OK, I bit the bullet and bought a kegging system to shorten my time from fermenter to glass. I’ve seen posters mention rolling and shaking kegs to speed up carbing. Does someone have a link or could you outline the process here?
I typically turn the gas up to 30 psi, attach the line, lay the keg sideways on the ground, roll back and forth for about 5 minutes or until it stops ‘gurgling’, disconnect gas, let the keg sit for 3 hours or so, bleed off pressure, set the gas to 2-3psi, re attach, and serve. You might get one glass of foam or so, but it will flow nicely after the first pint.
Above is the fastest method, which I have never tried.
I usually get keg cold, hook up gas at 30psi for 24-36 hours and then purge then set to 10-12 psi.
Fool proof method is to set and forget at 10-12 psi for a week to 10 days. Then you never have to worry about over carbonation.
Highly recommend you have several kegs or more so the one can carb while you are drinking others
[quote=“560sdl”]
Highly recommend you have several kegs or more so the one can carb while you are drinking others[/quote]
Truth. I have 2 and and am considering a 3rd…I would bet some guys on here are well north of 10. (They are also great for storing beer/lagering since they are durable, easy to move, and slim).
EDIT: here is a great link
http://www.winning-homebrew.com/force-carbonate.htmlPietro, why 2-3psi? Do you leave it there or set to the recommended pressure for the temp?
Pietro, why 2-3psi? Do you leave it there or set to the recommended pressure for the temp?[/quote]
for some reason, that number works on my system. Someone told me that if I left it at 2-3 for an extended period of time, the beer would eventually lose its carb because the whole ‘system’ would equalize at 2-3 psi.
Maybe you try serving it @ 10-12, depending on your temp/volumes of CO2 level, and if it comes out as foam, just dial it back.
Oh, and my method is probably completely wrong too btw. :lol:
Pietro, why 2-3psi? Do you leave it there or set to the recommended pressure for the temp?[/quote]
for some reason, that number works on my system. Someone told me that if I left it at 2-3 for an extended period of time, the beer would eventually lose its carb because the whole ‘system’ would equalize at 2-3 psi.
Maybe you try serving it @ 10-12, depending on your temp/volumes of CO2 level, and if it comes out as foam, just dial it back.
Oh, and my method is probably completely wrong too btw. :lol: [/quote]
HAHA…i don’t know i’ve seen similar methods recommended in my search this morning. I’m gonna give it a try! the reason I want to keg is to drink my beer faster so I don’t want to put it at optimum pressure and wait 2 weeks!
[quote=“dannyboy58”]
HAHA…i don’t know i’ve seen similar methods recommended in my search this morning. I’m gonna give it a try! the reason I want to keg is to drink my beer faster so I don’t want to put it at optimum pressure and wait 2 weeks![/quote]
some say there is benefit to doing the slow carb method (ie set it to your optimal pressure and it will be carbed in a week) in that it is a ‘finer’ carbonation, but if your palette can tell the difference between a 1 micron bubble and a 2 micron bubble, I am impressed. I’ve done the quick carb on styles like a british bitter, and it had a great velvety mouthfeel. YMMV, it is usually best after a day or two, but drinkable in a few hours.
[quote=“Pietro”][quote=“560sdl”]
Highly recommend you have several kegs or more so the one can carb while you are drinking others[/quote]
Truth. I have 2 and and am considering a 3rd…I would bet some guys on here are well north of 10. (They are also great for storing beer/lagering since they are durable, easy to move, and slim).
EDIT: here is a great link
http://www.winning-homebrew.com/force-carbonate.html[/quote]I would be one, I have 14 kegs, so quickly carbonating is not necessarily a priority of mine. I have 10 that are carbed and I am drinking so I can wait a week or so for the new one.
[quote=“Pietro”]
for some reason, that number works on my system. Someone told me that if I left it at 2-3 for an extended period of time, the beer would eventually lose its carb because the whole ‘system’ would equalize at 2-3 psi.
Maybe you try serving it @ 10-12, depending on your temp/volumes of CO2 level, and if it comes out as foam, just dial it back.
Oh, and my method is probably completely wrong too btw. :lol: [/quote]
It should not work. But if it does for you, it does.
Much like when you open a 2lt soda bottle, the CO2 will come out of the soda and fill the empty space. If you have 2.5v of CO2 in the beer (10psi @ 35*) but you have 2psi going into the keg, the CO2 in solution will fill the head space.
