I am in the process of building a keezer but I have 3 kegs filled that I want to start carbing. Is it worth hooking them up at 60 degrees to carb when they will end up going into the keezer at chill to 40 degrees?
Does this temperature drop effect the CO2 saturation level since you need a higher PSI to carb at a lower temp?
You need higher PSI at higher temps. There should be no issues carbonating at 60* and then putting the kegs in the fridge at 35*. Adj the regulator to match the volumes of CO2 you are looking for.
http://www.kegerators.com/carbonation-table.phpCold beer carbs faster
Also, when you get your keezer built, put the CO2 tank in there for a while and let it stabilize before reconnecting. As the tank cools the pressures will change. This will ensure you that you have the correct amount to maintain the correct volumes of CO2.
Thanks all. Loopie, I wouldn’t have thought about putting the CO2 tank in the keezer first to cool it.
After I have the CO2 saturation level right and adjust it a serving PSI, wouldn’t that change the equalization point in the keg causing CO2 to diffuse over time?
I’m not following putting the tank in the fridge theory. Yes the “high side” pressure will change. The “low side”, the reading that matters, going to the kegs will remain the same.
[quote=“ScubaBrew”]Thanks all. Loopie, I wouldn’t have thought about putting the CO2 tank in the keezer first to cool it.
After I have the CO2 saturation level right and adjust it a serving PSI, wouldn’t that change the equalization point in the keg causing CO2 to diffuse over time?[/quote]
Your looking for the volumes of CO2 in the beer. If you have 2.5v @ 60* you have the regulator set to 23/24psi. Then you move the keg the the fridge at 35*. Allow the keg to cool for 1/2 days. Purge any extra CO2 in the head space and set the regulator to 9/10psi and attach the disconnect, still 2.5v of CO2 in solution.
This is what I was talking about, so where was I wrong? When you cool the CO 2 tank the pressure changes and if the tank is set at 25 PSI at 60* and cools to 35* you have a total different reading. And the colder the beer the more CO2 is absorb which will over carbonate your beer.
Here are some excerpts from MB3 to prove my point:
“The gauge that measures the tank pressure can be a bit deceiving as it will show about 700-900 PSI if the tank is at room temperature, and 500-600 PSI at refrigeration temperature.” In regards to the regulator: “Remember that you may notice some “drift” between PSI readings if the tank changes temperatures.”
If you don’t make the PSI change your beer will become over carbonated.
Loopie, I read you post as saying the pressure change in the CO2 tank is going to change and be a factor in carbonating/serving the beer. Which it is not. Only the out pressure setting.
If the regulator “drifts” on the out pressure, that is another subject and something I did not read into your post. It never hurts to look at the out pressure gauge occasionally to see that it is set properly.
I’m lazy, I just leave the temp at serving temp and set the pressure to 10 LBS and leave it. Not worth my time to mess with anything else.
That is the best way to insure you don’t overcarb the keg.
The OP was questioning how to carbonate the beer at room temp while he builds his fridge/freezer.
[quote=“Nighthawk”]It never hurts to look at the out pressure gauge occasionally to see that it is set properly.[/quote]Just finished cleaning and airing out the chest freezer, then put two fresh kegs and the CO2 inside, set the pressure to 30 PSI, and turned the freezer back on again, set to 45F. Next day the kegs were at temp and still sitting solidly at 30 PSI, so perhaps pressure drift depends on the make and model of the regulator.
This is the way I always do it. I have done it both ways (rocking the kegs) and have noticed a much better carbonation and head retention with the slow method. Just my 2 cents. 
I’m sure this probably does. I just wanted to point out to the OP that it could happen. I didn’t want it to be over carbed OR lose car once cooled and served.
:cheers:
So I have a dumb question. Does carbing at higher temps with higher pressure use the exact same amount of C02 in a closed keg environment as lower temps carbing cold?
Logic tells me that the amount leaving the tank in the end would be the same, but my logic and science sometimes do not match.
The reason I am asking is because I have several regulators and tanks and have inadvertently left the gas hooked up to a keg after the transfer. I use 30 psi to set the seals and sometimes forget to turn the gas off and leave it for a week or two at basement temps, currently in the low 70’s. If the amount of gas used is the same and the beer is carbed when I put it in the kegerator, I am ahead of the game since it is just aging until a keg is kicked.
I’m guessing it would be the same. For example 2.5 volumes is 2.5 volumes, no mater what the temp of the beer is.
But I’m with you… Logic and science don’t always match…
