Kegged Cider Carbonation Issue

[Crakkers]

Hi all,
looking for some help with my first batch of apple cider which I kegged about a week ago.
I am having trouble getting it carbonated. When I keg a beer, 1.5 to 2 days at 400kpa and about 3 degrees C. is all I need to carbonate it to my liking.
I figured that cider should have more carbonation than beer so I first checked it after 2 full days - almost completely flat.
Then left it at full pressure for another day - same thing. Then 1 more day, still flat.
There is quite a bit of lemonadey type foam that comes out when pouring and I'm wondering if all the gas is being lost through that and I've possibly over-carbonated it and it's just going flat while being poured.
I've never had this problem with beer, even over-carbonated beer is still gassy after the head has been removed.
Has anyone else had this problem? Any advice would be much appreciated, cheers.

 

[stux]

Hi all,
looking for some help with my first batch of apple cider which I kegged about a week ago.
I am having trouble getting it carbonated. When I keg a beer, 1.5 to 2 days at 400kpa and about 3 degrees C. is all I need to carbonate it to my liking.
I figured that cider should have more carbonation than beer so I first checked it after 2 full days - almost completely flat.
Then left it at full pressure for another day - same thing. Then 1 more day, still flat.
There is quite a bit of lemonadey type foam that comes out when pouring and I'm wondering if all the gas is being lost through that and I've possibly over-carbonated it and it's just going flat while being poured.
I've never had this problem with beer, even over-carbonated beer is still gassy after the head has been removed.
Has anyone else had this problem? Any advice would be much appreciated, cheers.

In my experience cider doesn't hold a head. There's just not enough proteins in the cider.

You've probably over carbonated now... just set your pressure to 90kpa or whatever is your slow carbonating pressure and leave it.

 

[Crakkers]

In my experience cider doesn't hold a head. There's just not enough proteins in the cider.

You've probably over carbonated now... just set your pressure to 90kpa or whatever is your slow carbonating pressure and leave it.

Thanks for the reply Stux. It's not actually holding a head, it just foams up on pouring then dissipates pretty quickly.
It looks like I have over carbonated it. I just opened the keg and scooped out a small sample and it was way too bubbly!
I'll have to let it go flat for a while, then hopefully it will pour properly and retain the CO2 in the cider, rather than having it all escape through the foaming.

 

[Wimmig]

Thanks for the reply Stux. It's not actually holding a head, it just foams up on pouring then dissipates pretty quickly.
It looks like I have over carbonated it. I just opened the keg and scooped out a small sample and it was way too bubbly!
I'll have to let it go flat for a while, then hopefully it will pour properly and retain the CO2 in the cider, rather than having it all escape through the foaming.

What method of keg carbonation did you use? I don't see cider being as easily saturated with CO2 as say, beer. I've found a few issues in the past with correct carbonation and CO2 saturation. Most of these have been solved with the less is more attitude and a tap with a restrictor device on it.

 

[fat matt]

Try filtering it first, so it doesnt keep fermenting in the keg. I have the same problem if I dont drink it for a while. Real big bubbles and alot of crap. I vent the keg and it is good to go in about 15 minutes

 

[Crakkers]

I used the same keg carbonation method that I've used successfully with my beer for the last 18 years. That is to say it goes in the keg at fermentation temperature, the keg is then put in the fridge and the gas connected at 400kpa. roughly 36 hours later, the beer is cold and carbonated - no rolling or shaking the keg, it just sits in the fridge. I did this with the cider but left it for 48 hours before testing. Maybe the CO2 is absorbed more rapidly because of the lower S.G. of the cider compared with beer???
As for filtering, I used a packet of Still Spirits Turbo Clear to settle out most of the yeast. That, combined with the temperature in the fridge should mean there's no more fermentation going on. I've been releasing to pressure and taking the lid off for short spells to drop the carbonation level and that seems to be slowly working.
Who knows, I might even get a decent glassful before the keg's empty!

 

[katzke]

Never done it so just a guess.

I would suspect that cider is more like water then beer. That said you could try beer pressure and see if it has enough fizz for you. If you feel you need more fizz then you will need more pressure and longer serving line to balance it out.

My soda line is about 5 meters long.