Carbonating

[Ian]

I wondered what thoughts you guys have on carbonating. Apart from being new to AG brewing, I am also new to the kegging business. It is the first time I have kegged beer and it looks like just the ticket compared with the hassle of bottling. Now, a mate I am in email contact with is a veteran brewer and in his opinion (and I am sure many folk have a different take) he reckons the beer really needs four weeks in the fridge, in the keg, to settle and condition, and sees no point in setting the CO2 pressure beyond 100KPA or force carbonating. So I have set that pressure, but the instructions for kegging (and it seems many brewers) prefer to force carbonate at a higher pressure for less time. Just wondered what your thoughts were on that? Is there any point in getting up to carbonation pressure quicker if the beer still needs to condition and settle out for a few more weeks?
Actually I wanted to draw a drop for tasters this morning and my Corny keg (which only just fits into the height of the beer fridge) tumbled out, breaking the inlet pipe off at the attachment toggle! I don't imagine I need to tell you how that spreads beer around the kitchen and you, far and wide and in quick time! I got the pressure off and re-fitted the wee pipe and clamped it with a twist of wire and it is now fine and reinstalled in the little keggerator at 100KPA - innitiation into this lark can be heaps of fun, especially for anyone watching!

[JoKing]

Hi Ian. Your friend is a bit anal. That being said, it is a good idea to condition your beer for that long - it can't hurt it... and if you have the patience, go for it.

And... you did ask what we do with our kegging and carbonating, so here goes...

I brew a batch of beer around 5% alcohol. I wait for it to stop fermenting. I chill it at zero for 2 days. If it doesn't look the way I want it to look (depending on style) at that point I will either fine it, or keg it (depending on style). When it's in the keg, I put the pressure up to 3 bar overnight. In the morning, I check the carbonation - if it's not fizzy enough, I leave it 'till I get home from work. If It's good enough (depends on style) I turn the pressure off there and then. When I get home from work, I drink it to see if it needs conditioning. If it tastes good, I'll probably have a few pints.

I think it is up to your own professional disgression when it comes to "how long" to condition it for. If it tastes good, drink it: this is why you brewed it. If it doesn't taste as you expected, leave it for a couple of weeks - at least it'll be fizzy when you come to try it then - and you'll have a better idea at that time what it will be like.

I've mentioned it before on here, and my best grain to brain turnaround is 7 days: 4 days primary 1 days at zero fined for 1 day carbonated over night and enjoyed for a week and a bit. That brew was grain on day one, and the keg was empty within 3 weeks.

It all depends on what you are brewing, and why you are brewing.

Nice rant!

[Nolen Smith]

Hey Joking, I think I'll try that approach. I've tried the shake 'n bake a few times and wasn't all that happy with the results. So, I started going with the two-week wait. I just kegged my Mild on Wednesday night and don't want to wait two weeks to try it. :-)

[JoKing]

Good for you Nolen - I say "if it tastes good, drink it".

I find 3bar makes it impossible to measure how much fizz is in the beer, but if you like how fizzy it is when you test it - turn the gas off. If it needs more fizz - leave it on. In my experience, a mild will only need 8hrs on 3 bar - that sort of gives it a bit of fizz, but not as much as a lager: maybe 1/3 the amount of fizz.

[Nolen Smith]

Yea, same - I made it to drink, so why wait! ;-)

It's been on just over 1 bar since Wed night, so I'll crank it to 3 tonight and try it in the morning.

I've found with my last 3 or so brews that they are coming out of the secondary really clear and bright - so I don't need to let it set any for clarifying. I'm not sure what I've done differently (sorry, changing topic here), but, damn, they are really coming out clear. I have a photo of the mild after two weeks - clear as. I'll post it when I get home this arvo.

[denimglen]

Just like anything brewing, ask 10 people and get 15 different answers.

As for time in keg - depends how much time it's been in the fermenter and type of beer. Four weeks sounds a bit much, 1.5 - 2 weeks is enough for carbonation.

I'm a set-and-forget kinda guy. Beer into keg, keg into fridge, gas onto keg (at carbonating pressure, heaps of calculators and tables out there), leave for at least 1.5 weeks, drink at carbing pressure with balanced lines.

Easy, no dramas.

I've never been happy with priming kegs, or the shake-and-bake method.

[James P]

As above.... so that's three people and two answers.... :)

[Ian]

Well that's great, thanks. And I have seen that beer brewing is like boats, or any other pasttime you care to mention that is a bit technical, you will get heaps of different answers from heaps of different folks. Of course it can be confusing and there is no substitute for personal experience (I'm still sticky from a fine all-round coating of beer) but still, the answers give you a bit of a feel for what other people find works and also some things you should, or definately should not, do. This beer is called a sunsplash Golden Ale - but the yeast was US - 05, so would you guess that 100KPA would be about right for starters?
The recipe called for refrigerating for a couple of weeks, which sounded a bit long. I just stuck the whole fermentor into the fridge as was suggested awhile ago for a few days then kegged. I was a bit concerned that as it cooled it might eventually suck some air in through the airlock, which might cause some oxidation?

[denimglen]

To figure out your pressure - what temp is the beer served at and how many volumes of C02 are you shooting for?

For a blonde/golden ale I'd go for about 2.5 volumes and serve at about 7C which would require about 100kpa. For 2.5volumes at normal fridge temp, 4C, then you would need 80kpa.

I'd refridge for about 1 - 3 days then transfer to keg, then leave in keg at above pressure for 1.5 - 2 weeks.

It might suck some air in through the airlock but it shouldn't be too much. It's handy that CO2 is heavier than oxygen so there's not much contact...in theory anyway.

[Ian]

Great, thanks Denimglen. I have the fridge set at only about 10C - but I think I'll wind it down a bit.

[James P]

Force carbing calculator at the bottom of the page

[Reviled]

I force carb in 50 seconds :o) The beer normally goes from fermenter to keg at about 2-3*c, then I just crank the gas up to 300kpa and rock the keg back and forth for 50 seconds, leave it to settle for an hour then vent down to serving pressure... I find this level works well for low carbonated beers, if I want it a bit fizzier, I just turn the pressure up in the keg to 200 kpa and disconnect the gas, then purge in the morning and check the carbonation level..

I do it this way, cos once a beer has gone into the keg im itching to know what it tastes like!!

[Ian]

I wonder what you think of the following comment? I have been advised by a couple of sources that it is a good idea to cut off the wee tube in the keg for the inlet. That way you can get in an extra litre when kegging but most important it won't send beer through into your regulator if it is slightly too full, or if you should reduce the pressure and forget to vent the keg after doing so. This is not a statement from me and I might be talking bollocks - only what I have heard. What are the thoughts?