Ultimate Brewing Starter Kit

The Ultimate Starter Kit Contains:

Fermenting Equipment

• 6 gallon glass or plastic carboy (primary fermenter)
• 5 gallon glass or plastic carboy(secondary fermenter)
• Carboy bungs (2)
• Fermentation lock (2)
• Blow-off hose
• Funnel
• Blow-off bung (w/ plastic carboys)

Testing equipment

• Fermometer (2)
• Hydrometer
• Thermometer
• Thief
• Hydrometer test jar

Siphoning Equipment

• Auto-Siphon
• 5 foot length of 5/16” ID tubing

Kegging Equipment

• 5 gallon keg system
  • 5 gallon ball-lock soda keg
  • CO₂ regulator
  • gas line
  • foam-free liquid line
• 5 pound CO₂ cylinder

Sanitizing and Cleaning Equipment

• 8 oz. One Step Sanitizer
• Carboy brush
• Carboy dryer

In addition to the kit, you will also need:

• A boiling kettle – any stock pot 2.5 gallons or greater in capacity will suffice. It should preferably be stainless steel, although aluminum will work.
• A beer ingredient kit (or recipe) designed to make 5 gallons.
• A CO₂ refill – By federal law, CO₂ cylinders must be shipped empty – you'll need to have it filled locally. Look under “Gas Suppliers” in your Yellow Pages. You won't need the CO₂ for at least a few weeks.

WARNING

Do not put boiling or even hot water into your plastic carboys. They will melt and spill hot water everywhere.

Assembly

• Mark your carboys. We recommend marking your carboy with volume markings in advance. Take a one gallon container, and fill it with water. Pour it into the carboy. Make a mark with a permanent marker or a thin strip of electrical tape. Repeat this process five more times.

• Racking assembly. Slide one end of 5' siphon tubing over the shorter, hooked end of clear racking cane. Slide racking cane inside larger tube.

General Extract Beer Kit Instructions

These instructions are basic brewing procedures for all Northern Brewer extract beer kits; please refer to the Kit Inventory (located on the label on the kit box) for specific instructions pertaining to your beer kit, including hop additions, yeast specifications, or special ingredients.

Before you begin ...

Upon receiving kit

Double-check contents vs. Kit Inventory. Check the kit contents against the list on the box. Every Northern Brewer beer kit contains hops and malt extract (syrup and/or dry), but not all kits contain specialty grains. Additionally, some kits contain more than one type of specialty grain which are blended together in one bag. The base kits DO NOT contain yeast or priming sugar - yeast and sugar options are selected when you purchased the kit.

Refrigerate liquid yeast. If you selected liquid yeast, refrigerate it unless you are brewing immediately. If you selected dry yeast, store in a cool, dry place - refrigeration is not necessary.

Minimum requirements

• Homebrewing starter kit for brewing 5 gallon batches
• Boiling kettle of at least 2.5 gallons capacity
• Approximately two cases of either 12 ounce or 22 ounce pry-off style beer bottles

Boil volumes

The instructions that follow are for brewing with a partial-boil - boiling a portion of the total batch volume (e.g., boiling 2 gallons out of a 5 gallon batch) and diluting the wort with water after the boil. Please refer to the modifications below if you will be doing a full-volume boil of 5 to 6 gallons. Please note that a partial boil will result in the beer finishing at a darker color than advertised. This is due to the caramelization of sugars and shouldn't change the flavor profile of the beer.

Adjustments for full-volume boils. If your system is designed for a full-volume boil of 5-6 gallons, make the following adjustments to the procedures in the following steps:

• Step #1 - collect 5.5 to 6 gallons of water in the kettle.
• Step #5 - use 15% to 25% less bittering hops (any hop additions during the first 30 minutes of the boil) than called for in the kit inventory - e.g., use 3/4 to 7/8 oz instead of 1 oz; all other boil additions remain the same
• Step #6 - use a wort chiller to cool the wort
• Step #8 - add only enough water to reach 5 gallons

Before you brew

Prepare your yeast for brewing. Depending on the type of beer you are brewing, a yeast starter may be advisable. All lagers and any beer with an OG greater than 1.060 will achieve the best results with a yeast starter. For information on preparing a yeast starter, please see http://docs.northernbrewer.com/yeast_starter_kit.html.
Follow these guidelines for the type of yeast you will use:

A. Dry yeast. No advance preparation needed.

B. Liquid yeast. Activation instructions are printed on the back of the Wyeast package. It is ideal but not necessary for the pack to fully inflate before use. Note: When stored in a refrigerator and used within 3 months of purchase, Wyeast packs will show inflation within 5 days of activation, or we will replace them free of charge. Do not brew with inactive yeast - we can replace the yeast, but not a batch that fails to ferment properly.

