Force Carbination

A forum to discuss the various ways of getting beer into your glass.
MTW
Drunk as a Skunk
Posts: 905
Joined: Thu Feb 13, 2014 9:04 pm
Location: Just outside Scarbados

Re: Force Carbination

Post by MTW » Fri Nov 09, 2018 9:03 am

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.
Busy in the Summer House Brewery

Suffolkbrewer
Steady Drinker
Posts: 32
Joined: Sat Oct 20, 2018 3:47 pm

Re: Force Carbination

Post by Suffolkbrewer » Fri Nov 09, 2018 9:26 am

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

james1988
Piss Artist
Posts: 136
Joined: Sun Oct 02, 2011 11:37 am

Re: Force Carbination

Post by james1988 » Fri Nov 09, 2018 9:39 am

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.

Dave S
Even further under the Table
Posts: 2514
Joined: Sun Apr 01, 2012 5:38 pm
Location: Wirral, Merseyside

Re: Force Carbination

Post by Dave S » Sat Nov 10, 2018 12:23 pm

james1988 wrote:
Fri Nov 09, 2018 9:39 am
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.
There is one in LeeH's link on the previous page.
Best wishes

Dave

Suffolkbrewer
Steady Drinker
Posts: 32
Joined: Sat Oct 20, 2018 3:47 pm

Re: Force Carbination

Post by Suffolkbrewer » Sat Nov 10, 2018 9:58 pm

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

User avatar
LeeH
Under the Table
Posts: 1921
Joined: Wed Jan 11, 2012 9:42 pm
Location: North Lincs
Contact:

Force Carbination

Post by LeeH » Sat Nov 10, 2018 11:24 pm

Yes to both.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro
Sabro Single Hop NEIPA 25/02/20 CLICK ME to monitor progress with Brewfather & iSpindel

Suffolkbrewer
Steady Drinker
Posts: 32
Joined: Sat Oct 20, 2018 3:47 pm

Re: Force Carbination

Post by Suffolkbrewer » Wed Nov 28, 2018 7:47 pm

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

BigMouth
Steady Drinker
Posts: 76
Joined: Wed Sep 24, 2014 7:18 pm

Re: Force Carbination

Post by BigMouth » Thu Nov 29, 2018 1:15 am

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.

User avatar
Jim
Site Admin
Posts: 10250
Joined: Sun Aug 22, 2004 1:00 pm
Location: Washington, UK

Re: Force Carbination

Post by Jim » Thu Nov 29, 2018 8:30 am

Suffolkbrewer wrote:
Wed Nov 28, 2018 7:47 pm
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
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.

You could shake it up a bit and let some gas out more frequently as long as there's no sediment in the keg.
NURSE!! He's out of bed again!

JBK on Facebook
JBK on Twitter

User avatar
LeeH
Under the Table
Posts: 1921
Joined: Wed Jan 11, 2012 9:42 pm
Location: North Lincs
Contact:

Force Carbination

Post by LeeH » Thu Nov 29, 2018 9:58 pm

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.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro
Sabro Single Hop NEIPA 25/02/20 CLICK ME to monitor progress with Brewfather & iSpindel

Suffolkbrewer
Steady Drinker
Posts: 32
Joined: Sat Oct 20, 2018 3:47 pm

Re: Force Carbination

Post by Suffolkbrewer » Sun Dec 02, 2018 11:34 am

Thanks Lee

Makes perfect sense

Post Reply