force carbonation help!!

[accylad]

i just started using sankey kegs for homebrewing and im force carbonating my question is could i use my primary regulator only to do so as it is set at 30bar already so i don't have to keep resetting the pressure the problem i can see with doing this is that my tap leaks so obviously pressure too much for that so i capped the hose to that and the coupler for some reason doesn't "grip" the keg and lets air in through the connection so im not even sure it is force carbonating thanks in advance

 

[McMullan]

Have a look at this. Depending on the temperature of your beer, you should be able to carb well below 30 bar! Remember it takes time, even when force carbing.

 

[Spoon]

Rule of thumb, at cellar temperatures water holds about as much CO2 as the vapor space does.

So 2 atmospheres of pressure would be in equilibrium with a beer carbonated with 2 volumes of CO2.

1bar = 1 atmosphere = 15 psi (ish, close enough for brewing)

Note that there is already 1 atmosphere pressure (referred to as gauge pressure). So if you purge the air from your keg with CO2 and the gauge reads 0 this is really 1 (or 15psi-a), if it reads 15psi-g you have 2 carbonation volumes (30psi-a).

So pick your carbonation level in volumes, multiply by 15, subtract 15, and this is what you want to set the regulator to store the keg at . Speed things up by filling the keg to it's max pressure and giving it a shake to dissolve the CO2 (always purge first, otherwise the partial pressure of CO2 is only going to be a fraction of the total and it'll take far longer and oxidize your beer). Leave for a few hours with the regulator set just below the max of the keg, shake again. By this point it should be getting close, so drop the pressure on the regulator to whatever you calculated, vent off the excess and leave it.

30bar is a bit mental though. If your keg exploded at that pressure it'd take part of your house with it! 30psi would be a fizzy lager.

 

[accylad]

sorry meant 30 psi gauge is wrong though shows 10 when not connected and 55 when it is so probs 45 and just got a keezer but coupler won't fit on when lid shut so if i hook it up pump gas in chill it repeat will that work?

 

[McMullan]

sorry meant 30 psi gauge is wrong though shows 10 when not connected and 55 when it is so probs 45 and just got a keezer but coupler won't fit on when lid shut so if i hook it up pump gas in chill it repeat will that work?

I'd get a replacement regulator, mate...

 

[accylad]

its only the gauge thats gone it maxes out at 45 and my secondary maxes out at 45 so don't matter really just guesswork till i get another gauge haha