Similarity, you can serve out of a keg for a while with no CO2 tank. The disolved CO2 will fill the head space and push the beer out. Until the beer is flat.
Again, if 2psi works for you… 
[quote=“560sdl”][quote=“Pietro”][quote=“560sdl”]
Highly recommend you have several kegs or more so the one can carb while you are drinking others[/quote]
Truth. I have 2 and and am considering a 3rd…I would bet some guys on here are well north of 10. (They are also great for storing beer/lagering since they are durable, easy to move, and slim).
EDIT: here is a great link
http://www.winning-homebrew.com/force-carbonate.html[/quote]I would be one, I have 14 kegs, so quickly carbonating is not necessarily a priority of mine. I have 10 that are carbed and I am drinking so I can wait a week or so for the new one.[/quote]
I’m sure I’ll have a couple more kegs by year’s end but my first is being delivered in 2 days and the Innkeeper is going in as soon as its set up and sanitized. I’d like to be drinking it this weekend. So UPS better make it through the big old storm headed my way so I can test out this speedy force carb method!
dannyboy,
My personal opinion is to be patient & carb your beer @ serving pressure. A few guys over here force carb their beers by rolling & shaking the keg at higher kpa pressures but the beer inside is still green no matter how it’s carbed. There’s no room for error force carbing your beer & it is so, so easy to over carbonate it & trying to de-gas an over carbed keg is just a nightmare. I did it a coule of times & always had beer escaping sloution which meant my serving pressure at the tap was lower than the pressure in the keg. The results were glasses of foam all the time. There is only two ways to fix it. Lengthen the beer lines or serve at a higher pressure. This procedure really sucks if you get it wrong & you’ll be cursing & spitting chips if you do. For me, I set my carbing pressure at my serving pressure which is 70kpa & my beer lines are 2.5m long ( 5mmID ) & my fridge temperature is 3degC. This gives me an average carbonation level of 2.5vol/co2 which is an average for all my beers, mostly Ales. I have found too that it takes a week for my beers to carb correctly at that serving pressure & for me, the beer is fairly green at less than a week old in the keg anyhow. I find that my beers are optimal from week two in the keg. Another advantage of doing it this way is hooking up new kegs whilst drinking from others. Everything is set at the same pressure.
Please don’t get me wrong guys, if force carbing works for you that’s fine but it just wasn’t for me… :cheers:
I force carb my kegs in 48 hrs without any issues at 36 degrees. One day at 40 psi and next day at 20 psi. Day three set to serving pressure and enjoy. I don’t roll the keg or anything like that.
My method is similar to Chad’s. I usually set at 30 psi for a day or two, then at 20 (depending if I need more) for a day or two. Then I set it to serving pressure. I have over carbed before, but not due to my method. Like an idiot I hooked up the line to the wrong keg (which was already carbed). Personally, I didn’t find to be much of pain to decarb. Just pulled the gas release a couple times a day for a few days and it was fine.
I do find that the beer tastes best after it has been sitting on cO2 for about 10-14 days. Nothing to do how fine the bubbles are or anything, I just find that it is better, probably from the cold conditioning.
:cheers:
This is probably a question that shouldn’t have to be asked, but when you’re carbing up, do you leave the gas attached and on? Wondering for both the quick carb method (like the set at 30 / 20 for a day each), as well as the low and slow method.
FWIW, I’ve been trying both methods and have yet to find a way to get my carb done in less than 3 days. And my results are usually on the overcarbing end - glasses of half foam with the PSI only set at 5 for serving.
[quote=“BrewTownMKE”]This is probably a question that shouldn’t have to be asked, but when you’re carbing up, do you leave the gas attached and on? Wondering for both the quick carb method (like the set at 30 / 20 for a day each), as well as the low and slow method.
FWIW, I’ve been trying both methods and have yet to find a way to get my carb done in less than 3 days. And my results are usually on the overcarbing end - glasses of half foam with the PSI only set at 5 for serving.[/quote]
Are you releasing the pressure and then serving at 5 psi?
You have to leave the gas on so the regulator can keep dosing as the solution absorbs the CO2.
Keep it on even if I’m hitting it with 20 or 30 and rolling?
Yes it needs to be on
Here is my brief overview of my rapid carb method. Either do something like this or set and forget. Anything else has too much variation to be repeatable and accurate.
http://www.thebeerjournals.com/carbonation.html