Keg carb method...?

I like the 30 psi for 2 days, then put it to the proper psi for the style and enjoy carbed beer and it will appropriately equilibriate over the next few days or week. No shaking needed

 

Personally I would be a little concerned about scrubbing away aromatics. I have heard of someone fast carbonating using a Blichmann beer gun, which seems pretty goofy to me. I think I'll stick with 'set and forget.'

 

Unless you're using a sintered stone and allowing a slow release of CO2 form the headspace to allow more CO2 formation, you're not really getting much value from the process I think you're doing.

Me, since I'm usually quickly jamming out a mass of beer just ahead of a festival and I'm lousy at keeping myself on task. I use my shake method. I get the beer into the mid 30's and find the appropriate Volume to PSI setting for the beer and temp. Attach the gas to the gas side at that setting +1 p.s.i. and then rock the keg back and forth on it's side for 10 minutes.

This way it's impossible to overshoot and I still get the benefits of getting my beer to service faster.

 

I have heard of people doing that, but I've never tried it. From what I understand, the very short time that the CO2 is in the beer before it bubbles up to the headspace is unlikely to have much impact on the speed of carbonation. But it probably doesn't hurt, either.

I'd like to do 'set it and forget it,' but unfortunately I have to keep my C02 tank inside the chest freezer I use for kegging, which means that the dial readings on the regulator aren't accurate. So I usually use the '40psi and shake' thing. Also, I'm impatient, and this lets me get a taste of my beer sooner.

 

The dial readings are accurate when the CO2 tank is in the fridge. Why wouldn't they be?

 

I did it once and felt like it wasted a lot of Co2 compared to the shake method. Scrubbing seems like a legit concern I never thought of.

 

I don't think it changes anything..however you introduce the co2 it still has to go into solution..I would think that the additional surface area on the headspace would allow the co2 ito go into solution quicker maybe..by shaking/splashing you effectivly increase the surface area..

 

Are you using a carb stone? The brite tanks are using a stone as far as I know, and this may help this type of process.

 

Whoever told you that is wrong.

 

Does anyone prime and condition in the keg, allowing it to naturally carbonate like in a bottle? I've recently accumulated a few kegs and want to start, but don't have the scratch for full size CO2 tank and related gear at this point. What I'm thinking is for short-term term, to use the small chargers. I'd give the beer a shot or 2 when first kegged, just to get a little pressure on The lid, then let it Carb up with sugar etc, and use the charger again to push it out. (Keeping cold isn't a problem)

 

My method used to be drewbage's, and was psnydez86's before that, but these days I'm more impatient. I usually just rack to the keg, put 50 psi on it, shake the crap out of it for about 30 seconds, then pull the gas off and stick it in the fridge. After it's chilled I pull the release valve to make sure there's not too much pressure and hook it up to the serving gas/bev lines.

The problem with that method is that it's possible to overshoot, especially if you have differing amounts of headspace, but I've kinda gotten a feel for it where I'm pretty close.

 

I used to do the shake method, and while it's quick, I was finding I was getting a good amount of carbonic bite. I've recently taken to cranking the psi to ~20, and leaving at that pressure for 24 hours, after which I turn it down to serving pressure of 10 psi, and leave for an additional 1-2 days. This gives me near-full carbonation in 3 days or so.

 

If you say so. (But wait... you could be telling me wrong too. I'm so confused.)

Can't remember who told me that. LHBS guy? I was having trouble getting carbonation right, and somebody patiently explained to me that it's because lower temp changes the gas density and the meters won't read right, blah blah. So I believed him. And switched to the shake and bake method. Anyway, probably shouldn't have repeated it without knowing for sure.

 

The CO2 in the bottle is liquid.

 

Changes in temperature change the actual pressure of the CO2 in the tank. The gauges, unless they are defective, will give the correct reading of the actual pressure. I would bet the LHBS guy noticed the big drop in the high pressure side gauge once when he refrigerated a tank and figured that gauges don't work at cold temps. Whatever the reason, I am frankly shocked (yes, shocked) that an LHBS employee would disseminate bad information.

 

lulz

 

That's the guy who was wrong. Unless your gauge is defective, it'll read the correct pressure, regardless of the temperature. Within reasonable limits, of course.