A Little Help With Kegging

[bonj]

Leaving the regulator at serving pressure will force carbonate your beer over about 4-5 days.

 

[PostModern]

so after filling your keg, you hook the gas up to 7-10 psi and leave it for how long?? or do you force carb?

Gav

I leave it until it's carbonated. There is a little "evaporation" during this testing phase, but I know when the beer is ready by the time all the yeast has dropped. For some batches (well, most probably) I give the keg a shake every time I go near the keg fridge to speed up CO2 absorption. You can also put the pressure a little higher for a day or two, but I don't crank it up to car-tyre pressure. Just about 20psi or so for a day with an occasional rocking of the keg, then drop it back down to pouring pressure and gently shake until the needle drops to 10.

The bitter I currently have on tap is sitting at 10psi and has a nice level of carbonation and pours nicely thru about 1.7 or so metres of hose.

(EDIT: just checked my reg and the pressure is about 11psi, which is "close enough")

EDIT EDIT: The key, is "balance". The serving line should be the right length to pour smoothly at your desired carbonation level and temperature. What works for me might be considered "flat" to some. I have some lagers nearly ready to lager now, and the Bav Pils will most likely take a little more carbonation (12-15psi) than the ales I generally drink (7-11psi). I'll be sure and put it into the keg with a tool-free pressure relief valve (most of my kegs need the valve to be levered open with a scredriver, but one has a pull-ring) and drop the pressure to 10psi for easy pouring when I have a session on it.

 

[FazerPete]

i was told 350kpa for two weeks, then 105kpa for a week, the bloke at the HBS swears by it, didnt seem to work for me.

350kpa for TWO WEEKS?! :blink:

No wonder it didn't work. I carb at 300kpa for 36 hours and that works perfectly for me. 2 weeks at that pressure would be way over gassed.

 

[Brooksy]

350kpa for TWO WEEKS?! :blink:

No wonder it didn't work. I carb at 300kpa for 36 hours and that works perfectly for me. 2 weeks at that pressure would be way over gassed.

What temp to you carb at Fraz?

 

[FazerPete]

What temp to you carb at

I fill the keg from the fermenter, hook up the line, purge it, wind up to 300kpa and put it in the fridge. This means it's carbing as it cools so I can't really give you a definite answer on the temp. My fridge runs at about 3c though and the beer is completely chilled in the same time it takes to gas.

 

[pint of lager]

I bulk prime my kegs and find that 180 gms is way too much. 100-120 gms is what I use. Dissolve the dextrose in some water, simmer to sanitise, pour into bottom of keg, rack beer, burp and put some head pressure in the keg to ensure there are no leaks. Wait (the keg must be at the correct temp for your yeast), release head pressure and pour. The first glass will be cloudy.

There are many ways to carb your keg. Use what works for you.

A longer time at the correct carbonation pressure is the safest and easiest. But with all that shiny gear, the temptation to force carb is too great for new keggers.

Over the last few months there have been a number of threads with new keggers struggling with overcarbonated beers. Take heart, your perfect pour is possible.

 

[gavpk]

well im sort of getting somewhere, every second beer is spot on, but the rest full glass of froth, cant work it out, when i got home i poured some beer off into a bucket, it seemed to clear up after about 3 or 4 hundred mils, but if i leave for a bit and pour again i get i little bit of beer then bang, all froth then next pour is perfect???, one thing i did do was add another more accurate pressure gauge, the one i had was divided up into 100kpa points, very hard to dial in 10psi

cheers :beer:

Gav

 

[Ross]

well im sort of getting somewhere, every second beer is spot on, but the rest full glass of froth, cant work it out, when i got home i poured some beer off into a bucket, it seemed to clear up after about 3 or 4 hundred mils, but if i leave for a bit and pour again i get i little bit of beer then bang, all froth then next pour is perfect???,

That's because you still have gas coming out of solution between pours (still a bit over gassed). One more day with the relief valve open & you should be pouring a good beer.
With your next keg - fill to the weld line near the top of the keg, crank your pressure to 300kpa, give it a rock & roll for just 30 secs & disconnect. Then release the pressure from the keg (once the head has subsided, approx 5 mins) & reconnect your gas at 70kpa. The beer will be a little under carbed, but still well drinkable, & will come into balance over the next couple of days at it's own pace.

cheers Ross

 

[gavpk]

That's because you still have gas coming out of solution between pours (still a bit over gassed). One more day with the relief valve open & you should be pouring a good beer.
With your next keg - fill to the weld line near the top of the keg, crank your pressure to 300kpa, give it a rock & roll for just 30 secs & disconnect. Then release the pressure from the keg (once the head has subsided, approx 5 mins) & reconnect your gas at 70kpa. The beer will be a little under carbed, but still well drinkable, & will come into balance over the next couple of days at it's own pace.

cheers Ross

yeah thanks Ross and everyone for all the help, now all i have to do is build a bar, should be fun
anyway cheers :beer:

Gav

 

[oldbugman]

View attachment 12740

Just wait for the VTECH to kick in yo!

I actually removed my working pressure guage and fitted a acetylene guage which goes from 0-220kpa, much better range

 

[gavpk]

yeah i had it sitting there doing nothing, and im very thirsty, so whatever does the job, hahahahahahaha

Gav