How Do You Carbonate Your Keg?

[Screwtop]

I normally sit it at 30 psi for two days... but have had one of my kegs at 30 psi for 4 days now and the beer is still not carbonated ?? anybody else ever had this problem, it is as if the beer does not like CO2...

What I can tell you is that I find the same thing occasionally, mostly with big beers. What I can't explain is why ?


Screwy

 

[haysie]

#1 keg gets full on gas for a day #2 keg gets full on gas the next day #3 keg same routine , then back too #1. if its too carbed, vent it, if its under carbed move to the next keg. Unorthodox but really simple.

 

[skb]

Sounds like it might just be a flat beer, real shame the flavour is great. It was my first "dry hop" beer and like a lot of things I am finding another simple thing that adds the flavour big time.

 

[Adamt]

What I can tell you is that I find the same thing occasionally, mostly with big beers. What I can't explain is why ?

Screwy

Rate of dissolution of carbon dioxide will be slower into a solution with more solutes already dissolved.

i.e. A higher FG beer (with more sugar, malt, dextrins, whatever installed) inhibits dissolution of carbon dioxide so it will take longer.

 

[oldbugman]

Is the beer cold?

Is the disconnect engaging properly? I had a weird one the other day where filtering was taking ages, till I removed the disconnect and put it back on.

 

[skb]

Will tconnect and disconnect. beer is cold at around 4c

 

[drag]

How many glasses have you pulled from it?
I find the first 5 or so dont give great head & seem flat.
After that all good.
This is with serving pressure of 100 for week & half @ 5deg.

 

[Kingy]

if im in a hurry and running low on stocks ill force carb (ross method) so it s drinkable. It still takes a day a day or 2 to be at equilibrium.

Otherwise ill just connect it up to the gas at serving pressure and let it carb up slowly over a week or 2 while the aged beers get drunk.

When the aged beers are gone and if the next keg in line hasnt fully carbed up yet, ill just do the ross method again.

Finding it hard to keep 4 kegs full, they used to be near full all the time, but since going to all grain (21 brews ago) the kegs appear to just evaperate.
I think, jeez, this beer is awesome and then the keg blows dry. :lol: But there is always one in line it might be a quick wheat beer but therez always a spare lol.

 

[Fatgodzilla]

Burping is the venting of CO2 through the relief to push any 02 out.

Done so much reading much can't find out the obvious. When do you stop burping the keg ?

Here we are now. My virgin kegging experience. Just filled a corny from a cold cube, plus have a second keg that was previously gassed then taken off the gas and warmed up abit. It too is now cold.

Have connected the gas - Harris 601, going to both kegs - 15psi on the dial with fridge temperature at 6C. Both beers simple ales. Have burped the newly filled keg (it came to about 4 inches short of top). Question - when hitting the relief valve, when do I know I've expelled all the oxygen? Did it for about 6 sec in three short bursts - will that do it ? Or should I be waiting for something else ?

 

[SJW]

I fill to just below the gas dip tube. And only burp 3 little half second squirts. It does not matter if all the o2 is out as the c02 will form a layer over the beer anyway.

 

[pint of lager]

The CO2 will not form a protective layer, if it was a layer, it would be a liquid. Gas is mostly empty space with the molecules whizzing around, plenty of room for your oxygen molecules to enter your wort.

Burp the keg.

Bring the pressure in the headspace up to 2 bar. Turn off gas. Release pressure valve till no more gas comes out. Turn gas back on. Repeat three times.

Bring pressure back up. Check for leaks.

Gas up using whatever method you want.

 

[Fatgodzilla]

The CO2 will not form a protective layer, if it was a layer, it would be a liquid. Gas is mostly empty space with the molecules whizzing around, plenty of room for your oxygen molecules to enter your wort.

Burp the keg.

Bring the pressure in the headspace up to 2 bar. Turn off gas. Release pressure valve till no more gas comes out. Turn gas back on. Repeat three times. Bring pressure back up. Check for leaks. Gas up using whatever method you want.

POL - still a novice. Please confirm if 2 Bar is the level on the dial approx 30psi.

Kegs have been on the gas now 3 hours. Still burp and re-gas three times ? Or this only just after filling the keg ?

 

[pint of lager]

When you fill the keg with beer, burp it.

Now that you are gassing your keg, don't worry about burping it. Just remember for next time.

One gauge on your reg has two scales on it. 2 bar is very close to 30psi.

They are both ways of describing pressure. A bit like kilometres per hour or miles per hour when talking about speed.

 

[skb]

Have taken about 4 beers from it still flat very strange.. have had at 25Psi must be for a week now.