Carbing in a Corny Keg

[Geoffinthewilds]

I have been useing my Kegerator for the last month or so, no beer gets a chance as its out the FV into the Keg, then I have alway been force carbing, now I have upped my number of Fermentation Vessels Im starting to get ahead, but to carb the beer, do I force the lid to seal at 30 psi and remove from the gas and leave it until ready to use, or fill it with dispense pressure, if I need to keep it connected to the gas I would just need to order some gas line and disconnects as I have a 4 way manifold, but just curious as what others do.

 

[peebee]

You are certainly not the first to ask about such, but a few like you are unfortunate enough to have me post an answer!

I also pressure a corny keg to 20-30psi to seat the lid properly, and leave the pressure in and disconnect the cylinder. But I serve my beers at very low carbonation, "Real Ale" style. Obviously, that approach does naff all when it comes to "force carbonation".

It's not difficult to visualise. You've filled a keg with relatively freshly fermented beer. The beer will already have about "1 volume" of CO2 dissolved in it from fermentation. That means for every 1 litre of beer there's about 1 litre of gaseous CO2 dissolved in it (1 "v/v", a little less, this is "saturation" when there is no pressure but the beer is capped by 100% CO2). For a "keg" beer you are probably wanting at least 2 volumes of CO2 dissolved in it. There's about 2.5% of headspace in the keg (example, it'll be variable) which you pressure to 30psi (2 "atmospheres", 1 atmosphere = 14.7psi). So … as that slowly dissolves about 5% of your beer can reach "2 volumes".

Follow? Put another way you need about 20x that amount of CO2, or 600psi in the tiny headspace … ahh, that ain't going to work is it.

Leave the gas connected via a regulator or if feeling gymnastic go in for the "roll a keg" technique (CO2 dissolves pretty quickly). Or naturally condition?

 

[Geoffinthewilds]

Thanks for such an informative reply peebee, when I got my Corny kit from brewkegtap the paperwork that came with it said to force carb at 50 psi and shake for 1 minute, and how long does that minute feel when shaking a full keg, but it works a treat, mind you Ido like high carb levels. Hope your staying safe in the homelands, I got the Hiraeth so think I need to return to the homeland of Wales sooner rather than later, plus I need to give Brewdog a chance as they are just up the road

 

[Joust]

One on each shoulder and jog around the garden for a few minutes

 

[xozzx]

I have never seen the point in burst carbonating. 1 day old fresh beer (even hoppy IPAs) does not taste good, I find it takes at least 2 weeks to start tasting decent and it often improves further over the next few weeks. I use the set and forget method of carbonating - set to serving pressure, usually around 10psi, and leave it for couple of weeks before drinking it.

I have tried the burst carbonation method and had a few of the beers the first couple of weeks and found that they didnt really shine for at least 2 weeks so saw no point in continuing doing it. I always keep ahead of myself and have a few kegs in a separate fridge waiting to go into my keezer. I bought a sodastream bottle regulator (and have a refill adapter for my big CO2 bottle so I can refill the sodastream bottle) and carbonate the kegs in the fridge while they wait to go in the keezer. I also have a party tap so I can have a taste of the ones in the fridge if I fancy.

 

[Geoffinthewilds]

One on each shoulder and jog around the garden for a few minutes

It would help the monster beer belly reduction program

 

[Geoffinthewilds]

I have never seen the point in burst carbonating. 1 day old fresh beer (even hoppy IPAs) does not taste good, I find it takes at least 2 weeks to start tasting decent and it often improves further over the next few weeks. I use the set and forget method of carbonating - set to serving pressure, usually around 10psi, and leave it for couple of weeks before drinking it.

I have tried the burst carbonation method and had a few of the beers the first couple of weeks and found that they didnt really shine for at least 2 weeks so saw no point in continuing doing it. I always keep ahead of myself and have a few kegs in a separate fridge waiting to go into my keezer. I bought a sodastream bottle regulator (and have a refill adapter for my big CO2 bottle so I can refill the sodastream bottle) and carbonate the kegs in the fridge while they wait to go in the keezer. I also have a party tap so I can have a taste of the ones in the fridge if I fancy.

Totally agree on the conditioning, but cant seem to get ahead,even with three fv on the go, but have always been a big capacity guy so Iblame that lol, never considered a sodastream and being able to re fill from the big bottle, but have space for 4 kegs in my Kegerator and only use 2 taps, so need some more gas line and fittings and be good to go, got the Welsh Red ale called Cwtch conditioning and that will get a chance to condition for once lol

 

[xozzx]

Welsh Red ale called Cwtch conditionin

Ive made that one, excellent beer and now its been added to my list to make again!

I have 2 FV, if Im getting behind I put a couple kviek beers on. Usually finished fermenting in about 3 days, leave another 2-3 days, cold crash then in the keg in <10 days. If Im getting ahead I will stick a wee heavy or lager on which will be about 3 weeks in the FV, then leave in a keg for a few months before drinking.

