Force Conditioning (Carbonation)
Rather than not recommending force carbonation, (I prefer education to fear motivation) it may be better for a beginner to learn about the process first and thereby reduce possible problems. I think what you are trying to say is not to use excessive pressure during force carbonation - always good advice.
I hope these few tips help.
If you have a fermenter that can be pressurised you could close the valve with about one degree plato (say 1.004 of SG) left for the fermentation and force carb with "natural " CO2 . Ross has and adjustable PRV with a gas connect and dial pressure gage http://www.craftbrewer.com/shop/details.asp?PID=1069 so you can dial in the correct pressure. Bottle with a counter pressure bottle filler or keg. I conceed not that many home brewers will have stainless conicals that are pressure rated.
When you bottle you add a measured dose of fermentables to your beer to allow the residual yeast to re-commence fermentation in the bottle and create the carbonation in a bottle-conditioned beer.This method is tried and true but completely ignores the following factors:
1) Yeast viability. After fermenting your beer, especially if it's a higher gravity beer of 1.060 or more a lenghty lagering your yeast may be tired out and might not be up to the task.
2) Sediment. Good for you, but it's not pretty. This is probably the single biggest turn-off to the average non-educated beer drinker. Some people dont like their beers to look like cream of chicken soup.
3) History.Some home brewers shudder at the idea of deviating from the Reinheitsgebot (German purity law of 1516 ) and would rather prime by krausening.
4) Fermentation temperature profile. This is the amount of CO2 that is already disolved in the green beer post fermentation. This depends on the temperature profile of the ferment.
5) Carbonation level required for the beer style being produced usualy expressed in terms of volumes
6) It is very important that the beer has completely finished fermenting (stable SG) and there are no residual fermentable sugars left. Bottling too early, typically results in excessive carbonation, or even bottle bombs. You should also be aware that some beers,especialy darker or other full-bodied beers, may contain some long-chain sugars (dextrins limit dextrins) that will ferment very slowly, leading to a gradual increase in carbonation over a period of months.
Force carbonating will allow you to hit your desired level every time, without exception - If done correctly
There is usualy a tendancy for homebrewers to want to carbonate ASAP. While this can be achieved very rapidly indeed, it totaly ignores the other very important thing that is happening at the same time - MATURATION. This is the developing and mellowing of flavours produced during fermentation and takes much longer to achieve - perhaps 2 - 8 weeks. So if our beer is going to take this long to develop why the rush to carbonate?
There are two methods of force conditioning (carbonating) your beer in a Homebrew keg. The patient method (recommended) and the impatient method (she'll be right no worries, I'm thirsty NOW - you know the drill). The patient method will always give you the most consistant results. It's based strictly on physics so you can do it over and over and achieve the same results every time.
The amount of CO that will dissolve into your beer is dependent mostly on two factors, temperature and pressure. This is a temperature pressure equalibrium - for a given pressure, the amont of CO2 dissolved increases with lowering temperature. For a given temperature the amount of gas increases with increased pressure.Equilibrium means the same amount of CO is diffusing out of the beer as is being dissolved back into solution.
Generally ales tend to be carbonated at the lower end, lagers higher. The amount of CO dissolved in beer is most often referred to in terms of volumes. Volumes of CO are defined as the volume the CO gas would occupy if it were removed from the beer at atmospheric pressure and 0C, compared to the original volume of beer. Most beers in Australia contain roughly 2.4-2.7 volumes of carbon dioxide, or about 5 odd grams per litre. This means that if all the carbon dioxide in one litre of beer were expanded at 0C and at one atmosphere of pressure, its volume would be 2.4 -2.7 litres. Try it with a stubbie and a balloon! Use VB that way you wont waste good beer :lol:
The Patient Method
1) Clean and sanitise your keg thoroughly. I always purge the Keg with a little CO to exclude oxygen.
2) Gently rack your beer into the keg and filter if required.Dont just open the tap, use a tube to fill you keg from the bottom up.
3) Replace the lid on the keg and re-pressurise again to say 10 psi, let it sit for a minute, bleed the pressure off again to re-purge (also known as 'burping' your keg).This step is about reducing oxygen exposure of beer.
4) Determine the temperature that your beer will be during carbonation, this is usualy going to be the temperature that the beer will be served at (unless you have lots of fridges) and set your regulator accordingly.For a temperature of about 2 Deg.c, 10 or 11 PSI is all that is required! It will reach its saturation point if the temperature is right, and the regulator will shut down altogether and never over-carbonate. Allowing sufficient maturing time will allow plenty of time for conditioning. I have a chart I use if this will help anyone? Let me know, its not on this PC, I can post it tomorrow. It has PSI and KPA, Farenheight and Celcius.
If your dispensing pressure is the same as the equalibrium pressure required for the selected beer style and your system, then you are indeed a lucky brewer.
The Impatient Method
1) Follow steps 1, 2 and 3 from the patient method and chill to desired temperature - Remember beer will not absorb sufficient CO at room temperature without excessive pressure.
2) Set your regulator to (insert unnesessarily high number here) psi and pressurise your keg until you hear/feel the flow of gas stop, and shake/roll your keg vigorously for 5 minutes. Alternatively lay your keg on its side and gently rock the keg, if you have the gas entering at the bottom you will hear the gas rushing into the keg. Stop rocking and soon the gas will stop, rock again and gas will once again flow. I'm sure a cursory search of this site will show many methods like this. Rocking increases the liquid/gas interface suface area where gas adsorption happens.
3) Repeat step 2 until:
a) Your beer will receive no more carbonation at this pressure setting at which time it will be over-carbonated.
b)You die of a massive heart attack. B)
c) You fluke the correct carbonation level. Hey-it happens quite often with practice right?
Obviously this method should only be used as a last resort. Even if it doesn't cause you grievous bodily harm, it leads to rough handling of your precious homebrew and uncertain carbonation levels.
Remember that the gas can be connected to the black beverage disconnect (out) for cornies (you will need a black connector ) John guest connectors make it easy if you are swapping. I have a t-piece on the gas line with a black and a grey as requierd so that the CO bubbles up through the beer.
You can also use a
carbonation keg lid that has a 0.5 micron stainless steel air-stone at the bottom of the keg to introduce the CO as a very fine stream of bubbles that have a larger surface area, that will rise slowly in the keg and adsorb much faster.Carbonation time with the carbonation keg lid can be reduced to as little as one hour at the correct temperature!
A big word of caution here - if your cylinder runs out, beer can return via the gas line and ruin your regulator. This method is called reverse booting and has ruined many an expensive regulator. Fit a non return valve in you gas line to be safe. The Harris gauges I have are the 802cdr2 dual pressure and are supposed to have a built in non return valve - I still fitted a JG NRV
If you find you need to go from primary to drinking kegged beer in less than two weeks, you need to sort your life out
and get a little further ahead with you brews.
