PSI set and forget alternative?

carrotmalt · 02-09-2010, 06:11 PM

I've heard a couple Jamil podcasts where he mentions testing carbonation levels each day to dial in just the right amount of CO2 for a certain beer. I'd like to do that, but now I'm wondering how this works. Say you set the regulator to 12 psi and each day it's absorbing more and more. The day that it reaches perfection, what do you do? If it's still absorbing CO2 each day, how do you know what to dial the regulator down to in order for it to stay where it is? The only thing I can think of is to just disconnect and leave it alone for a few days to let it balance out (Hopefully absorbing the extra pressure in the headspace won't change the number of volumes too much.). Then put some sort of pressure gauge on the gas-in post to see how much pressure there is and set the regulator to that amount and hook it back up. Is this what folks do, or is there an obvious easier answer that I'm missing?

I think I've been overcarbing in the past and it's caused a bit of a bitter bite, so I wanted to focus on how much to use with the Bee Cave Rye IPA I made. I've currently got my regulator set at 10 psi and the fridge is 38. According to charts I've seen this comes out to 2.38 volumes.

According to this I'm on the high end of the range for the IPA style (I'd like to hear opinions on what folks here use for IPAs). It's been about 5 days under pressure and it's nowhere close, but I'm not sure what to do once it feels right in order to keep it there.

**Bobby_M** · 02-09-2010, 06:16 PM

If you have a carb level you like, disconnect from the gas and put a gas QD with a pressure gauge on it and leave it for a few hours. Refer to the carbonation chart and note your beer temp and gauge pressure.

carrotmalt · 02-09-2010, 07:46 PM

I wasn't sure how much impact that last bit of headspace pressure might have. Thanks for the confirmation. Now I just need to pick up another regulator and whip up my new CO2 testing line.

I'd still like to hear any opinions on how many volumes other folks are carbing their IPAs with. 1.9 just seems low.

shortyjacobs · 02-09-2010, 07:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by carrotmalt

I wasn't sure how much impact that last bit of headspace pressure might have. Thanks for the confirmation. Now I just need to pick up another regulator and whip up my new CO2 testing line.

I'd still like to hear any opinions on how many volumes other folks are carbing their IPAs with. 1.9 just seems low.

I like mine fizzy. Around 2.4.

carrotmalt · 02-21-2010, 09:43 PM

Well, I did it again. Each day it got better and better. Then I missed three days and sure enough, it's all of a sudden too bitter. My neighbor came over today and asked if I added something to make it more bitter and that he liked it better last weekend. Well, I agree.

New question: Is the bitterness from too much CO2 reversible? I plan to bleed off some and and try and get it to balance out at 1 or 2 psi less. Then I don't know if it'll automatically be back to what it was... or if it needs more time for the bitterness to fade... or if I just botched it and have to live with it.

**Bobby_M** · 02-21-2010, 10:38 PM

It will fade over the course of about a week. If not, it could be overcarbed. Vent a bit.

carrotmalt · 02-21-2010, 11:54 PM

Sigh of relief!

Thanks for the quick response Bobby!