Force Carbonation Thread
  • FuzzyFuzzy
    Posts: 49,782
    Post your tips, tricks, and troubles with force carbonating here. To kick things off:

    image

    and a formula, take from here http://www.byo.com/stories/techniques/article/indices/39-kegging/165-balancing-your-draft-system-advanced-brewing:

    The formula for setting the regulator to the correct pressure, P (in pounds per square inch, or PSI) for the desired level of carbonation, V (in volumes of CO2) at a beer temperature of T (in °F) is:

    P = -16.6999 - (0.0101059 * T) + (0.00116512 * T2) + (0.173354 * T * V) + (4.24267 * V) - (0.0684226 * V2)
    The pinnacle of lame and awesome in one singular moment. -Lake
  • frydogbrewsfrydogbrews
    Posts: 44,679
    that's all purdy and such, but here's my method:
    step 1: put into keg
    step 2:after burping keg to purge air, set regulator at 20 psi
    step 3: check after 18 hours, if almost close, turn to 10 psi (and begin drinking), if not leave it at 20
    step 4:turn to 10 psi after 48 hours no matter what
    step 5: drink

    almost always 18 hours is plenty unless the beer has been fermented warmer and released most of it's natural co2.

    remember, the warmer the ferment, the more gas or priming sugar it will take to get to desired volumes of co2 and vice versa
  • FuzzyFuzzy
    Posts: 49,782
    i figured it would be a good thing to have posted in case someone was lookin for that, like i was earlier. i'm thinking about carbing a few kegs at room temp due to lack of kegerator room.
    The pinnacle of lame and awesome in one singular moment. -Lake
  • C_BC_B
    Posts: 89,005
    I carb at room temp a lot. Using this chart. Works well.
    "On it. I hate software." ~Cpt Snarklepants
  • frydogbrewsfrydogbrews
    Posts: 44,679
    ohhhhhh.......room temp, ok. never done that.
    at room temp i will just purge the air out then hit it with 30 psi once and set it aside. then when i have keezer room it takes 24 hours or so on 20 psi and its all good. which is about how long it takes to chill it all the way down anyway.
    the chart is a good thing, don't get me wrong, i just wing it on volumes and it usually works out fine. its only complicated if you want to make it so (which can make it fun) it doesn't have to be complicated.

    truthfully, charts like that intimidated me on force carbing before i had ever done it, which is why i post the alternative method.
  • FuzzyFuzzy
    Posts: 49,782
    that's why i started the thread. more than one way works, and everyone has their own method that they're comfortable with. this thread is here to show em.
    The pinnacle of lame and awesome in one singular moment. -Lake
  • ThymThym
    Posts: 122,636
    I've done it countless different ways, but the simplest way, with a good trade off between fast and consistent is my current practice which is:

    Hook up gas line to liquid out. Set regulator at a low pressure (around serving pressure, usually a bit lower for me). open valve and let co2 release through the beer.
    open pressure relief to let more co2 bubble through (just pop the relief for 1/2 second)
    Wait till it stops bubbling
    repeat the pressure relief thing 2-3 more times.
    Wait til it settles down.
    Shake the keg (gas line still attached) for 10 second
    Wait till it settles down.
    Repeat the shaking and settling procedure 4-6 times until it no longer has a "violent" reaction to the shaking (first few times you shake it gas will start pouring into the keg)

    Now i just put it on serving pressure (gas connected normally) and put it in the fridge. In a couple days it's well carbonated. In a week it has matured nicely.

    That's my process.
    The only thing between me and a train wreck is blind luck..... - Kenny
  • C_BC_B
    Posts: 89,005
    Hmmm, expedited force carbing.... My first question is why? My pipeline is such that I don't ever rack a beer into a keg and want/need to tap it asap. Is this because you (anyone who doesn't use low and slow) don't have a pipeline or don't have a second co2 tank or what?
    I'm not being critical, I'm asking an honest question. I tried the shake it and tap it once (on a keg anyway) and it still took five days for it to level out it seemed.
    Anyway, I ramble, I'm curious about everyone's process.
    "On it. I hate software." ~Cpt Snarklepants
  • frydogbrewsfrydogbrews
    Posts: 44,679
    i do it in two days beause i am impatient. its plenty aged and once i out it on tap, i want to drink it!!! i never shake though.
  • scoobscoob
    Posts: 16,617
    I do a modified set and forget method, I follow the chart at the top, I cold crash before racking to a keg so the temp is real close, I hook up the gas at 30 psi to seal the keg lid, purge the keg a few times set to serving psi and purge one last time.

    With the gas connected I shake the shit out of it like it was an ex-wife, I do this several times over the next few hours and by day two it is carbed to serving pressure with no risk of over-carbing because it was never set to anything above my target pressure.

    I dealt with an overcarbed keg ONCE, never again since using my current method.
    Jesus didn't wear pants
  • djsethalldjsethall
    Posts: 4,040
    The method that I have found to work for my needs is to hook up the kegs at 22 psi and store at 58F in my basement. I have a really cool manifold that allows me to carb up to 8 kegs at once.
  • frydogbrewsfrydogbrews
    Posts: 44,679
    how long does it take at that temp dj? 4-5 days or so?
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