FNG Brewer
New Member
First post - keen for advice if someone can help me with what I'm not understanding.
I recently did my first batch with a pressure capable fermenter, and I've screwed up the carbonation step. I'd only done extract kits with buckets previously (30 or so batches), and only bottle conditioning. I've recently levelled up to a RAPT fermentation chamber from Kegland, and a 65L All Rounder fermenter. I had hundreds of 750mL bottles left over, and decided that I'd do some big batches and make a heap of 6 packs of beer as gifts for Christmas. Seemed like a good way of getting rid of hundreds of otherwise good bottles. I bought kegs, which I'll use when they're gone. So far, so good.
I may do all-grain later, but given that I had new toys to learn, I thought I'd start with FWK's for a while, until I understand the gear I'm using a bit better. I had no experience kegging (or carbonating in kegs), and bought a counter-pressure bottle filler for this first batch to get rid of the bottles. I opted for this NEIPA kit, and did a double batch totalling 52L. I used a profile for the RAPT Fermentation chamber that looked to be the closest thing to what I was fermenting. I followed the recipe instructions for the FWK, including the part that said "Note that if you are using a pressure capable fermenter you will get the best results at around 10-12psi. Allow pressure to build up with a spunding valve 24 hours after pitching". I kept the pressure at 12 psi during the ferment, the diacetyl rest, and the cold crash. I also noted the part that said "We would suggest carbonating and dispensing at 10-12 psi at 2°C for best results.".
There's a question coming... I promise.
Before moving to pressure fermentation, I'd read that one of the benefits was that "your beer is carbonated at the end of the fermentation.". I took that a little too literally. Keep in mind - I'd jumped from buckets / extract kits / bottle conditioning, to pressure fermentation and counter-pressure bottle filling, without the train stopping off at kegging and carbonating - so there were a few things I'd missed. I'd taken the "ferment at 10-12psi" and "we'd suggest carbonating and dispensing at 10-12psi for best results" from the recipe instructions, and the "your beer is carbonated when you're done fermenting" - and assumed that the beer was good to keg or bottle at the end of the fermentation chamber profile (ends with 2 days cold crash). Given that I was at 2 degrees at the end of the cold crash, and was already at 12psi - I assumed that I was done. Long story short - I was under carbonated.
Seems like what I've missed, is that (non-forced) carbonation takes much longer than 2 days, and that in setting my spunding valve to keep 12psi throughout the fermentation at between 18 and 24 degrees, I'd only dissolved around 1.6 volumes of CO2 before cold crashing, and that 2 days at 12psi and 2 degrees was not enough to get to to 2.4 volumes. I'd also taken that fact that there was very little foaming when using the counter-pressure bottle filler as reinforcement that I was using it correctly. It wasn't until we cracked a few bottles to try them that we found them to be flat. A bit heartbreaking to have to discard over 60 longnecks of an otherwise very tasty NEIPA - but you live and learn.
So... my question...
I have a new triple batch of Kolsch FWK (52L) going, and I've followed a slightly different temperature profile, but the same 12psi in the head space throughout. If I understand correctly, when the fermentation ends after 5-8 days at 17 degrees - I should have around 1.6 volumes of CO2 dissolved? All the online posts, blogs etc. seem to indicate that (non-forced) carbonation takes a couple of weeks? Assuming that this refers to non-pressure fermentation setups - how do I work out how much credit (in time) I get for the 1.6 volumes currently dissolved? Not in any screaming rush except that I'd like to get another triple batch in before Christmas so I can have some full kegs when family visit.
Thanks for enduring the long post. Any help appreciated.
FNG
I recently did my first batch with a pressure capable fermenter, and I've screwed up the carbonation step. I'd only done extract kits with buckets previously (30 or so batches), and only bottle conditioning. I've recently levelled up to a RAPT fermentation chamber from Kegland, and a 65L All Rounder fermenter. I had hundreds of 750mL bottles left over, and decided that I'd do some big batches and make a heap of 6 packs of beer as gifts for Christmas. Seemed like a good way of getting rid of hundreds of otherwise good bottles. I bought kegs, which I'll use when they're gone. So far, so good.
I may do all-grain later, but given that I had new toys to learn, I thought I'd start with FWK's for a while, until I understand the gear I'm using a bit better. I had no experience kegging (or carbonating in kegs), and bought a counter-pressure bottle filler for this first batch to get rid of the bottles. I opted for this NEIPA kit, and did a double batch totalling 52L. I used a profile for the RAPT Fermentation chamber that looked to be the closest thing to what I was fermenting. I followed the recipe instructions for the FWK, including the part that said "Note that if you are using a pressure capable fermenter you will get the best results at around 10-12psi. Allow pressure to build up with a spunding valve 24 hours after pitching". I kept the pressure at 12 psi during the ferment, the diacetyl rest, and the cold crash. I also noted the part that said "We would suggest carbonating and dispensing at 10-12 psi at 2°C for best results.".
There's a question coming... I promise.
Before moving to pressure fermentation, I'd read that one of the benefits was that "your beer is carbonated at the end of the fermentation.". I took that a little too literally. Keep in mind - I'd jumped from buckets / extract kits / bottle conditioning, to pressure fermentation and counter-pressure bottle filling, without the train stopping off at kegging and carbonating - so there were a few things I'd missed. I'd taken the "ferment at 10-12psi" and "we'd suggest carbonating and dispensing at 10-12psi for best results" from the recipe instructions, and the "your beer is carbonated when you're done fermenting" - and assumed that the beer was good to keg or bottle at the end of the fermentation chamber profile (ends with 2 days cold crash). Given that I was at 2 degrees at the end of the cold crash, and was already at 12psi - I assumed that I was done. Long story short - I was under carbonated.
Seems like what I've missed, is that (non-forced) carbonation takes much longer than 2 days, and that in setting my spunding valve to keep 12psi throughout the fermentation at between 18 and 24 degrees, I'd only dissolved around 1.6 volumes of CO2 before cold crashing, and that 2 days at 12psi and 2 degrees was not enough to get to to 2.4 volumes. I'd also taken that fact that there was very little foaming when using the counter-pressure bottle filler as reinforcement that I was using it correctly. It wasn't until we cracked a few bottles to try them that we found them to be flat. A bit heartbreaking to have to discard over 60 longnecks of an otherwise very tasty NEIPA - but you live and learn.
So... my question...
I have a new triple batch of Kolsch FWK (52L) going, and I've followed a slightly different temperature profile, but the same 12psi in the head space throughout. If I understand correctly, when the fermentation ends after 5-8 days at 17 degrees - I should have around 1.6 volumes of CO2 dissolved? All the online posts, blogs etc. seem to indicate that (non-forced) carbonation takes a couple of weeks? Assuming that this refers to non-pressure fermentation setups - how do I work out how much credit (in time) I get for the 1.6 volumes currently dissolved? Not in any screaming rush except that I'd like to get another triple batch in before Christmas so I can have some full kegs when family visit.
Thanks for enduring the long post. Any help appreciated.
FNG