When brewing with a Wyeast Activator "smack pack", you will get the best results if you activate the yeast in advance:

• Minimum - 3 hours before brewing
• Better - 24 hours or more before brewing

On Brewing Day

1. Collect and heat 1.5 gallons of drinking water in your brew kettle. You will get optimum results if you use chlorine-free water. Chlorine can be removed by filtering tap water through an activated carbon filter. While the water heats, proceed to step #2.

2. Crush specialty grains (if necessary). If your kit contains specialty grains, crush the grains in a large Ziplock freezer bag and crack the kernels open with a rolling pin. If your kit does not contain specialty grains, proceed to step #4.

3. Steep specialty grains. Pour the crushed specialty grains into the supplied mesh bag, and tie a knot in the bag as close to the opening as possible - this will allow for swelling of the grains. Add the bag full of grain to the water in the kettle and steep like a tea bag as the water continues to heat. Remove the bag and discard after 15 minutes or before the water reaches 170°F. Do not boil the specialty grains!

4. Bring water to a boil and add fermentables. Once boiling, turn off heat and/or remove the kettle from the burner. Add ingredients listed under "Fermentables" in the Kit Inventory (malt extract syrup, dry malt extract, honey, candi sugar, lactose, etc.) and stir to dissolve. Return the kettle to the burner and bring the wort (unfermented beer) to a boil.
Important: Some fermentables are added at different times during the 60-minute boil - please refer to the Kit Inventory. All times on the Kit Inventory are listed in minutes before the end of the 60-minute boil (e.g. T-minus). For example, if you have a recipe that calls for 1 lb of dry malt extract at 60 minutes, and 3.15 lbs of malt syrup at 15 minutes, then add 1 lb of dry malt extract right away and set a timer for 60 minutes. When there are 15 minutes left on the timer, add the 3.15 lbs of malt syrup.

Boil over: Watch the kettle carefully after adding fermentables. When it returns to a boil, there will be a lot of foam that can very quickly rise up and spill over the sides of the kettle. Be prepared to reduce the heat as soon as the boiling begins again. Boil over can also occur whenever you add ingredients to the kettle; this is particularly true of the first hop addition.

5. Boil the wort for 60 minutes. Once the wort returns to a boil, set a timer to 60 minutes. Add boil additions (hops and spices) to the kettle at the times specified on the Kit Inventory. All times on the Kit Inventory are listed in minutes before the end of the boil (e.g. T-minus). For example, if you have a recipe that calls for 1 ounce of Chinook hops at 60 minutes, and 1 ounce of Cascade hops at 10 minutes, then add the Chinook hops right away and set the timer. When there are 10 minutes left in the boil, add the ounce of Cascade hops.

6. Cool the wort. After the boil is finished, the wort needs to be cooled as rapidly as possible to a safe temperature for the yeast (<100F). The faster you can cool the wort, the clearer the finished beer will be and bacteria will have less chance to spoil the unfermented wort. For optimum results the wort should be cooled to 65-70F.

Wort cooling methods, in increasing order of efficiency and cost:

• Minimum - put the boil kettle with the hot wort in a sink or tub full of cold water, replenishing the cold water as necessary, to bring the wort temp down to 100 F or less as quickly as possible. This method requires no extra equipment, but will take the longest. May take over an hour.
• OK - put the boil kettle with the hot wort in a sink or tub full of ice and cold water, replenishing the ice as necessary, to bring the wort temp down to 100 F or less as quickly as possible. This method requires lots of ice, but is a bit faster.
• Best - use a wort chiller to rapidly cool the wort to under 100 F in 10 to 20 minutes, depending on temp of tap water. A wort chiller is basically a heat exchanger that has a greater surface area than the outside of your boil kettle, which is why it cools boiling wort much faster than immersing the kettle in cold water or ice.

7. Sanitize fermenting equipment. While the wort is cooling, sanitize the fermenting equipment - fermenter, lid or stopper, airlock, funnel, etc.

8. Fill primary fermenter. Fill the sanitized primary fermenter with 3 gallons of cold, chlorine-free water first. Pour the cooled wort into the primary fermenter second. Leave behind as much cold break (the thick sludge in the bottom of the kettle after cooling) as possible. Add cold water to the fermenter as necessary to reach a volume of 5 gallons.

