🍺 Homebrew Carbonation Assistant
How quickly do you want to carbonate your beer?
Set It and Forget It
The most reliable and foolproof method. Perfect, predictable results every time.
Requires: Patience
Burst Carbonating
A great compromise between speed and control. Get carbed beer in a day or two.
Requires: Careful timing
Crank and Shake
The fastest method, but highly imprecise. Use with caution for emergencies only.
Requires: A lack of time
Carbonation Stone
The fastest *controlled* method. Precision and speed for the modern brewer.
Requires: Carbonation Stone
Set It and Forget It: The Equilibrium Method
Calculator
Set your regulator to:
12 PSI
Instructions
- Ensure your beer is fully chilled to the stable temperature entered in the calculator.
- Purge the keg headspace of oxygen 3-4 times.
- Using the carbonation chart, find your target pressure.
- Set your CO₂ regulator to the calculated pressure.
- Connect the gas line to the keg and store it at the stable temperature.
- Wait 7-14 days for the beer to fully absorb the CO₂.
- Enjoy your perfectly carbonated beer! It is impossible to over-carbonate with this method.
Burst Carbonating: The High-Pressure Method
This method requires careful timing. Forgetting to disconnect the gas after the burst period **will** result in over-carbonated beer.
Burst Schedule Calculator
Schedules assume a 5-gallon keg at ~38°F (3°C). Colder beer carbonates faster.
Instructions
- Chill beer to a stable temperature (ideally 36-40°F).
- Set your regulator to the high pressure from the schedule (e.g., 30 PSI).
- Connect gas and leave under high pressure for the specified duration. **Set a timer!**
- After the time is up, DISCONNECT the gas line from the keg.
- Pull the PRV on the keg to vent all headspace pressure until it stops hissing.
- Set your regulator down to your normal serving pressure (e.g., 10-12 PSI).
- Reconnect the gas. Let the beer rest and stabilize for 1-3 days before serving.
Crank and Shake: The Emergency Method
EXTREME RISK OF OVER-CARBONATION. This method is highly unrepeatable and imprecise. It can also force beer back into your gas lines and ruin your regulator. Use a check valve gas disconnect if you must use this method.
Recommended Starting Point:
30 PSI for 10-15 minutes
(while shaking/rolling vigorously)
Procedure
- Chill beer as cold as possible without freezing.
- Set regulator to 30 PSI and connect gas.
- Lay keg on its side and shake or roll it vigorously. You will hear gas rushing in.
- Continue for 10-15 minutes, or until the sound of rushing gas quiets down.
- Stand the keg upright and let it rest in the fridge for at least 1 hour to settle.
- **Disconnect the gas line.** Vent all pressure from the keg.
- Set regulator to your normal serving pressure (10-12 PSI), reconnect, and test a sample. Be prepared for it to be foamy.
Carbonation Stone: The Diffusion Method
Calculator
This is the PSI needed to make bubbles appear from the stone in water.
Set your regulator to:
15 PSI
Instructions
- Install and sanitize your Carbonation Stone in the keg.
- Fill the purged keg with chilled beer.
- Determine your stone’s “Wetting Pressure” by submerging it in water and finding the PSI where bubbles form.
- Use the calculator to find your final regulator pressure. **Formula: Target PSI + Wetting PSI**.
- Set your regulator to this final pressure and connect the gas to the carbonation stone’s post.
- Wait 30-90 minutes, or until the sound of bubbling stops.
- Turn off gas. Move the gas line from the stone’s post to the keg’s normal “gas in” post.
- Set regulator to your normal serving pressure (the Target PSI, *not* the final pressure). You are now ready to serve.
Troubleshooting Wizard
What’s the problem with your pour?
After the foam settles, is the beer in the glass…