 

[nixhaz]

For shaking, try holding the cornie at each end, rest it on your thighs and rock from side to side. I'm a wimpy girl and even I can do it. Or lie it on the floor and roll it with your foot (seems to work better for my mini cornies).

 

[Geoffinthewilds]

Ive made that one, excellent beer and now its been added to my list to make again!

I have 2 FV, if Im getting behind I put a couple kviek beers on. Usually finished fermenting in about 3 days, leave another 2-3 days, cold crash then in the keg in <10 days. If Im getting ahead I will stick a wee heavy or lager on which will be about 3 weeks in the FV, then leave in a keg for a few months before drinking.

Never considered trying the kviek, may give that a go, the Cwtch smelt great when kegging it so cant wait to give it a try

 

[Geoffinthewilds]

For shaking, try holding the cornie at each end, rest it on your thighs and rock from side to side. I'm a wimpy girl and even I can do it. Or lie it on the floor and roll it with your foot (seems to work better for my mini cornies).

Wimpy girl I doubt, think any guy who under estimates you ladies will get a shock, just wish you would come with an instruction manual

Due to old motorcycle road racing injuries thats the exact method I use and its a lot easier

 

[kodak79]

I used to go for the yank and crank method as I didn't want to just put it at serving temp and leave it for a week. But now I've gone for something inbetween after reading an artical on it - which i annoyingly i can't find any more.
Basically I now connect up and leave as 30-40 psi for about 36 hours for a full keg, maybe only 4 hours for a 2l PET bottle.
A butbif trial and error will get you to where you want it. I'd recommend checking the carbonation periodically and then drop to serving pressure (i do about 10 psi) when youre happy.
Chris

 

[Geoffinthewilds]

I used to go for the yank and crank method as I didn't want to just put it at serving temp and leave it for a week. But now I've gone for something inbetween after reading an artical on it - which i annoyingly i can't find any more.
Basically I now connect up and leave as 30-40 psi for about 36 hours for a full keg, maybe only 4 hours for a 2l PET bottle.
A butbif trial and error will get you to where you want it. I'd recommend checking the carbonation periodically and then drop to serving pressure (i do about 10 psi) when youre happy.
Chris

Think I may give your version a go Chris for the next keg, I think Im slowly starting to get ahead, every week the Mrs and I say no more drinking in the week, as soon as evening comes the little devil whispers you may as well have a couple, then off we go, my first day of Furlough so thats not going to help

 

[Jules61]

I filled my first Corny Keg with Youngs IPA after giving it a second fermentation for a couple of weeks. Went in clear and drinkable but has really benefited from leaving at 10 psi for a fortnight.
Do others use secondary fermentation or just keg it straight after the initial one? I

 

[Banbeer]

Do others use secondary fermentation or just keg it straight after the initial one?

I just add it the keg from primary, never used a secondary before even when bottling.

 

[Banbeer]

Basically I now connect up and leave as 30-40 psi for about 36 hours for a full keg

That's what I do and found it to work, must admit though when I got my brew kegged I'd run out of beer completely. I still did it on my others tho' and quite like knowing that I can do it this way if needed.

 

[Jules61]

It was the first time I had done it and actually only did it because I was waiting for the keg to arrive . Just wondering whether it was a good way of reducing the chance of sediment in the keg?

 

[Banbeer]

a good way of reducing the chance of sediment in the keg

Yes it's a good way to get clearer beer in but at a price IMHO, obviously there is the extra time and also the threat of contaminating the beer and an oxidation risk, I crash chill mine down for a few days prior to kegging.

 

[Edison]

I used to go for the yank and crank method as I didn't want to just put it at serving temp and leave it for a week. But now I've gone for something inbetween after reading an artical on it - which i annoyingly i can't find any more.
Basically I now connect up and leave as 30-40 psi for about 36 hours for a full keg, maybe only 4 hours for a 2l PET bottle.
A butbif trial and error will get you to where you want it. I'd recommend checking the carbonation periodically and then drop to serving pressure (i do about 10 psi) when youre happy.
Chris

Is this the article you were thinking of?

http://brulosophy.com/2016/05/12/sparkle-fizz-methods-for-carbonation/
I do something similar.

 

[St00]

I've just started kegging myself, but I used inline carbonation the first time around. It was a farmhouse strain kviek yeast, perfect after 10 days. Fermented out in just over 2 days, left alone for an extra 3 to tidy up after itself, cold crashed for 2 days in the conical, pressure transferred and inline carbed before leaving to settle out in the kegeratorf for an extra 2 days. It's the best beer I've made to date.

2nd time around (Landlord clone) I left the keg in an understairs cupboard with a mix of dextrose and dme and it carbed up really well after 22 days.

I'm kegging an Equinaut SMaSH (with Ebbergarden) this Sunday, I'll set it at 25 PSI and leave it for a week and see how that turns out. I made it last Saturday.

I think whichever method you use, that unless you're using something that doesn't need conditioning it should take at least 10 days.