9. Take a hydrometer reading. Ensure that the wort is completely stirred and blended homogeneously. Take a hydrometer reading and record it (e.g. 1.042) - this is the original gravity or OG. Do not worry if the OG is a few points off from the OG given in the Kit Inventory - discrepancies in wort volume, temperature, and blending will affect the OG and/or hydrometer reading.

10. Aerate the wort - Before adding yeast to the unfermented wort, introduce some oxygen to help the yeast cells multiply and ferment the beer.
Aeration techniques, in increasing order of efficiency and cost:

• Minimum - Splash the cooled wort as you pour it into the fermenter.
• OK - Leave the airlock and stopper off, and gently swirl the fermenter to slosh the wort around and mix in some oxygen. Make sure you rest the fermenter on the ground while you do this.
• Better - Use an aquarium pump to push air through a 2.0 micron diffusion stone for up to 60 minutes.
• Best - Use a pressurized cylinder of oxygen to force O2 through a 0.5 micron diffusion stone for up to 3 minutes.

11. Pitch yeast. Pitch yeast (brewer's term for adding yeast to the wort) when the temperature of the wort is 78°F or lower (not warm to the touch). Sanitize the yeast packet and a pair of scissors.

A. Dry yeast.

• Good - sprinkle dry yeast directly onto the surface of the cooled wort
• Better - rehydrate dry yeast according to instructions on packet before adding to the wort

B. Liquid yeast. Carefully cut off a corner of the packet and pour the yeast into the wort.

12. Seal the fermenter. Add approximately 1 tablespoon of water to the sanitized airlock. Insert the airlock into the stopper/bung or lid, and seal the fermenter.

Fermentation

During primary fermentation, the yeast cells metabolize sugars and nutrients in the wort and produce CO2 and alcohol. The amount of time between when the yeast is pitched and fermentation begins is called the lag phase. The shorter the lag phase the better quality of the finished beer. Fermentation should begin within 48 hours, although it can take longer for strong beers and lagers.

Fermentation temperature: The three most important things in beer fermentation are temperature, temperature, temperature! Every yeast strain performs best within a specific range of temperatures, which can be found in the Kit Inventory. You will achieve the best results if the primary fermentation of your beer stays within the recommended temperature range of the yeast you are using.

Fermentation stages

• Primary Fermentation: Primary fermentation should be finished within about two weeks. This is indicated by the foam dissolving back into the beer and bubbling of the airlock slowing down or stopping. At this point, begin taking daily hydrometer readings - when hydrometer readings are the same on consecutive days, primary fermentation is complete. Proceed to bottling or secondary fermentation, depending on your equipment.
• Secondary Fermentation: This is an intermediate step between primary fermentation and bottling to clarify the beer and refine the flavor. Despite the name, there is little to no fermentation during this stage. Please refer to the instructions that came with your equipment do determine if you can and how to conduct a secondary fermentation.

Blowoff: Blowoff occurs when the fermenting beer creates so much foam that it can't be contained in the sealed fermenter. It usually begins in the first 24 to 48 hours after fermentation starts and lasts for a day or two. Blowoff does not occur in every batch, but when it does, it's important to vent the excess foam in a sanitary fashion. When blowoff stops, you can replace the blowoff hose with an airlock and stopper and proceed with the remainder of primary fermentation.

Handling blowoff

• A. If you have a glass carboy Sanitize the blowoff hose (3.5 feet long, 1" diameter). Remove the bung and airlock and push one end of the blowoff hose into the mouth of the carboy. Put the other end into a bucket of water. Excess foam will be expelled into the bucket without allowing anything to enter the carboy.
• B. If you have a plastic carboy Sanitize the blowoff hose (3.5 feet long, 1/2" diameter) and the large-hole rubber stopper. Push one end of the blowoff hose into the stopper. Remove the airlock and stopper and replace it with the large-hole stopper and hose. Put the other end of the hose into a bucket of water. Excess foam will be expelled into the bucket without allowing anything to enter the carboy.

Dry hopping: If your beer kit calls for dry hopping, add the specified amount of hop pellets to the secondary fermenter (or, if you have a single-stage system, add the hops to the primary fermenter after fermentation subsides).

