New to Kegging - Questions

[SnakefetusBrewing]

Hey all, It's been awhile but I am back!
I recently purchased a cobra tap basic kit for a sanke keg (http://www.ontariobeerkegs.com/Cobra_Ta ... %20kit.htm) and next week will be kegging my first batch.

Anyway, I have two questions. After the beer has been carbonated, do you leave the gas turned on at your serving psi until the keg is empty? What if there are a few days or so in between pours, does this effect the carbonation level in the beer?
Just wondering before I actually get started

Thanks

[FrozenInTime]

I pressure my kegs and disconnect the C02 bottle. I usually get between 3-4 full pours before doing it again. I only drink 3-4 a week so this system works for me. I've not lost any beer carbonation from doing it this way, but I don't let the keg pressure get very low.

[truckndad]

I just leave it at serving PSI. Once it's carbed, it'll stay that way unless you're leaking CO2. Think like this, you bottle prime using sugar, once all the sugars been consumed the bottle stays carbonated. Same basic kind of concept. One thing about kegging I learned the hard way...after you transfer your beer to the keg and put the lid on, don't just snap the lid in place and call it good. You'll leak gas that way. I put the lid in place and lift the keg up using the lid handle and charge the keg with the CO2. That way the gas puts pressure on the lid to help seal it in place, then I snap the handle down. Keeps a good seal.

[Kealia]

Keep the CO2 connected. Otherwise all the CO2 in the keg is used to push the beer out and you'll end up with flat beer that won't pour until hit it with gas again. Only X amount of gas will absorbed at a given temperature so you won't be constantly losing gas from the tank.
Once it is fully carbed it's stabilized and the gas starts flowing. When you pour a pint you use some of the CO2 in the tank to push the beer out so it needs more to replace that.

You could do what FIT does but it requires you to constantly connect and disconnect your gas. One of the big appeals of kegging for me is being able to draw a pint whenever you want and not have to think about anything. Set it, forget it.

[ScrewyBrewer]

In a perfectly balanced system the serving pressure and the carbonating pressures are both the same. Example, go to your nearest brew pub for the first pint of a newly tapped keg then compare the pour to the last pint a few days or a week later. The barkeep never had to adjust the Co2 pressure because the back pressure of the beer serving line took the same amount of Co2 pressure as it takes to carbonate the kegged beer.

Unfortunately, or fortunately, for me and most every other home brewer our kegs don't sit on the floor below our tap handles or require the long run of beer line needed to create enough back pressure. I've personally found it easier to leave the Co2 gas on and connected to the keg from start to finish, adjusting the regulator from 5psi to 12psi for most of my beers. Take a step back and triple check your system for leaks, worrying about leaking Co2 shouldn't be on your list of things worry about, there shouldn't be any.

[braukasper]

I just leave mine connected at serving pressure. Lately I have not been drinking much and I am not losing any pressure. I would say it has been almost 4 months since I've had the CO2 tank filled. You can always carb your keg with sugar first that may help save some CO2. I carb both naturally and forced. I have not noticed any real difference in the quality of the beer or savings with the CO2 usage.

[gwcr]

Like most others so far, I leave mine connected at serving pressure the entire time including the carbing phase. I don't do the rock the keg thing to carb faster, just set it and forget it. I'm at 10 days on my latest keg and the carb is good. Probably won't be complete for another week, but I don't like messing with the setup.

[Inkleg]

Like most others so far, I leave mine connected at serving pressure the entire time including the carbing phase. I don't do the rock the keg thing to carb faster, just set it and forget it. I'm at 10 days on my latest keg and the carb is good. Probably won't be complete for another week, but I don't like messing with the setup.

^^ This^^ I just set it and forget it and leave it hooked up also. I have a good pipeline and no need to rush a beer to be carbed and ready. Like gwcr, my system works just fine with how I have it set up.