Kegging/Serving Setup

I am looking for some advice on how to proceed.  I currently have a two tap setup with a 5 lb CO2 tank set to serving PSI.  When I am kegging a new beer, I shut off the gas to the line that is already serving, and raise the pressure to force carb the new beer.  While this works, it is tedious to then get the PSI set back down to the proper serving PSI going forward.

Here’s my question:  Should I invest in a secondary regulator to split the gas from serving to kegging PSI, and continue to run everything off the same tank, or should I leave an entire setup (tank, regulator, distributor) devoted to serving, and then invest in a new tank and regulator to use for kegging?

Thanks for any thoughts!

Shut off pressure to both kegs after you’re done carbonating. Wait a day or so for the newly carbonated beer to reach equilibrium between the beer and the headspace, and you should be good-to-go.

You could just go the “set it and forget it” route as opposed to the “crank and shake”. I just added a third keg to my 4 tap kegerator last night.

  • Turned off the gas to the two kegs already in there (one serving and one carbing - set at 12 psi serving pressure).
  • Hit the new keg with the same 12 psi and purged the head space three or four times.
  • Turned up the gas to 30 psi and hit the new keg to ensure a good seal.
  • Turned the gas off the new keg.
  • Dialed the pressure back down to 12 psi serving pressure and turned the gas back on to the two previous kegs.

Tonight after work, I’ll relieve the pressure in the new keg and turn the gas back on to it. It will take a week or so before the new keg is carbed sufficiently but I have never had an over (or under) carbed keg going this route.

I’d just leave it at serving pressure and shake the new keg to carbonate it. It takes me 2-3 hours of intermittent shaking to get a keg pretty much fully carbonated (although it does then need to sit overnight to clarify).

I think if you are cranking up gas and shaking kegs just to have drinkable beer, you aren’t brewing enough. :slight_smile:

Or hunting too much… When firearm deer season finally ended, and I had 3-4 days to rest up, I finally kegged 4 batches of beer that were ready to go.  I set them at 30 psi for two days (while I removed a bunch of trees at my cousin’s house).  When I got back, I vented the kegs, set them to 12 psi, and they were basically ready to serve.  Still a bit low on carbonation but certainly drinkable.  Should be good in a couple days when the relatives arrive for the feast.