I bought a carbonation stone, but haven't dialed in my process. It carbonates overnight though. Maybe not fully, but certainly drinkable
Title: Re: How do you carb your kegged beer?
Post by: DandyMason on July 23, 2015, 08:04:07 AM
I was similar, 30 PSI for 36-48 hours. I always liked to test once in a while too. I hate over carbonated beer. But usually that time frame was about right
Title: Re: How do you carb your kegged beer?
Post by: Jake on July 23, 2015, 08:32:21 AM
Important point here to note. If you gas up your keg to 30PSI, you MUST purge your keg before you hook back up your gas line, or else you may have a backflow into your CO2 line & possibly regulator if you don't have a check valve. Probably a no-brainer, but I've done this before. Most of the gas posts on my past kegs were long enough that they break the surface of the beer because I typically would fill my kegs up as much as possible, not really paying attention to where the bottom of the gas post was.