Hey guys I recently got a kegging system and just setup and started force carbing my first keg batch. I just had a question following the force. Once the beer is carbonated to the desired level do I have to leave the co2 connected and on dispensing levels even when I’m not drinking it right away? Once it’s carbed couldn’t I theoretically be able to disconnect the co2 supply and it will stay carbed until I want to drink it? Sorry if this is a dumb question just want to make sure I don’t screw up my first kegged batch, Cheers!
It’s not a dumb question at all! I wondered the same thing when I started kegging and quickly learned it’s best to keep the gas connected at all times to ensure consistent carbonation. If you’re concern is not wasting CO2, you won’t, trust me. My process now:
- 50 psi for NO MORE than 24 hrs
- purge keg and lower to 10-12 psi
- enjoy!
Every brewer is going to have a different system in place. I do not keep the CO2 on because I am afraid of leaks, since I use a hodgepodge of used equipment. Once the keg is carbonated to the level you want you can disconnect it and serve a few pints. If you notice that the flow is very slow, add more gas.
Thanks guys this was very helpful! That was my major concern that I would be wasting co2 or it would over carbonate if I left the co2 on at dispensing levels.
As for the concern about overcarbonating by leaving the keg connected, no worries. The keg will reach equilibrium with whatever pressure you have your regulator set at, and will stay there. As long as the pressure you set the regulator at isn’t too high for a given temp, there’s no chance of overcarbonating. Personally, I leave my kegs connected to pressure.
I reference this chart often. It gives a PSI reading on the top and temps along the side.
http://www.kegerators.com/carbonation-table.php
Do you plan on using the same pressure for carbing and for serving? I used to follow the ‘set it and forget it’ method but have started carbing quicker then bring the pressure down to serving levels.
The method I am trying is carbonating at 20psi for a couple days then dropping it down to 8 to 10 psi to dispense.
^its better to under carbonate and wait for the expected level then to over carbonate. This should work out fine.
The method I am trying is carbonating at 20psi for a couple days then dropping it down to 8 to 10 psi to dispense.
That’s pretty much what I do. Start high then ramp down to serving pressure over a few days to avoid overcarbing.
For my system that has 4 different styles on at all times, 11 psi @ 38F is about perfect. That keeps me around 2.4 vols which seems to be a good “catch all” pressure.