Corny carbonation lids and stones, any good?

[gobuchul]

Looking at the carbonation lids for cornys.

Before I spend £25, are they any better than just racking up the pressure on the normal post?

How does putting the gas in at the bottom make any difference?

Why not just have a long dip tube on the gas inlet post as well?

Can any physicists or gas engineers explain why it would be better?

[Jambo]

Had to google that to see what you meant. Do you have a link for a UK supplier?

I would also be interested to hear actual experience but the theory is good. I certainly have had better experience (quicker carbonation) putting the gas temporarily onto the OUT post. Putting it in at the bottom lets the gas bubble up through the liquid giving it more opportunity to dissolve, is my understanding. The stone should also help the gas dissolve more easily.

Jamie

[gobuchul]

Good point Jamie, I might just try banging the CO2 connection on the out post.

Cheers!

[demig]

Long dip tube on the gas in would be a huge problem so definitely don't do that, it is short for a reason. The reason being that if you have a pressurised keg and connect a gas line with a lower pressure than the keg pressure the beer will be forced up the gas line and potentially ruin your regulator. Putting the gas temporarily onto the out post could of course do the same thing but for the fact the keg shouldn't be under pressure so you'll get away with it and you will get more CO2 dissolved as it bubbles through. Personally I'd not like to risk making a habit of putting a gas line on the out side just in case.

[Matt in Birdham]

I'm sure it works to speed up carbonation, but at the end of the day I question whether it is worth the hassle just to serve beer a few days earlier? THere are already other techniques you could use if you are in a hurry - e.g. run it at 30psi or so for a couple of days before backing down to serving pressure, or 30psi and roll on the floor for a few minutes (which I tried once, successfully). Now I just set it at serving pressure and leave it for a week, which gives the beer a chance to settle out and age a bit as well - so much simpler!

[orlando]

I'm sure it works to speed up carbonation, but at the end of the day I question whether it is worth the hassle just to serve beer a few days earlier? THere are already other techniques you could use if you are in a hurry - e.g. run it at 30psi or so for a couple of days before backing down to serving pressure, or 30psi and roll on the floor for a few minutes (which I tried once, successfully). Now I just set it at serving pressure and leave it for a week, which gives the beer a chance to settle out and age a bit as well - so much simpler!

Matt nails it. This is another of those "solutions in search of a problem". Patience is one of the most important ingredients in brewing. I'm sure we could all come up with quite a list of things that repay this under appreciated commodity.

[Fil]

you also run a risk of squirting liquid co2 in and freezing the product out dip tube resulting in a blown tube if the co2 bottle should fall horizontal while carbonating. (chain up your co2 bottle) if you squirt a hi pressure of co2 in the usual gas in post and let it sit at that pressure for a week your beer is conditioned in half the time it would take naturally it wont mature it significantly faster however.

[ciderhead]

I have one, if you want to carb in half the time they are good, don't bother using them for IPA's or anything hoppy it will strip aroma.
Like the other posters have said its a novelty product, far better to condition over a week or if you are really stuck roll the keg.

[simon12]

Never tried it but have read, if you want to force carb in a corny quickly gas it up to whatever pressure you would normally use then disconnect everything, roll it round for 5 mins gas it back up repeat until it stays at the desired pressure and you should be able to carbonate it in half an hour or less. Like I say I have never tried it.