Carbonating With Cellarmix

[6tri6ple6]

Hi all,
Long time reader, 1st time poster. Just need some advice. I am looking at setting up my keg system. I work in a hotel and am able to get cellarmix 55 bottles from them. Has anyone had any experience using this gas mix over straight co2. Is this gas ok for force carbing? Do any adjustments need to be made?

Any help would be appreciated.

Cheers

6tri6ple6

 

[pants]

I work in a hotel and am able to get cellarmix 55 bottles from them. Has anyone had any experience using this gas mix over straight co2. Is this gas ok for force carbing? Do any adjustments need to be made?

Hi 6tri6ple6, welcome to AHB.

Cellarmix 55 is used where higher pressure is required to push beer through long runs (like at your work) without over-carbonating the beer. Therefore, if you were to use it at home, you'd need to run around twice the pressure on your regulator to maintain the desired level of carbonation compared with CO2. You'd need a very long and/or small diameter beer line to slow the flow so that you could pour the beer properly (i.e. balance the draught system).

Cheers, Steve.

 

[6tri6ple6]

Hi 6tri6ple6, welcome to AHB.

Cellarmix 55 is used where higher pressure is required to push beer through long runs (like at your work) without over-carbonating the beer. Therefore, if you were to use it at home, you'd need to run around twice the pressure on your regulator to maintain the desired level of carbonation compared with CO2. You'd need a very long and/or small diameter beer line to slow the flow so that you could pour the beer properly (i.e. balance the draught system).

Cheers, Steve.

So this would co2 mix would still be an issue for force carbing? the other idea i had was to naturally carbonate and dispense with cellarmix. Would i still run into the same problems?

 

[michael_aussie]

I don't know if you could naturally carbonate and then use the cellarmix at a lower pressure.

However, I do know that there can be problems running at higher pressures.
I have taps that don't leak at my "normal" pressures (80-100kPa) but do leak at higher pressures (300kPa), so if you do need to use cellarmix at a higher pressure, then in additiona to needing longer lines etc,.. as stated bu pants, you will also need a "tighter" system.

btw welcome to AHB.

 

[sirhendo]

In my experience at the brewery, Cellamix is ideal for serving beer but not force carbonating it.

Cellamix 55 is a 55% CO2 and 45% Nitrogen mix of gasses.

Since the nitrogen is inert and diluting the CO2, you will need to use twice as much cellamix for carbonating to achieve your desired volumes of CO2 carbonation level. Hence, it's not really suitable for carbonating.

Most importantly, I believe that Cellamix is only available in F size bottles (the tall ones). Be safe and don't transport these bottles in closed vehicles (i.e. your car) and always chain the bottle to a wall so that it doesn't fall over, knock the valve off and become a potentially deadly missile.

Use a D size bottle or smaller at home as they are safer to handle and have a collar around the valve.

Welcome to AHB and happy brewing

Hendo

 

[STEVENALI]

Hi I have a gas mixer which takes co2 and nitrogen from the cylinders and then off to the beer kegs at 25co2-75n2
55co2-45n2 and 75co2-25n2 I have tried carbonating with the 75% co2 25% nitrogen and it leaves you with a hugely creamy head and when the beer is dispensed with this mixture,at 120kpa, it again makes a big creamy head and leaves
a brussels lace pattern all the way down the glass,however if the beer is in the keg longer than a week or two it goes a bit flat towards the end.I have never tried to carbonate with the other mixtures but imagine the effect would be more as the nitrogen increased,I had until now thought that the cellermix 55 was for lager????

 

[Sully]

Cellermix, as mentioned above, is 55% Co2 and 45% Nitrogen (or there is a 70% Co2 30% Nitrogen as well) to push the beer over long runs like in pubs at higher pressure without over carbonating the already gassed beer. This is because nitrogen requires a much higher pressure for saturation. If you want to carbonate your beer with Co2, use 100% Co2. If you want a Guiness/Kilkenny where it has the fallout in the glass and the velvety smooth mouth feel, you will need a higher concentrate of Nitrogen, like 70% Nitrogen 30% Co2, force carbonated at around 400kPa. Another thing to consider is if gassing with Nitrogen, dispense with it as well as the Co2 is used it will gradually take over the Nitrogen.

Also be aware that Co2 & Nitrogen have 2 different regulators but unsure of the Cellarmix. The stuff I use to gas stouts is called "Multimix" from BOC and the number is 037VT.



Thats it in lay-mans terms and at 7am on a monday morning with non functioning hungover head.

HTH

Sully

PS - this is from my own experience with using these gases and from what I have learned from others in the past. Others may have had great success.

 

[DU99]

supagas blog
http://www.supagas.com.au/products/hospitality/beverage/
or try this
http://www.aussiehomebrewer.com/forum/inde...showtopic=16216

 

[6tri6ple6]

Thanks for all your replies.
Would i use more gas using cellarmix 55 than straight co2?

i have an old cellarmix bottle which was given to me by a friend, can i fill it with co2 or can it only be filled with cellarmix?
Am i even able to refill it at all?

Cheers
Richard

 

[DU99]

is the bottle out of date..you can get them restamped if they are

 

[sirhendo]

Thanks for all your replies.
Would i use more gas using cellarmix 55 than straight co2?

Yes - because Nitrogen has a lower molecular weight than CO2, it is less dense than straight CO2 and thus you would use more gas.

Cheers!

Hendo

 

[6tri6ple6]

is the bottle out of date..you can get them restamped if they are

the bottle is in date, only 7 years old.

 

[6tri6ple6]

would i need a different regulator or will a co2 reg work?

 

[sirhendo]

a CO2 reg is just fine with Cellamix