Another twerp keg question:
Is this a good fast carbonation procedure? (from 2015 AHA Mastering the Art of Hop-Fu.pdf)
Also, I hear/read that shaking the keg in order to speed up carbonation leads to uneven quality/green beer/… Is this true?
Shaking the keg at high pressure works, but it’s easy to over do it. Some shake a serving pressure.
I normally leave my legs at 30psi for 48 hours at 45° and then reduce to serving pressure. Not perfect, but after another week carbonation is good.
That’s pretty much what I do, except my kegerator is a few degrees cooler. This is for pretty standard carbing. If it’s a hefe or Belgian, I come up on pressure a bit.
Shaking will get it done quickly, but you’re not going to drink it all at once usually. Eventually, the shaken carbonation settles into the “finer” carbonation you get over time. At least in my experience.
I’ve stopped shaking, though, and do pretty much what Hoosier and Steve do.
30psi at 45° for say 2.4 volumes of CO2 that’s like double what you see in those pressure/temperature/co2 charts…
It is - if you left the keg at that pressure for two weeks. The 30 psi for two days, then reduced to serving pressure, basically gets the keg mostly carbed in a few days instead of waiting 2 weeks.
That’s like 5 PSI?
I serve at more like 12 psi. I use a longer beer line to get better pours, and it allows me to serve at the pressure that keeps the beer carbed properly.
I run about 13psi serving pressure.
Ah yes, line length. I bought this one: http://www.malzmuehle.eu/Direct-dispensing-kits-Taps--drip-trays--coolers-Dispense-taps-and-dispense-tap-accessories/Direct-dispensing-kits/beer-brew-beer-beer-accessories-nrw-malt-yeast-hops-homebrewing-direct-dispensing-kit-547.html - let’s hope it works!
Not in my experience. I typically set and forget, but will occasionally use the rock-a-bye method. It’s not shaking per se, but rather purging the air with CO2 a few times (CO2 is heavier, so you put the gas on and let it sit for a few minutes, purge, and repeat 2 or 3 times). After that, roll the keg on its side (gas post at the top), and rock back and forth (as though you were rocking a cradle). It presents a higher surface area for the CO2 to dissolve into the beer. Granted, that method is a bit more trial and error and you will probably have more cases of overcarbed or undercarbed beers until you get the hang of how long and how vigorously you have to rock.
I think there’s a lot to this thats not being mentioned, like line length and rise. But I’m one of those guys that likes to simplify. I use 3/16 ID 6’ long, with a dorm fridge kegerator that has a two faucet tower. Pretty standard. I hit my freshly filled keg with 30psi to set the seal. Then I hook it to ~12psi serving pressure in the kegerator. It takes about 8-10 days to reach perfection.
OP - FWIW, I mentioned line length but not specifically what I use. Around 9 feet of 3/16" beer line lets me pour at 12-13 psi (~ 40F most beers), and keeps average carbed beers carbed at this pressure.
Is there a linear relationship between time and volume? My first batch will be only half a keg.
Set the regulator ~2 psi above serving pressure, shake as much as you want, let settle for 1-2 days. Impossible to over-carbonate that way.
SOMEONE has to be wrong here. So many options…
lol…nope. There are just a lot of paths to right.
Nope. Half a keg will take as long to carbonate. There ARE lots of options - pick one and try it !
Not if you shake it. More surface area compared to volume. Less shaking required. Faster carbonation.
Good point. I don’t shake anymore. With just connected pressure, no difference.