Forced Carbonation

[Vrtigo]

Hi guys, I have been using a keg-in-fridge setup for just over a year now. I initially used the "ross method" but found it a little clumsy and almost always ended up with over/under carbonated beer. I then decided to pick a pressure and let the beer slowly come up to that pressure - I seem to prefer my beer at 80kpa at 2deg C, which turns out to be around 2.7 Volumes of CO2, similar to what you would see in a Premium Larger, etc.

Anyway, this system has been producing perfectly carbonated beer but with one caveat; IT TAKES AGES, usually around 12 days from start to finish.

SO, I was hoping that somebody might know of a pressure/time converter or equation so that I may up the pressure to, for example, 400kPA for 6 hours at 2 degrees and then have arrived at my desired 2.7 Vol CO2. I have had a look on the net but can find no such thing.

Any ideas?

 

[mxd]

not too sure if there is a algorithm, but I have just started trying,

I run same pressure/temp as you.

put beer in keg
put gas reg on 250 in gas port
After 48 hours
disconnect gas
shake(if you put gas in beer port maybe not need to shake)
wait a few hours to settle
release gas from keg
gas reg to 80
connect gas
seems close to correct carbonation

 

[Pete2501]

I use one of these with great success. http://www.craftbrewer.com.au/shop/details.asp?PID=876

I normally keg late at night so I leave it in to do it's buisness and when I get home from work the next day it's good to go.

I keg after I CC the beer. So it's already cold, I tried this without CC'ing and it took two nights.

 

[Vrtigo]

Wow that was an incredibly quick reply mxd and sounds like its certainly a good place to start. Have already started to carbonate my current keg but for the next batch I will definitely give that a try.


-Cheers

 

[MarkBastard]

I use one of these with great success. http://www.craftbrewer.com.au/shop/details.asp?PID=876

I normally keg late at night so I leave it in to do it's buisness and when I get home from work the next day it's good to go.

I keg after I CC the beer. So it's already cold, I tried this without CC'ing and it took two nights.

Anyone tried making one of these using a John Guest bulkhead fitting?

I'm thinking you could then connect your gas line to one side of the bulk head fitting, and have another bit of line with he carb stone on the other side.

That way if you have an extra cornie lid hanging around anyway you could throw it together quite cheap.

 

[alowen474]

I usually set the reg on the gas in at 40psi for 48hrs, then back off to 7 or 8 psi and drink away.

 

[Kingy]

couldnt you force carb by shaking method (rossway) and keep shaking with pressure turned off till the dial drops to around 120kpa.
wait and relieve the pressure as normally do. Hook seving pressure up at 80kpa,wait a few days, im fairly sure it would be serving around that pressure perfect in a few days.

I shake rattle and roll mine untill the pressure drops back to around 140-150. Relieve pressure and hook upto serving pressure of 100kpa. If i was to drink now it wouldnt feel like it was carbed up properly.
But After a few days at serving pressure it balnces out (equilibrium)and its more carbonated than it was after the initial force carb routine. And pours perfect. Beats me why,thats just how it is lol

on my system it takes about 2 weeks to slowly carb up at 100kpa
but if i force carb by shaking then adjust to 100kpa it takes 3-4 days to reach the same outcome as the slow method.

 

[Pete2501]

Another method is the slipper method.

It's like the ross method but instead of maximising the KPA you set it to serving pressure and just keep rocking it with your foot. The slipper is used to keep your foot warm.

 

[Ross]

Rock keg on its side for 30 seconds (ale), or 45 seconds (lager/wheat) at 300kpa.
Remove gas disconnect from keg.
Vent the keg & reset the regulator to your prefered pressure (80kpa in your circumstance).
Connect gas disconnect to keg & rock until bubbling ceases into the keg (if you have a non return valve in place, you can hold this & you will feel it vibrating as CO2 passes through it, otherwise you'll need to listen for the bubbles entering the keg).
If you do it this way, you cannot overcarb, as once the gas reaches equilibrium nothing more will happen, however long you rock it for.
You should have a fully carbed beer in approx 5 minutes total.

cheers Ross

 

[Pollux]

I have recently moved from the slipper method to the 250kpa for 24ish hours method and that achieves enough carb to make it drinkable the next day, naturally the keg improves over the course of the following week.

I honestly have zero idea what temp by fridge runs at, I have my reg set to 80-100kpa (as you can see, I'm big on checking details) unless it's force carbing and both taps have a 2.5m line attached........

 

[mxd]

forgot to mention mine is "room temp when it goes in the freezer, if you CC then 24 to 36 woould be a good number to start at.

 

[NeilArge]

forgot to mention mine is "room temp when it goes in the freezer, if you CC then 24 to 36 woould be a good number to start at.

I've been a bit like vrtigo - lost my confidence with force carbing and so just went the 'set and forget' way, though you nearly do have to forget as it does take a while to carb up properly. I'm still keen to experiment with Ross's slipper method (thanks Ross!) but I have another issue. I have a JSGA clone in the fridge and got it pouring beautifully a week or so ago. Fridge is at 5C, reg is set at 12 psi (88kpa), and I have about 3m of beer line. I'm a bit ticked off now as the first schooner or two pours perfectly but subsequent pours are just masses of foam that eventually give half a glass of flat beer. WTF is happening to my system (please)?

ToG

 

[Deerfoot]

Well I've done mine a wee bit differently, 5 micron stone on bottom which is connected to the inlet fitting via tubing. Corny keg & beer has been cooled down to 2-3 degrees. I purge the tank for about 2 minutes at 12-15 psi, let the pressure out. I then set the pressure back to 8 psi, turn on the CO2 and let it sit, sometimes for 30 minutes other times over night. IMHO the key is the diffusion stone saturating the cold liquid. Regards

 

[rowanb]

Ross - do you reckon it would be half the time for a half-sized keg or would there be other factors with a smaller volume?

Rock keg on its side for 30 seconds (ale), or 45 seconds (lager/wheat) at 300kpa.
Remove gas disconnect from keg.
Vent the keg & reset the regulator to your prefered pressure (80kpa in your circumstance).
Connect gas disconnect to keg & rock until bubbling ceases into the keg (if you have a non return valve in place, you can hold this & you will feel it vibrating as CO2 passes through it, otherwise you'll need to listen for the bubbles entering the keg).
If you do it this way, you cannot overcarb, as once the gas reaches equilibrium nothing more will happen, however long you rock it for.
You should have a fully carbed beer in approx 5 minutes total.

cheers Ross

 

[dr_fuct]

My method (works great & consistant) from fermenter tube on tap to beer disconnect runn beer through tube & diptube into keg, warm keg straight into fridge at 1deg purge headspace check for leaks, reg straight to 44 psi for 48 hours. after 48 hrs wind reg down leave connected connect tap, open at this pressure pull maybe 1 to 1 1/2 pints from keg (this pulls any sediment from bottom of keg) & leave at 8 to 10 psi serving pressure