Oh "Blessed are the keg makers"

[Grott]

Thanks to this forum and SWMBO I've gone a kegging. The 560 long necks are on the out however I will retain about a third of them mainly with the various stouts, as I enjoy them being aged in bottles. I'm getting on a bit now and carting around creates of bottles etc has pissed me off of a bit.
Although more expensive I've gone for the 9.5l kegs as if I'm going to shift around 19l ones I be better off with the crates of bottles. The 9.5 litres also work well for my requirements and have so far purchased 4.
I've read nearly everything on carbonation, line lengths, system balancing, co2 volumes, kegging etc etc until me head hurt. This forum has been excellent and feel I've achieved the right result with the "Ross Method" of forced carbonation, 4mm id beer line x 1 metre and pour pressure of 8-10psi and tap on the door. The beer in the pics is an English bitter and tastes just great. I've read a few times, "once you keg beer you won't go back to bottles" - how true.

 

[mckenry]

Awesome grott. Just remember, the Ross method is the express, "shit I need beer now method"
No, you'll never go back.
Remember to post pics of your upcoming bar build.

 

[Grott]

Thanks mckenry, have not told the "wise one" about the other 2 kegs I want. Can fit six kegs in (or will age a keg or two).
I am testing a slow carbonation of 8psi over 56hrs .I understand that should carbonate the keg and the pour pressure will be the same 8psi?
Cheers

 

[mckenry]

Thanks mckenry, have not told the "wise one" about the other 2 kegs I want. Can fit six kegs in (or will age a keg or two).
I am testing a slow carbonation of 8psi over 56hrs .I understand that should carbonate the keg and the pour pressure will be the same 8psi?
Cheers

yeah, pretty much. I'm not good with psi.... But, there are many ways of carbing kegs. High for a day, then serving pressure, serving pressure for a week etc.
I put about 250kpa in straight away, fridge it and leave it for a day then tap it at pouring pressure, which for me is roughly 125kpa - a tap below 20psi. It all depends on your line length, line diameter and temp. You sound like youve got it sorted anyway. I have six taps all off the one bottle and reg, so if I try to do the 'set at pouring pressure for a week' method, the keg never carbs up enough. For me the Ross method gives me big bubbles in the head. Any port in a storm though. My method gives a tight (small bubbles) head on my system in one day.
Its a bit of suck and see.

 

[pcmfisher]

yeah, pretty much. I'm not good with psi.... But, there are many ways of carbing kegs. High for a day, then serving pressure, serving pressure for a week etc.
I put about 250kpa in straight away, fridge it and leave it for a day then tap it at pouring pressure, which for me is roughly 125kpa - a tap below 20psi. It all depends on your line length, line diameter and temp. You sound like youve got it sorted anyway. I have six taps all off the one bottle and reg, so if I try to do the 'set at pouring pressure for a week' method, the keg never carbs up enough. For me the Ross method gives me big bubbles in the head. Any port in a storm though. My method gives a tight (small bubbles) head on my system in one day.
Its a bit of suck and see.

125kPa for pouring is pretty high. You must like highly carbonated beer.
Do you have a flow control tap or really long beer lines?

 

[Grott]

My second keg by the "Ross Method" again very nice result. The keg that has 60 hrs at 8psi (56kpa) is not bad but needs a bit more time. Question, 1) I Understand if you forced carb a keg at 8psi you can't over carb and you do it until no further gas is heard in the keg? 2) with the keg that has been slow carbed at 8psi but needs a bit more, if pushed for time could this be finished off with the "rock method" at the 8psi without any problem?
Cheers

 

[Yob]

Oh "Blessed are the keg makers"

I dont think its just the keg makers but all manufacturers in the stainless industry...

 

[mckenry]

125kPa for pouring is pretty high. You must like highly carbonated beer.
Do you have a flow control tap or really long beer lines?

My beers are not overly carbonated. More to the lower side in fact. I have flow control taps and short lines. Well, as short as possible. Probably a metre once they have gone from disconnect, up into the font and along to their respective tap. 125kpa is a fast pour when the FC tap is fully open, but I need it at 125 to keep the carbonation right with the temp (and line length to a lesser degree having FC)

 

[mckenry]

My second keg by the "Ross Method" again very nice result. The keg that has 60 hrs at 8psi (56kpa) is not bad but needs a bit more time. Question, 1) I Understand if you forced carb a keg at 8psi you can't over carb and you do it until no further gas is heard in the keg? 2) with the keg that has been slow carbed at 8psi but needs a bit more, if pushed for time could this be finished off with the "rock method" at the 8psi without any problem?
Cheers

I really only ever use the Ross Method when I need to drink it that day. I never do the 'leave at pouring pressure until ready' method as it just is never ready as I said above. If your 'needs more time' keg has to be drunk now, yep, go ahead and rock some extra CO2 into it.
Why not try the (in your case) 16psi for 1 or two days, then set the pouring pressure of 8psi onto it and relieve the excess (if any) CO2 and drink that. Its the first way I learnt to gas up a keg and sits in between th eross method and the set and forget.

 

[Grott]

Thanks again, will try that method on the next keg. It's a matter of trying different things until a consistent result is achieved that I'm comfortable with. With my current set up I have a total of 60 hours a week to carb up two kegs.
Cheers

 

[Grott]

Why not try the (in your case) 16psi for 1 or two days, then set the pouring pressure of 8psi onto it and relieve the excess (if any) CO2 and drink that. Its the first way I learnt to gas up a keg and sits in between th eross method and the set and forget.

Thanks, excellent result with 16psi 2 days, 8psi for 3. So with time available, this is the go.
Cheers and thanks