6 replies to this topic

[ncbeerbrewer]

Ok so when I carbonate a keg I like to set the regulator and let it ride for 6-7 days. I just had a keg blow last night and a Hefeweizen that I brewed with my buddy is done fermenting. I am ready to carb up an American IPA and a German Hefeweizen. I don't have a regulator for each line but I have the gas line from the previous empty keg and an additional line for another keg. My question is this the American IPA carbonation range is 2.2-2.7 and the Hefe is 3.3-4.5. If you were going to carbonate these at the same time only setting one pressure what would you do or go by? I set it for 2.7 and thought I would let it ride. Any thoughts or suggestions?

[chuck_d]

You could set it for the whatever you want on the Hefe since that one needs carbonating and disconnect the IPA. Whenever the IPA starts to pour too slow, just hit it with some gas and disconnect.

[ncbeerbrewer]

Maybe I am misunderstanding your response Chuck but both the IPA and the Hefe are flat beers. They are both ready to be carbonated. What you describe I do with the remainder of the taps just to keep em flowing too. I am saying how would you set your regulator to carbonate the IPA and the Hefe since the style carbonation does not overlap.

[DubbelEntendre]

You could use "the fast method" for carbing the Hefe and then let them both sit at the same pressure for 6-7 while the IPA is carbing.

[chuck_d]

Sorry, I misread that last night. You can set it at the PSI for the IPA, once that is carbed, bump up to the PSI for the Hefe and then do what I was talking about before.

Edited by chuck_d, 25 May 2009 - 11:15 AM.

[ncbeerbrewer]

Thanks guys. No worries on the misread Chuck. It was late. I think I will let them both go at the 2.7 volumes I set the regulator to for the next three-four days. The if the IPA is done then as you suggested Chuck I will up the psi and let the Hefe go a few more days from there. I also think I will shake the Hefe Keg a few times on and off for a day then I can bottle off the Hefe for my buddy and get my keg back again too. I doubt that would overcarb it too don't you think?

[chuck_d]

Thanks guys. No worries on the misread Chuck. It was late. I think I will let them both go at the 2.7 volumes I set the regulator to for the next three-four days. The if the IPA is done then as you suggested Chuck I will up the psi and let the Hefe go a few more days from there. I also think I will shake the Hefe Keg a few times on and off for a day then I can bottle off the Hefe for my buddy and get my keg back again too. I doubt that would overcarb it too don't you think?

As long as the pressure setting is proper for the desired CO2 level at the temperature then shaking the keg cannot overcarbonate your beer. Shaking just makes the system tends towards equilibrium faster and will knock CO2 out of solution if the pressure isn't there to knock it back in. Where people run into problems with overcarbonation is when overpressure is used (a higher pressure than would be needed for the desired CO2 volumes). People take that risk because the higher pressure makes the beer carbonate faster. One thing I'll note is that headspace matters with the shaking method. The more headspace the faster the beer is going to carbonate from shaking. My personal approach to quick carbonating is to use the shake method with overcarbonation