What PSI do I use

fever31 · Post by **fever31** » Fri Jan 20, 2012 4:12 pm

Hello all...I am almost ready to transfer my first batch of beer (NG Barking Dog Brown) into a corney and was curious to know what psi should I be close to for dispensing...I do know its a bit of trial and error but would like to know a good starting pressure...Also there will be left over beer and want to know what do you usually do with it...bottle and prime, flip top and prime, save for when keg needs topping off, Sorry for dumb questions but an curious...Thanks for your replies in advance...John

akr71 · Post by **akr71** » Fri Jan 20, 2012 4:19 pm

http://www.kegerators.com/carbonation-table.php

carb.JPG

Post by **mr x** » Fri Jan 20, 2012 4:45 pm

I can't quite make out that chart on this phone, but remember that line length is important as well if it's not on there. I like 12-15 feet of 3/16'' ID to start. Any leftover beer goes into bottles of any kind I have around. Don't save to add to future batches.

NASH · Post by **NASH** » Fri Jan 20, 2012 5:31 pm

You'll likely want to stay in the green range on that chart. FYI, to elaborate on the Xman's statement - the line length has nothing to do with the CO2 pressure for equilibrium rather the speed of your pour, and keeping back-pressure on the line so gas doesn't break-out as the beer moves through. Too fast and you'll break out too much gas and have a lot of foam. The longer your line from the keg to the tap, the slower the beer will pour. Start with 12 - 15', if it pours a little slow at your set pressure then hack some off the line until your pour is at a rate you are happy with. Bars shoot for 2 seconds per oz on average but a little slower on a home setup gives a little more leeway and consistently good pours.

XmonikerX · Post by **XmonikerX** » Sun Jan 22, 2012 5:03 pm

thats a handy chart, ill save that for when i ever get off my ass to picking up the rest of the stuff i need to keg.....

Post by **chalmers** » Sun Jan 22, 2012 11:43 pm

That chart is good for your final/serving pressure, but if you are looking at what to do immediately after kegging:

1) Purge the headspace of the keg. Do this by putting the lid on, and driving in ~30psi to the keg. Then disconnect the gas in line, and use the manual pressure relief valve (usually a pull tab or if not, then use the gas in line, as long as you didn't fill the keg above the gas-in tube) to let that air/CO2 escape. Do this a couple more times to remove all of the air, and be sure you've only got CO2.
2) Put the keg in the fridge.
3) Put the gas line back on, and decide how you want to pressurize your beer: slowly, or quickly.
a) Slowly: Put the secondary pressure to your serving pressure (maybe 10-12psi?), and wait a couple of weeks. The CO2 will eventually dissolve into your beer, and will come out just fine. This is the slow, but dead simple way (set it and forget it).
b) Quickly/Violent: After your beer has cooled down overnight in the fridge (or you can do it right away, but the CO2 dissolved changes dramatically with temperature), while the gas-in line is still connected, turn the pressure up to 30psi, and shake, rattle and roll the shit out of your keg for 1 minute. You'll hear things bubbling away for a while. After the bubbling stops, disconnect the gas line and let it sit as is for a few hours (still in the fridge). Then, relieve the excess pressure, and hook it up to your desired serving pressure. You'll get some foam at the beginning, but after 24 hours, it should be good to go. If then it's still too foamy, disconnect the gas-in and relive the pressure before every pour until it's perfect, and then hook the gas-in back up.

Graham.C · Post by **Graham.C** » Mon Jan 23, 2012 11:51 am

There is an art to chalmers quick and violent method. I used to do this, but now I set and forget after an over-carbed misshap. If you miss your mark (i.e. shake too hard, to long, not hard enough, not long enough) then it's a b*tch to fix. Although its easier to deal with if you under shoot your carb level then over shoot it.

You can also prime in your keg, I've never tried it but after X's last rants about it I think I am going to do it that way in the future.

CorneliusAlphonse · Post by **CorneliusAlphonse** » Mon Jan 23, 2012 12:41 pm

i set the psi to serving pressure, shake for a couple minutes, then leave it for a while. It may not be any quicker than set & forget, but it feels like it will be.. haha

ratchet · Post by **ratchet** » Mon Jan 23, 2012 1:41 pm

CorneliusAlphonse wrote:i set the psi to serving pressure, shake for a couple minutes, then leave it for a while. It may not be any quicker than set & forget, but it feels like it will be.. haha

I typically do a combination of the two methods - I hook up high and shake for a bit, then dial-back to serving pressure.

The beer stays undercarbed for about 4-5 days.... then it's perfect.
This way, you won't overcarb, but it won't take two weeks.

Downs · Post by **Downs** » Mon Jan 23, 2012 1:53 pm

I am basically doing the same as ratchet says above me.

