Carbonating At Serving Pressure.

[pdfarrell]

Have been K&K brewing on an off for about 15 yrs now, but am a kegging virgin.

I have read alot about forced carbonation on these forums and noticed alot of people just hook the gas up at serving pressure and wait a week or so.

My question is this. Would hooking the gas up at serving pressure through the liquid out post speed the process up at all ?

I'm in no hurry and really don't want to go with the Ross Method, but I'm just curious if the above would save a few days.

 

[ianh]

Would not think so as the CO2 is still in contact with the beer even though you are trying to introduce via the liquid. Carbonation at serving pressure for a week produces a better tighter head.

Cannot rush a good thing.

 

[Thirsty Boy]

It might speed it up a very little bit, but not a heap thats for sure. I doubt even so much as by a day.

Taking a week to do it only helps with a better tighter head because the co2 takes a while to settle in properly and form light bonds with molecules in the beer. If you did the Ross method then ignored the keg for a week, the result would be the same.

If you want to drink your beer faster - shake/force carb it. Sure, the head will be a bit coarser during the first week or so - but then it will all end up in the same place anyhow. So the only thing that happens is you get to drink your beer a little sooner if you want and are willing to put up with less than "perfect" bubbles to get it.

The only reason not to is that you might inadvertently over-carbonate it, then its a bit of a PITA to degas it afterwards.

 

[Bribie G]

I find that at serving pressure, for ales, it's fine after about 4 days.

 

[Supra-Jim]

I think surface area also assists with Co2 adsorption when force carbing. If you use the beer out post and and only serving pressure (i.e. a lowish pressure) your surface contact area with the beer is very small and you don't have a lot of pressure to push the gas in with.

Where are if you are carbing via the gas post and at serving pressure, provided the beer level in the keg is lower that the end of the gas in post, you have the entire surface area of the top of the keg to adsorb the Co2.

I think this is one of the reasons that the 'Ross' method uses, i.e. rolling or shaking the keg to increase the surface area of the beer in contact with Co2.

Cheers SJ

 

[BobtheBrewer]

I find that at serving pressure, for ales, it's fine after about 4 days.

So just as an aside from this thread, if I was to add a T piece and an extra disconnect to my gas line, as I tap a new keg and put the extra disconnect onto the keg I have just replaced the expired keg with, would it (the replacement keg) be gassed by the time the new (current) keg was empty?


Bob

 

[pdfarrell]

Thanks for the info guys. After absorbing it all (no pun intended) I think I will just carb through the gas at serving pressure.

I am planning to ferment at ale temp (16-17 deg with US05) until complete, then drop the temp in the fermenter fridge as low as possible for a couple of days to help clear the beer. (I heard this helps?) Then transfer straight into keg. I wont be transferring to a secondary due to space and motivation constraints.

I figure using the "Ross Method" would cloud up my beer, and probably take a while to clear. The idea of a tighter head appeals to me, if I started to drink it earlier, the wouldn't last the week.

Any thoughts ?

 

[pdfarrell]

So just as an aside from this thread, if I was to add a T piece and an extra disconnect to my gas line, as I tap a new keg and put the extra disconnect onto the keg I have just replaced the expired keg with, would it (the replacement keg) be gassed by the time the new (current) keg was empty?


Bob

Bob, I am hoping that to be true. I plan to at any point in time have: 1 or 2 brews on tap, 1 carbonating, one in the fermenter.

 

[kelbygreen]

depends how fast you drink a keg I guess lol

 

[thesunsettree]

So just as an aside from this thread, if I was to add a T piece and an extra disconnect to my gas line, as I tap a new keg and put the extra disconnect onto the keg I have just replaced the expired keg with, would it (the replacement keg) be gassed by the time the new (current) keg was empty?


Bob

So long as the keg you were 'drinking' wasnt drunk/drinked/drank/dronk in under a week then the keg being 'passively' carbed should be ready for drinking when the current keg is extinguished

Matt

 

[Bribie G]

Still can't work out what Bob is on about except that he is going to drink a keg in four days :icon_drunk: - (tried that once):



simple pic of proposed setup would help.

 

[NickB]

Just do the 'Ross Method' at serving pressure like I do. Gets you about 90% carbonated within 1/2 hour of shaking, and there's zero chance of over-carbonation. Plus, it'll give you a head start if you leave your keg for a day or two to fully carb up.


Cheers

 

[kelbygreen]

yeah I used to do what nick does. Tony told me about it. hook upto beer out rock on your knees till it stops bubbling leave it 10 mins and repeat 2 more times. It is consistent but needs a day or so on the gas to carb up and you wont over carb it.

 

[Aus_Rider_22]

yeah I used to do what nick does. Tony told me about it. hook upto beer out rock on your knees till it stops bubbling leave it 10 mins and repeat 2 more times. It is consistent but needs a day or so on the gas to carb up and you wont over carb it.

Fair call. Just don't expect a decent head and or retention. :unsure:

 

[jbumpstead]

So just as an aside from this thread, if I was to add a T piece and an extra disconnect to my gas line, as I tap a new keg and put the extra disconnect onto the keg I have just replaced the expired keg with, would it (the replacement keg) be gassed by the time the new (current) keg was empty?


Bob

Correct. That's how I run it.

 

[Thirsty Boy]

Fair call. Just don't expect a decent head and or retention. :unsure:

Why's that then?

I've done fundamentally this dozens upon dozens of times and i get great foam and head retention. Both my practical experience & theoretical knowledge would seem to suggesst that you are a bit over pessemistic about this technique.

Care to explain your reasoning?

 

[jbumpstead]

Fair call. Just don't expect a decent head and or retention.

Why's that then?

I've done fundamentally this dozens upon dozens of times and i get great foam and head retention. Both my practical experience & theoretical knowledge would seem to suggesst that you are a bit over pessemistic about this technique.

Care to explain your reasoning?

Having tried both I prefer the set and forget method simply to minimise the chance of overcarbing.

WRT head retention, I find that head retention using both methods is fairly average in the first 7-10 days and gets better and better with age as things settle down. I don't see any reason why force carbing would affect head retention in the long term.

 

[BobtheBrewer]

Still can't work out what Bob is on about except that he is going to drink a keg in four days :icon_drunk: - (tried that once):

View attachment 45596

simple pic of proposed setup would help.

That wasn't the aim Bribie. I have knocked one over in five days in hot conditions but I think 4 days may be a bit beyond me. I agree that a simple pic would help but that is also beyond me (I'm not real flash with computers!)

 

[BobtheBrewer]

Correct. That's how I run it.

Thanks Bumma, have been thinking about it for some time and may eventually get around to doing it. It would be nice to not have to drink the same beer until the keg is empty, even if the choice is only between two beers.