"When is it ready?" The "Ready" time for your beer, indicated on the Kit Inventory, is the approximate time from Brewing Day until the beer is carbonated and ready to drink. We allow 2 weeks for primary fermentation and 2 weeks for bottle conditioning for every recipe; the remaining time is the approximate duration of the secondary fermentation. For example, a beer with a "Ready" time of 6 weeks would follow this schedule: 2 weeks primary, 2 weeks secondary, 2 weeks bottle conditioning. However, every fermentation is different and "your mileage may vary," so when in doubt go by hydrometer readings and not the calendar.

Bottling and conditioning

13. Sanitize bottling equipment. Sanitize siphon equipment, bottling bucket, bottle filler, bottle caps and beer bottles.

14. Mix a priming solution. A priming solution is a measured amount of sugar dissolved in water; the yeast remaining in the beer will ferment this small dose of sugar inside the capped bottle; the CO2 gas given off will carbonate the beer. Use the following amounts, depending on which type of sugar you will use:

• If you are using corn sugar (dextrose) Stir 2/3 cup of corn sugar into 16 oz water.
• If you are using table sugar (sucrose) Stir 5/8 cup of table sugar into 16 oz water.

Pour the solution into a saucepan and boil 5 minutes to sanitize. Pour the boiled priming solution into the bottling bucket.

15. Add fruit extract (if necessary). If your kit includes a Natural Fruit Extract, pour it directly into the bottling bucket.

16. Mix beer and priming solution. Siphon the beer into the bottling bucket, leaving behind as much sediment as possible. Stir gently to mix.

17. Fill and cap bottles.

18. Conditioning. Allow bottles to condition at room temperature for 14 days (if bottles are kept cold they will take much longer to carbonate). It's not a bad idea to set aside a few 'testing' bottles in a warm spot (80F), to gauge the progress of carbonation. Once the beer is carbonated as indicated by a test bottle, chill the bottles and enjoy!

Kegging Overview

Although more expensive than bottling, kegging is the fastest and easiest way to serve beer. Each kegging system is usually slightly different but will contain three items: a cylinder full of carbon dioxide (CO₂), a regulator to dispense the CO₂ and a keg.

The CO₂ cylinder

A CO₂ cylinder is different than most gas tanks because it measured in poundage of liquid, not volume. When other gases, nitrogen for instance, are compressed they stay in a gaseous form but when CO₂ is compressed it turns into a liquid. Due to this fact a CO₂ 'tank' measured in poundage capacity of liquid CO₂ with a five pound tank being the standard home brew size.

Note - Keep the valve located on the top of the cylinder closed until you attach a regulator to the cylinder. To open the tank one only needs to turn the valve a half turn.

The Regulator

The pressure in your keg system is dispensed and controlled by a CO₂ regulator. Our regulators have a shutoff check-valve installed, which allows you to quickly and completely shut off CO₂ flow to the keg without having to shut the main valve. There is also a check-valve that ensures beer will not be able to flow back into your regulator and ruin it.

The regulator has two gauges which measure pressure in pounds per square inch (psi). The low pressure gauge, located on the top of the regulator body, measures the internal regulator pressure (e.g. dispensing pressure). The high pressure gauge, measures the pressure inside the CO₂ cylinder. The pressure is regulated by adjusting the setscrew. Turning it clockwise will increase the dispensing pressure and counter-clockwise will decrease it. If the keg pressure is greater than the dispensing pressure no CO₂ will be dispensed until the pressures equilibrate. The regulator also contains a pressure relief valve that will help to protect the regulator from damage. If the internal regulator pressure gets too high it will set off the valve until the pressure is reduced to non-critical levels.

You can simultaneously increase the pressure in the keg the and regulator's internal pressure by turning the regulator's adjusting screw clockwise. You can decrease the regulator's internal pressure (but not the keg pressure) by turning the adjusting screw counterclockwise.

The Keg

The keg you received from Northern Brewer is guaranteed to hold pressure. These kegs are stainless steel ball-lock soda kegs and can be slightly different from each other. Some have one handle vs two, some have different relief valves and some are cleaner than others. The thing that remains the same is that they all have the same function and all have the same connections.

Posts: Each keg has two 'posts' on the very top of the keg that are responsible for dispensing the beer. The one labeled 'in', can be identified by its notches around its base, is connected to a short (~2in) dip tube and responsible for delivering the CO₂ to the keg. The other post, labeled out, has no notches and it connects to the long dip tube that travels the length of the keg and is responsible for dispensing the beer. Note - there are basically two different 'size' posts. One is six-point and 11/16inch in diameter. The other is twelve-point and 7/8inch in diameter.

Poppets: Poppets are little spring-loaded valves that insert into the posts. When the disconnects are hooked up to the posts the 'pin' in the disconnect will push these valves down opening the system.