I tend to put 2 half full kegs (split a 23L batch across the 2) in the keezer for a day
next day I hit them with 30 to 40 psi
I dont tend to purge the air already in the keg

I never got force carbing to work so I would leave the kegs in there for 5 days
they would be perfect after 5 days
i hooked the gas back up at 12 psi

recently i have gotten better at force carbing
i turn the regulator way up to like 60 psi
the beer is cold (very important to get the force carbing to work)
i roll the keg on the floor for a minute
rehook it up to the gas to top back up to 60psi
let sit over night and is drinkable the next day

granted the beer that is sitting for 5 days and just aging and carbonating on its own tastes a bit better
but slowly i have been won over by this force carbbing approach

i find you have to find what works for you/your setup

GAM · Post by **GAM** » Mon Jan 23, 2012 1:58 pm

500 shakes @30-40 PSI and leave over night has not failed me yet.

Sandy

Post by **mr x** » Mon Jan 23, 2012 2:10 pm

I've done both ways. And if I know I'll have the time, I far prefer the priming method.

derek · Post by **derek** » Mon Jan 23, 2012 2:48 pm

GAM wrote:500 shakes @30-40 PSI and leave over night has not failed me yet.

Sandy

Well, I guess... But unless you have a paint shaker, I think my method is way easier - 30-40 psi, leave for a few days; hit it again, leave for two weeks. I am definitely not going to try shaking a 20l keg. My back has been behaving for the last few years, and I'm not going back to the way it was.

GAM · Post by **GAM** » Mon Jan 23, 2012 4:18 pm

derek wrote:
GAM wrote:500 shakes @30-40 PSI and leave over night has not failed me yet.

Sandy
Well, I guess... But unless you have a paint shaker, I think my method is way easier - 30-40 psi, leave for a few days; hit it again, leave for two weeks. I am definitely not going to try shaking a 20l keg. My back has been behaving for the last few years, and I'm not going back to the way it was.

I consider it exercise. If you get a low stance and hold your gut muscles it is fine.

Sandy

NASH · Post by **NASH** » Mon Jan 23, 2012 10:48 pm

Force carbing is fine but can be a bit tricky as most have eluded to. When I want to force carb in a corny (or any keg) I'll crank the pressure up to 30 psi or so and drive the CO2 into the beer outlet instead of the inlet. Give it a vigorous rock back and forth a couple times, stop and listen to the gas bubbling up through the beer until it stops, do it again a few times. When the audible sound of gas coming up through the beer begins to slow you know you are nearing equilibrium, time to stop, depressurize to serving pressure and test. This dramatically increases surface area contact of the CO2 with the beer as it bubbles up through and works WAY faster than driving the gas into the inlet, also gives you the bubbling sound as a guide to how much CO2 is dissolved. Also, the amount of headspace in the keg will have a huge effect on how long it takes to force carb, more headspace = much faster carbonation

erslar00 · Post by **erslar00** » Mon Jan 23, 2012 11:24 pm

I'm not using either method at the moment.. until I get my ass to praxair and buy some 0-100 psi gauges... I tipped over my CO2 tank on Friday evening blowing out both the tank pressure gauge and the keg pressure gauge... :guillotine:

I'll be lucky if I didn't damage the regulator!!

but yeah, the forced CO2 method at 30 or 40 PSI works great if you're willing to tweak it a bit for the first few pours... Sounds like good advice from Nash I will try using hooking the CO2 to the outlet next time during the force carb... thx.

NASH · Post by **NASH** » Mon Jan 23, 2012 11:45 pm

No sweat

Also, call Jason @ BevTech for a regulator, I think he likely has some used ones. 902-237-4350. If he doesn't I do.

fever31 · Post by **fever31** » Mon Jan 30, 2012 9:38 pm

Thank You all for your suggestions and special thanks for the psi chart for different brews...Nash brings up one point I had not thought about until now and that is how full from the top do I fill the corney??? Who full do you fill it???
Thanks Again....Fever

Tony L · Post by **Tony L** » Mon Jan 30, 2012 10:01 pm

I fill mine to just below the gas in end when I have enough to do that. I don't like the idea of having the end of my gas in tube below the beer.
I use the shake method for carbonating.

CorneliusAlphonse · Post by **CorneliusAlphonse** » Mon Jan 30, 2012 10:05 pm

I once put the gas in quick disconnect on when i had filled over the bottom of the gas in diptube. I also didnt have the main lid on yet. It resulted in beer in my face.

still worked fine, but i think keeping the beer level a bit below the end of the diptube works best.

Steakinabottle · Post by **Steakinabottle** » Thu Feb 16, 2012 8:46 pm

I prefer to leave my kegs in the fridge set at serving pressure, but I always end up running out of beer, and have to force carb. Those 5 litres left over after kegging are called emergency beer and come in handy while waiting for your latest batch to carbonate.

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