No Carbonation After 2 Weeks

[dan_s]

Hello Everyone,

I have a Wee Heavy that has been sitting at 45* at 10 PSI for two weeks. When I poured a sample today to see how it was doing, I was disappointed to find that it was not carbonated at all. To try and diagnose the problem, I did the following:

• I pulled the release valve and found that the keg was still holding pressure.
• I checked the connections at the CO2 tank, regulator and at the keg with soapy water, but didn’t notice any leaks.
• The CO2 tank was not noticeably depleted.
• When I turned up the pressure, I could hear gas going into the keg.

Am I missing something or could it be that the beer just needs more time to carbonate? I was looking for around 2 volumes of CO2 and the chart I referenced said I should set the pressure at 9 or 10 PSI for 45*. Also, I’ve never carbed a beer this low before – I was expecting a less effervescent beer, but as of now there is no discernible carbonation and no head at all.

[rebuiltcellars]

I’m assuming you didn’t dry hop this beer? Dry hops can create an oily sheen on the top of the beer that inhibits CO2 intake. Wouldn’t expect that is the cause with a Wee Heavy, but worth asking.

Try shaking or rolling the keg while it is on it’s side and still hooked to the CO2 tank. Do it carefully and make sure the CO2 take stays safely upright. You should be able to hear gas bubbling in. Keep shaking/rolling until the sound stops, maybe 10-15 minutes. It is now pretty much fully carbed.

[gregscsu]

+1

@rebuiltcellars

I’m assuming you didn’t dry hop this beer? Dry hops can create an oily sheen on the top of the beer that inhibits CO2 intake. Wouldn’t expect that is the cause with a Wee Heavy, but worth asking.

Some other additives can cause this issue too. ie. vanilla beans

@rebuiltcellars

Try shaking or rolling the keg while it is on it’s side and still hooked to the CO2 tank. Do it carefully and make sure the CO2 tank stays safely upright. You should be able to hear gas bubbling in. Keep shaking/rolling until the sound stops, maybe 10-15 minutes. It is now pretty much fully carbed.

I do this everytime I fill a keg.

[rebuiltcellars]

@gregscsu

I do this everytime I fill a keg.

Me too. I think I may have gotten this tip originally from you.

[dan_s]

Thank you both!

I will give this a go tonight. Am I correct that the regulator would be set to target PSI? Also, how long should the keg sit before serving?

[rebuiltcellars]

Yup, set to regular serving pressure. How long till serving depends on how clear the beer was before you kegged. I’ll typically wait till my beer drops very clear before kegging (at least 2-3 weeks after active fermentation is done), and the beer can be served pretty much immediately after that, though a day or so of settling down can make a small difference. If your beer wasn’t clear going into the keg, it could take at least a few days to let the sediment settle again.

[dan_s]

@rebuiltcellars

Yup, set to regular serving pressure. How long till serving depends on how clear the beer was before you kegged. I’ll typically wait till my beer drops very clear before kegging (at least 2-3 weeks after active fermentation is done), and the beer can be served pretty much immediately after that, though a day or so of settling down can make a small difference. If your beer wasn’t clear going into the keg, it could take at least a few days to let the sediment settle again.

Sounds good – and thanks for following up. I also like my beer to be as clear as possible (part of why I started kegging) and typically crash and gel for several weeks before kegging.