Cooking For Engineers

[whittsend]

Admitedly, I'm a pharmacist, not an engineer. sorry... (science background) I am less curious about the real answer to the question, and more curious about which theorys, laws and equations might be used to reach the answer. Alas, here is my question:

Regarding force carbonating my homebrew: Assuming I am
not shaking my keg (which would increase surface area and increase beer - CO2 contact), how long does it take for a constantly pressurized 5 gallon corny keg (a roughly 24" tall by 8 inch wide stainless steel keg - the old style soda kegs...) to reach equilibrium (point at which CO2 is entering and exiting solution at an equal rate) due solely to the headspace pressure? (again,
no shaking of the keg involved.)

My example:

I have a beer that I want to carbonate at around 2.7 volumes of CO2.
My kegerator temp is 32 degrees. I have my regulator set at 10psi.
At equilibrium with this temp and psi, my charts tell me that I should
indeed be at 2.7 volumes of CO2. How long will this system take to
come to equilibrium (or close enough), assuming between 1-2" of
headspace in an 8 inch diameter cylinder, and no shaking of the keg to
increase the surface area?


...If I set my psi to 30 for the above example, how long might it take
to reach 2.7 volumes of CO2? (and not overshoot the carbonation
level?)... again, assume no shaking....

Any ideas??? Again, a little less interested in the real answer, more interested in how you got to that answer...

Thanks!!

[GaryProtein]

Uh, let's see. Does PV=nrT help?!?!?!?!

Oh, wait, there's no "time" in that equation.

I'm very scientific, but not an engineer. This one's way over my head.

[whittsend]

ya, I thought of that equation, also about partial pressures, and equilibrium between gasses in gas form and gasses dissolved into liquids... still have a hard time finding something that would tell me a timeframe...

hmmm... thanks?? any other suggestions???

all i really know is that homebrew is oh so good!!!

fyi... on tap right now... oatmeal stout, German altbier, and a black dog ale... along with homemade root beer and creme soda.

[GaryProtein]

Can you send me a pony keg?

[whittsend]

ummmm.... sure??? I'll send you the beer and keg for free, but the i'll have to charge roughly $200 S&H, give or take. No COD's