Lid: Each keg contains an oval shaped lid that contains a pressure relief valve for safety. Note - each keg has its maximum pressure stamped on the lid (~120psi) which is massively over home brew pressures.

O-rings: There are five (5) rubber O-rings responsible for ensuring the keg stays sealed. There are two small 'dip tube' O-rings that go on each dip tube and seal underneath the posts. There are two larger O-rings that go on the top of each post to seal the beer and gas connections. The largest O-ring is the one that goes around the lid and completely seals the keg. It is critical that all these are rings are clean and free from cracks. These should be replaced upon signs of wear. Note - we highly advise purchasing a replacement O-ring set (kx15) when purchasing our used kegs. These kegs usually would have contained various different sodas which will taint your beer with their own individual character.

Connection assembly

Gas connections

1. Attach the regulator to the CO₂ tank. Make sure to place the nylon washer between the cylinder and the regulator and ensure that its facing the correct direction. Note - the nylon washer has specific faces with different ridges that fit specifically on the regulator face and the tank face. Tighten firmly with a wrench and DO NOT use teflon tape.
2. Attach the gas connector kit to the regulator's red shutoff valve and tighten with a wrench. Ensure the gas disconnect (grey) is tighted down on the gas connector kit.
3. Make sure the regulator's red shutoff valve is closed (perpendicular) and the adjusting screw is backed all the way out.
4. Open the main valve at the top of the CO₂ cylinder one half turn. The high pressure gauge should 'jump' but there should be no reading on the low pressure 'serving' gauge.
5. Open the red shutoff valve (parallel)
6. Using a flathead screwdriver turn the adjusting screw until the low pressure gauge starts to pressurize and reads about 5psi.
7. The system is now pressurized. Check for leaks. Test all threaded connections, quick disconnects and pressure relief valves with soapy water. Even a small leak will drain your CO₂ cylinder.
8. ALWAYS store your tank with the main top valve closed and the shutoff valve off.

Liquid connections

1. Ensure that the faucet tubing kits liquid disconnect (black) is tightened to the tubing.
2. Ensure the tap end is secured to the tubing.

Cleaning

The most rigorous way to keep kegs clean and sanitary is to completely disassemble them after each use. You will need:

• A wrench to remove the posts. We highly suggest the use of a ratchet with deep sockets for this purpose. Other types of wrenches have a tendency to strip the treads on the posts. Depending on the size of your posts you will need a 6-point 11/16th inch deep socket, a twelve-point 7/8th inch deep socket or both.
• Cleaning product. We suggest the use of Powdered Brewery Wash (PBW) or B-brite for cleaning of all keg components. These are both very powerful cleaners that are safe on stainless steel and on the environment. DO NOT use cleaners with chlorine on stainless steel.
• (optional) New set of O-rings. As stated before, sometimes you need to replace your O-rings. Don't waste a batch of beer over a few bucks for a replacement set.

Keg cleaning - A step-by-step guide

1. Pull the pressure relief valve on the lid to ensure all of the pressure is bled out of the keg.
2. Unscrew the pressure relief valve and put aside.
3. Remove lid and lid sealing O-ring. Note - sometimes the lid sticks so use the butt end of your wrench to hit the top to loosen.
4. Remove the posts and then the poppets. Poppets can get stuck so use a narrow diameter philips head screw driver to push them out from the top if necessary.
5. Remove the dip tubes, in and out, from the keg and slide off the O-rings.
6. Fill the keg with cleaning solution per their instructions. Heavily soiled kegs may need to soak longer to come clean.
7. Put all small parts into a small pail and add some cleaning solution. The long dip tube can be inverted into the keg for cleaning.
8. Once clean, pour off cleaning solution and rinse thoroughly with warm water to remove any residue. NOTE - if using the keg directly move to the sanitation section below.
9. Put the keg back together as you had taken it apart ensuring that all O-rings have been included.
10. Pressurize the keg for storage. Note - Connect the gas to the keg and turn it on to a low pressure before you try and seat the lid. This will ensure the lid will always seal completely.

