Carbonating in Keg

[mezz94]

Hi all,

Is there a too cold of a temperature to carbonate beer in a keg? I have my kegerator outside in my alfresco area so it can get pretty cold at night. I had my keg in kegerator set at -2 degrees for 2 days then hooked gas up for 3 days at 25 psi. Did a test pour on Saturday and nothing was coming out because the beer dip tube had ice in it. The was no ice in the beer itself just the dip tube. I think this happened because I left sanitiser in dip tube. I got the ice out and poured a glass and the beer was flat.

I put pressure up to 30psi and left it till Monday (last night) and did another pour and it was still flat. So I put up the temp on kegerator to 2 degrees and have left pressure at 30psi. Do you think beer being too cold it doesn't carbonate? I have checked all my gas connections and keg posts & seals and nothing seems to be leaking.

Also does a small headspace in a keg cause slow carbonation? Because I filled keg up just below gas dip tube.

Thanks for your help.

 

[jaypes]

Yes you need a bit of headspace for carbonation, 2-4 degrees is what I usually chill down to then either force carb at 300kpa or leave at serving pressure for a week and it's usually done

The week at serving pressure gives slightly finer bubbles

 

[mezz94]

I have poured a few glasses so there will be more headspace. Still no carbonation. Been over a week now.

 

[jaypes]

Check the forced carb methods on keg king website

Should get some carb at 300kpa for an hour

 

[thedragon]

Try the gas down the spear technique. It works for me every time:

http://www.kegking.com.au/Force%20Carbonating%20Your%20Beer.html

When you turn the reg up to 300kpa, you should hear the beer in your keg crackle as the c02 is absorbed. If no crackling sound, there's something preventing the gas from entering your keg under a high pressure.

 

[mezz94]

I can here gas going into keg when I connect it or turn pressure up. I might try the gas on the beer post as you say. I have also put a different gas connect on my gas line to see if that helps.

 

[4KingAle]

Turn the pressure up a little and shake the shit out of the keg! Then let it settle a day or two.

 

[TheWiggman]

Depends what you mean by 'flat'. Zero carbonation? A little bit? I find it hard to believe that you didn't get any carbonation in 3 days at 175-odd kPa. The only way this might happen is if the top of the liquid iced over prior to applying pressure.
Suggestions above reflect my experience. I choose to put in a fridge (or outside in winter, snowing at present) and force carb to 220 kPa for 2 days, then wind back to 80, reconnect and leave it for a week. For an ale it's generally ready when I am.

 

[mezz94]

I changed over my gas line ball lock connector and did some force carbing last night by turning pressure up to 40psi and holding upside down and shaking it for a minute. I checked it this morning and we have carbonation!! Very frothy though. I have released pressure from keg and turned gas off to let it settle down a bit. I will check it again tonight and let you guys know how it is.

Thanks for your help guys.

 

[acarey]

Hopefully you just released pressure until the keg reached serving pressure... otherwise the beer will lose carbonation.

(probably doesn't need to be said)

 

[mezz94]

Yeah. Turned gas off at bottle then released pressure release valve till keg went down to about 10psi. Hope its ok tonight cause I'm thirsty.

 

[acarey]

You might find that the beer will still absorb the gas in the headspace if it isn't already saturated at the current temperature. So you might look at it tonight and it could be a say 8 or 5. This means that the beer may not be carbonated to your taste.

I carbonate by using the crank and shake method. Then I dial the pressure back below my serving pressure (100kpa), or whatever the style calls for, and continue to shake. The gauge goes down and eventually stops. The aim is to have it stop at serving pressure. If it stops lower, I crank and shake again, if not I vent the keg to hit the mark.

No matter your method, the key is to then dial the reg to your serving pressure and leave it connected. Shaking etc just speeds up the process.

Bottom line is, if you turn off the gas and the beer hasn't absorbed as much as it can, the pressure will reduce over time in the headspace, potentially resulting in under carbed beer.

I'm no expert, the above ramblings result from a combination of reading stuff on the net, applying my (very) basic science knowledge and about 18 kegs worth of experience.

Second bottom line. Turn the gas back on to serving pressure.

 

[mezz94]

That makes sense, thanks for the info acarey. I will check it out tonight and see if its still absorbing. It seemed pretty well carbonated this morning but I may be wrong.

cheers.

 

[acarey]

No worries. Did I mention turning the gas back on to serving pressure?

Because you should do that....
B)

 

[mezz94]

I got the misses to check the gauge and its still on 10psi.

 

[thedragon]

I changed over my gas line ball lock connector and did some force carbing last night by turning pressure up to 40psi and holding upside down and shaking it for a minute. I checked it this morning and we have carbonation!! Very frothy though. I have released pressure from keg and turned gas off to let it settle down a bit. I will check it again tonight and let you guys know how it is.Thanks for your help guys.

I reckon that you'll be right. Let us know how you go mate.

 

[Pogierob]

I have been thinking about this force carb method. If the keg is chilled and then the reg is set to pouring pressure, if you adopt the roll and shake method, wouldn't the beer then absorb the c02 to the acceptable level?

 

[acarey]

I have been thinking about this force carb method. If the keg is chilled and then the reg is set to pouring pressure, if you adopt the roll and shake method, wouldn't the beer then absorb the c02 to the acceptable level?

It would but u have to shake the absolute bejesus out of it. I've tried and u can't really agitate it hard enough, hence the crank and shake.

 

[mezz94]

Beer is good. A little frothy but nothing too bad.

I still have no idea why it wouldn't carb at 30psi set for a 2-3days.