Force Carbination
Re: Force Carbination
I had one attempt at shaking, and overdid it in under a minute. (The only way to get the excess gas out of solution in any sort of time was to send a few short bursts down the OUT tube to nucleate it from the bottom while venting... in case you ever need it! Not sure it does the delicate aromatics much good though.)
When I had kegs, like Jim, I never trusted my lines enough to completely set it and forget it, with the risk of losing a whole CO2 bottle. So I did a sort of set-and-not-quite-forget, which was done by revisiting the keg regularly and keeping it topped up to the target pressure. That's OK if you can be around enough. It's safe enough to put double the desired pressure in for the first couple of days at least, and give yourself a break having to revisit quite so regularly. As long as the temperature stays constant, the beer will eventually have absorbed the maximum volume of CO2 it can without it getting any colder. So when the reading on the regulator settles at your target, you're done, and just keep the gas pressure (whether constant or even bursts following a session) at the desired psi.
When I had kegs, like Jim, I never trusted my lines enough to completely set it and forget it, with the risk of losing a whole CO2 bottle. So I did a sort of set-and-not-quite-forget, which was done by revisiting the keg regularly and keeping it topped up to the target pressure. That's OK if you can be around enough. It's safe enough to put double the desired pressure in for the first couple of days at least, and give yourself a break having to revisit quite so regularly. As long as the temperature stays constant, the beer will eventually have absorbed the maximum volume of CO2 it can without it getting any colder. So when the reading on the regulator settles at your target, you're done, and just keep the gas pressure (whether constant or even bursts following a session) at the desired psi.
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Re: Force Carbination
Thanks All
The advice here is great and certainly getting the response to leave it alone. I will drop the temp of the fridge slightly to get it down to around 5 degrees. Do i leave the gas on at 30psi for the full week or do i need to drop the psi after a few days down to serving pressure?
One more Q, i can only get three cornies into the fridge at any one time, using the lager as an example, is it ok once carbonated to then remove from the fridge and store in the garage until required? Once i've got space in the fridge, put it back in, wait for it to cool down and settle and then connect the gas and serve?
I do have a two product chiller with recirculation, i assume if i leave the keg outside of the fridge and run it through the chiller this would not cause too many issues apart from the first pints drawn not being at the correct serving temp. Once i have the beer going through the chiller this will then serve normally?
Thanks for all your help, a learning curve but one well worth the end results.
SB
The advice here is great and certainly getting the response to leave it alone. I will drop the temp of the fridge slightly to get it down to around 5 degrees. Do i leave the gas on at 30psi for the full week or do i need to drop the psi after a few days down to serving pressure?
One more Q, i can only get three cornies into the fridge at any one time, using the lager as an example, is it ok once carbonated to then remove from the fridge and store in the garage until required? Once i've got space in the fridge, put it back in, wait for it to cool down and settle and then connect the gas and serve?
I do have a two product chiller with recirculation, i assume if i leave the keg outside of the fridge and run it through the chiller this would not cause too many issues apart from the first pints drawn not being at the correct serving temp. Once i have the beer going through the chiller this will then serve normally?
Thanks for all your help, a learning curve but one well worth the end results.
SB
Re: Force Carbination
Have a look for a carbonation chart, that'll show you the correct pressure for a given temperature.
With regards to gassing and leaving in the garage I can't see why you'd have a problem.
With regards to gassing and leaving in the garage I can't see why you'd have a problem.
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Re: Force Carbination
Further update.
Had it sitting at 5 degrees that last couple of days and at 30 psi. Tested today and indeed have gone from flat to carbonated. Lesson learnt to leave it for a couple of days!
So, final question, now it's carbonated, do i pull the PRV and now adjust it to serving pressure? Regarding storing cornies in the garage until they are required, i'm assuming i just leave at carbonated pressure until required and then put back on the fridge to settle and then serve at serving pressure?
Tks
SB
Had it sitting at 5 degrees that last couple of days and at 30 psi. Tested today and indeed have gone from flat to carbonated. Lesson learnt to leave it for a couple of days!
So, final question, now it's carbonated, do i pull the PRV and now adjust it to serving pressure? Regarding storing cornies in the garage until they are required, i'm assuming i just leave at carbonated pressure until required and then put back on the fridge to settle and then serve at serving pressure?
Tks
SB
Force Carbination
Yes to both.
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Re: Force Carbination
So, i think i may have gone from one extreme to another here. Before embarking on a 10 day holiday, the day before i kegged up some lager connected the CO2 at 35psi and left it. Come back from holiday and now just getting foam (yes it was sitting for 10 days at 35 psi). I have released all the CO2 and reset it to 10psi for serving and now getting a lot of foam. I have the suspicion i have indeed over carbonated the beer.
Is there anyway back from this, or another 'lesson learnt'?
Thanks
SB
Is there anyway back from this, or another 'lesson learnt'?
Thanks
SB
Re: Force Carbination
A serving pressure only needs to push it out. I set to 2 psi.
Don't fire it out at 10 psi. But then my lines are only 6 foot from keg to tap.
Don't fire it out at 10 psi. But then my lines are only 6 foot from keg to tap.
Re: Force Carbination
Keep releasing pressure from the keg via the PRV every few hours, while testing to see how it's doing. At some point enough CO2 will come out of solution.Suffolkbrewer wrote: ↑Wed Nov 28, 2018 7:47 pmSo, i think i may have gone from one extreme to another here. Before embarking on a 10 day holiday, the day before i kegged up some lager connected the CO2 at 35psi and left it. Come back from holiday and now just getting foam (yes it was sitting for 10 days at 35 psi). I have released all the CO2 and reset it to 10psi for serving and now getting a lot of foam. I have the suspicion i have indeed over carbonated the beer.
Is there anyway back from this, or another 'lesson learnt'?
Thanks
SB
You could shake it up a bit and let some gas out more frequently as long as there's no sediment in the keg.
Force Carbination
If you carb at serving pressure all this messing around is avoided.
It also gives your beer its needed conditioning time.
Set and forget with the correct length of hose is simple and reliable.
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It also gives your beer its needed conditioning time.
Set and forget with the correct length of hose is simple and reliable.
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Sabro Single Hop NEIPA 25/02/20 CLICK ME to monitor progress with Brewfather & iSpindel
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Re: Force Carbination
Thanks Lee
Makes perfect sense
Makes perfect sense