Trouble With Ross Method

[T.D.]

Totally agree, when carbonating at such high pressures you open yourself up to a bunch of issues. Most important is probably the liklihood of over or under shooting the desired carbonation level.

 

[mateostojic]

MateO,

Doesn't look like anyone answered the one way valve bit of your question...

This confuses me even more because i dont see how (after turning off the gas) the regulator is meant to show the pressure reduction in the keg if the one way valve does not allow any CO2 (and therefore pressure difference) to pass from the keg to the regulator.

So... This part is pretty simple. As the Co2 is "absorbed" by the flat beer the pressure in the keg reduces = low pressure... the pressure on the other (reg) side of the one way valve is higher = high pressure... The one way valve allows the high pressure Co2 (on the reg side) to flow to the low pressure situation inside the keg. Hence the pressure reg will display the real pressure inside the keg

Only time this won't be the case is if you over carb and then shake or warm up the keg - thus releasing Co2 from suspension - which can't get back passed the one way valve to the reg. But if you have that happening then... you have just saved yourself a very expensive trip to your HBS for a new reg, which is the reason I have a one way valve.

I do have a question to add though! (maybe Butters can help?) Does the 'slipper method' produce the same fine sticky head that the "sit 'n' wait for a week at pouring pressure" produces? ie is it the pressure or the time that makes the difference?

I currently use the Ross method amended to 250 Kpa for 2 - 2.5mins - turns out ok.

John.

When you break it down like that it makes a lot of sense. Cheers John

 

[tdh]

Have always carbed a keg rapidly. Just keep everything consistent e.g. number of shakes or rocks, kPa, temp of keg and beer.
Absolutely most definitely piss easy.

Why risk losing a whole bottle of CO2 to a slow leak by carbing over a number of days???

tdh

 

[Pollux]

I just slippered my Fat Yak clone as after two days in the fridge on the gas it was still VERY low in terms of carbonation....

Left it for 45mins while I did some cooking, just grabbed a schooner and it's great.....

 

[Fourstar]

dito warren. I find just chucking it into the keg fridge for 1 week on 15psi does the job just right with out needing to overly man handle the keg.

For those who are anal about their gas leaking the ross method is quite good. Ive never had an issue with force carbing this way. just take it slow. like they say with salt additions, you can always put the gas in, but its alot harder to get it out. A simple crank the regulator and shake the arse out of her is all i do, once she's equalised at the desired pressure, she's pourable in 10 mins.

For those who filter their beer and dont have to worry about nautral finning/clarification, its all systems go at this point.

 

[poida]

After failing to get consistent results using the Ross method, I now deliberately under carb by only shaking the keg for 20-25 seconds at 300kpa. I then wait an hour or so, vent the keg, set it to pouring pressure (after consulting a carbonation chart) and within 1-2 days it'll be perfect, instead of waiting the whole week.

You could also try shaking the keg a little longer than that (say 35 seconds) and drink it slightly undercarbed the first session, then from the next day it should be right. But if you're desperate for a beer straight away, it'll just take a few goes to figure out what works for you.

 

[MarkBastard]

Yeah I sometimes intentionally under-carb, but sometimes I'll just hook the keg up to the gas, set the pressure at something really high, and then let it sit overnight like that. Then I'll vent and repeat the process the next day. Then I'll just leave it at serving pressure and on the third day or so it's usually all good.

I guess sitting the head pressure high naturally carbonates at a faster rate. Disconnecting the gas ensures only that amount of gas can go into solution, so overcarbing is less likely.

Someone that knows more than me could probably work out the volume of the head space in the keg, how much co2 in total is needed per keg to fully carbonate it, and then what pressure you'd need to fill the headspace with that much co2. Then I guess you could set and forget?

 

[buttersd70]

Thers nothing wrong, imo, with force carbing at a high pressure, on the proviso that:

a/ you have already balanced your system on a keg of known carbonation level; and
b/ you have an understanding of the sighns/symptons pf both over, and under carbonation.

IMO, for new keggers, that are only just setting their systems up, either a 'let it sit' or a 'shake and roll at serving temp' is the best option, at least for the first keg.....that way, the line length, etc can be adjusted for the known level of carb, which makes troubleshooting issues with a "by eye" method easier.

Personally, I do a 'compromise' version nowadays....higher than serving, but not as high as the 'Ross method'...cos I can tell at a glance if it's over or under, from the first pour....cos my lines are 'tweaked' already from the other method/s.


note: it never ceases to amaze me how contrary some people can be about a concept, just because they don't like the person that voiced it. Disageeing for the sake of disagreeing. h34r:

edit: spellingk

edit v2: re gas leaks, if you fail to check regularly with soapy water or similiar, then you're just doing bad practice.....I check all my seals, joints etc at least weekly. It's just common sense.....2c

 

[Fourstar]

edit v2: re gas leaks, if you fail to check regularly with soapy water or similiar, then you're just doing bad practice.....I check all my seals, joints etc at least weekly. It's just common sense.....2c

OR do as i do and turn the gas bottle off until serving. There is enough positive pressure to stop any chance of unlikly backflow. If you're pressure gage drops to 0 before the next session, you either have leak issues or a keg is still taking on gas.