Sanitizing your keg

1. Your keg should be completely clean at this point
2. Depressurize and break down your keg completely if not already there.
3. Make 2.5 gallons of sanitizer directly in your keg. We suggest using either Star San or One Step to sanitize.
4. Pour some of this sanitizer into a small bowl and add all of your small parts including all of your loose O-rings.
5. Invert your long dip tube in the keg.
6. Let sit 5-10 minutes.
7. Put the O-rings on the dip tubes and slide them to the top.
8. Insert the dip tubes into the keg ensuring they are going to the correct sides. Small dip to to the gas 'in' side and vice versa.
9. Turn over the post on a flat surface and drop the poppets into them. Use the poppets as a little 'cup' and fill with sanitizer.
10. Pour this sanitizer over the top of the dip tubes and hand tighten the posts on their proper side. The 'notched' post is the gas side.
11. Screw the pressure relief valve into the lid while it is still under the sanitizer solution. Put the lid sealing O-ring on the lid ensuring its snapped down into place.
12. Insert the lid into the keg but DO NOT lock it down yet.
13. Connect the GRAY gas disconnect to the keg's notched GAS / IN post and turn on CO₂ cylinder.
14. As the pressure is running seat the lid and lock it down once its sealed.

Open the red-handled regulator shutoff valve (parallel) and lock down lid as you pressurize the keg.

1. Give the keg a good shake and invert it standing it on its head. One handled kegs can be laid on their sides and turned half way through.
2. Let sit 5-10 minutes.
3. Bleed off pressure, open lid and empty out sanitizer. This sanitizer is fresh and may be used again.
4. As before, seal the lid under pressure and allow keg to pressurize.
5. With the gas hooked up pull the pressure relief valve and bleed off some of the pressure to remove most of the oxygen in the keg.
6. Connect the BLACK liquid disconnect to the keg's LIQUID / OUT post and bleed off all of the remaining sanitizer in the keg.
7. The keg is now ready to be filled.

Kegging

When fermentation is complete, you are ready to keg. You can keg beer, wine, mead, cider, soda or just plain drinking water. Simply transfer your beverage of choice to a clean, sanitized keg and hook it up to your system. Basically any beverage you want carbonated you can keg. That being said, this discussion will focus only on kegging beer. Note - once your beer is carbonated you must always shut off the gas to your keg. If not, the beer will over-carbonate.

Hooking up your keg

1. Transfer beer to clean, sanitized, and fully assembled keg.
2. Insert the lid into the keg but DO NOT lock it down yet.
3. Attach the disconnects to the proper posts.
   The BLACK liquid disconnect attaches to the keg's LIQUID / OUT post.
   The GRAY gas disconnect attaches to the keg's notched GAS / IN post.
4. Open the main CO₂ tank valve.
5. Open the red-handled regulator shutoff valve (parallel) and lock down lid as you pressurize the keg to 10-15 PSI by turning the adjusting screw clockwise.
6. You are ready to serve! Some fiddling with the pressure to get your best pour may need to be done.

Forced carbonation

When beer is stored under CO₂ pressure, it will gradually absorb the carbon dioxide gas until it reaches a state of equilibrium. The carbonation level is determined by the temperature of the beer and the pressure of which it is being carbonated. American brewers express the amount of carbonation in a beer in volumes. Each individual style has its own standard of carbonation levels. The chart below is a very general guideline:

Style	Volumes of CO2
American ales	2.2–2.7
American lagers	2.5–2.8
Belgian ales	2.3–4.0
British ales	1.6–2.5
German ales	2.2–3.5
German lagers	2.5–2.8

Using the chart below you can achieve a specific carbonation level by simply adjusting your fridge temperature and the regulator's dispensing pressure.

Forced Carbonation Chart

+	5 PSI	10 PSI	15 PSI	20 PSI	25 PSI	30 PSI
30° F	2.23	2.82	-	-	-	-
35° F	2.02	2.52	3.02	-	-	-
40° F	1.83	2.30	2.75	3.19	-	-
45° F	1.66	2.08	2.51	2.94	-	-
50° F	1.50	1.90	2.30	2.70	3.10	-
55° F	-	1.75	2.12	2.47	2.83	3.18
60° F	-	1.62	1.95	2.27	2.60	2.92

Many brewers speed up the carbonation process by shaking the keg back and forth, which drastically increases the surface area of beer in direct contact with CO₂. As you do this, you will hear the regulator delivering CO₂ as it is being rapidly dissolved into the beer. You should shake the keg until it becomes increasingly difficult to hear the CO₂ hissing. When you are finished, leave the CO₂ line attached to the beer so it may complete the process.

If the beer becomes over-carbonated, it is possible to de-carbonate the beer. You should warm the beer and periodically pull the pressure relief valve on the keg. This will cause CO₂ to come out of solution and re-pressurize the head space, at which point you can repeat the process.

• kegging.pdf: Kegging PDF