hal9000Beers
Member
Could be a simple answer. If I force carbonate too 3 volumes at 58 degrees when I drops the temp down to 37 degrees will it still be at 3 volumes c02?
Force carbonation.... What?
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Golddiggie
Well-Known Member
It should retain it's carbonation level at the lower temperature. You'll eat up a lot of CO2 doing it at 58F though. You'll also want to check the pressure on the keg before you connect it up to a regulator for serving. If you're already setup to serve at 3 CO2 volumes, why not carbonate in the fridge/keezer/kegorator?? Chances are, you'll need to pull the pressure relief a few times on the keg once it's at temperature (24-48 hours after putting in the 37F environment). Use a keg pressure tester to see where it's at BEFORE you connect up the gas feed.
OP
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hal9000Beers
Member
I have no room to bring the temp down to serving standards. So I force carbonate at garage temps. Is that a wrong way to do it. May not be ideal but need to get the job done. Been told my beer was under carbonated by someone who would know. This after I force carb at 58 degrees and THEN put in into the kegerator for a week at 37 degrees and 7lbs for 2 weeks. Thoughts?
robtaylor
New Member
I tried force carbing for the first time with no success. I have no idea what went wrong. I put the keg in the fridge hooked up the hose and set the pressure to 30psi for 3 days. Turned off the gas then bled the pressure off 2 times. Turned the gas back on at about 8psi for serving and there is little to no carb in the beer. What gives? Any suggestions welcomed
Golddiggie
Well-Known Member
Temperature of the brew??
Also, I get better results either using the 2 week 'set and forget' method, or the one that's a sticky from Bobby_M... Also keep in mind, depending on the temperature the brew is at, 8psi could be giving you the carbonation level you're seeing. Try turning it up to 10psi, give it a few days, and see how that is.
Also, I get better results either using the 2 week 'set and forget' method, or the one that's a sticky from Bobby_M... Also keep in mind, depending on the temperature the brew is at, 8psi could be giving you the carbonation level you're seeing. Try turning it up to 10psi, give it a few days, and see how that is.
tektonjp
Well-Known Member
Are you saying that it will take more CO2 to carb to 3V at 58F than at, say, 35F? Maybe you can explain that.
We're talking about a measurement of VOLUME. A beer at 3 volumes at 58F will still have the same volume (3) of CO2 at 35F. The change in temperature will change the pressure at the head, not the volume. Volume, pressure, and temperature. Carbing at a higher temperature means you need more pressure to achieve the SAME volume. The same amount of CO2 is be absorbed at either temperature.
Temperature does not affect how much CO2 gets used in force carbing.
If you carb to 3 vol at 58 degrees, you'll still have 3 vol at 37 degrees.
If you carb to 3 vol at 58 degrees, you'll still have 3 vol at 37 degrees.
Golddiggie
Well-Known Member
The temperature of the liquid impacts it's ability to retain the gas in solution. Hence the ability to carbonate to the 3 CO2 volumes using 16psi at 37F, where it takes 30psi to reach the same level at 58F.
The handy-dandy slow force carbonation chart featuring pressure vs. temperature (in degress F)... This is the same chart used to do the 2 week 'set and forget' method of carbonating.
As for MalFet's comment, I don't think so... If you need to push more psi into the keg to obtain the same CO2 volumes level at different temperatures, you will use different amounts of CO2 from the tank.
JuanMoore
Getting the banned back together
Carbing at room temp is fine. Just make sure that the pressure you set the keg at to serve corresponds to the carbonation level you want. If you carb it to 3.0 vol at room temp, and then chill it to 37F, you need to serve it at 16psi to maintain that same level of carbonation. If you set it lower, the beer will lose carbonation every time you pour until it reaches equilibrium with the new pressure. FWIW pushing with 7 psi at 37F results in a beer with 2.14 vol of carbonation. You can use the chart goldiggie linked to find the pressure you need for any temp and desired carb level.
Nope, the amount of CO2 used to carbonate to a specific level is the same regardless of temperature. Yes you need higher pressure to force the gas into solution at higher temps, but that's because the liquid is resisting absorption more. When we talk about carbonation levels we use "volumes" as the unit of measure. This unit refers to how much CO2, by weight, is absorbed in the liquid. 3.0 vol of carbonation means that each liter of fluid has absorbed 6 grams of gas, and 6 grams is going to remain 6 grams no matter what the temperature is.
Why would you need to release the pressure? If it's carbed to 3 vol at room temp, as it cools the pressure inside the keg will drop, right in line with the chart you linked. If you know you carbed it to 3.0 vol (using the chart), you can use that same chart and a thermometer to find the exact head pressure in the keg at any given temperature. The only reason you'd need to release pressure is if you want less carbonation.
This is easy to test if anyone is still skeptical. Carb at one pressure, hook up a pressure gauge and then watch it change as you drop or raise the temperature.
There's really no problem carbonating beers at warm temperatures, though in my only anecdotal experience it can sometimes take longer. If you're trying to carb something really warm (mid70s), you can run the risk of moving past your regulators range, too. But, otherwise, 'salgood!
There's really no problem carbonating beers at warm temperatures, though in my only anecdotal experience it can sometimes take longer. If you're trying to carb something really warm (mid70s), you can run the risk of moving past your regulators range, too. But, otherwise, 'salgood!
HollisBT
Well-Known Member
Also keep in mind that gas and liquid will expand/contract with temp changes.
So 3 volumes of gas at 58 degrees will occupy more space (and as a result in a sealed environment, will increase the pressure inside the vessel) than it will at 37 degrees.
So 3 volumes of gas at 58 degrees will occupy more space (and as a result in a sealed environment, will increase the pressure inside the vessel) than it will at 37 degrees.
JuanMoore
Getting the banned back together
*temperature*
It's been answered I think but I'll pile on. No matter what temperature the beer is or what PSI you have to set your regulator to, achieving the same volumes of CO2 uses the exact same amount of CO2.
This is one of those topics where a lot of myths are propagated because gas laws are boring and technical. Here are a couple others: CO2 dissolves into colder beer faster.
or CO2 dissolves into cold beer more easily.
I think those are both derived from the fact that colder beer requires less pressure for the same content of co2 to be dissolved. In theory, if you were to compare the carbonation rate of 40F beer and 70F beer, both set to the same "volumes target" pressure from the charts, the warmer beer should carb faster if left to sit for "set and forget". CO2 dissolved at the surface of the beer would diffuse to the rest of the beer faster and leave the delta between the head pressure and dissolved CO2 higher.
This is one of those topics where a lot of myths are propagated because gas laws are boring and technical. Here are a couple others: CO2 dissolves into colder beer faster.
or CO2 dissolves into cold beer more easily.
I think those are both derived from the fact that colder beer requires less pressure for the same content of co2 to be dissolved. In theory, if you were to compare the carbonation rate of 40F beer and 70F beer, both set to the same "volumes target" pressure from the charts, the warmer beer should carb faster if left to sit for "set and forget". CO2 dissolved at the surface of the beer would diffuse to the rest of the beer faster and leave the delta between the head pressure and dissolved CO2 higher.
Yes, as long as you're not applying any new CO2 during the cool down.
Oops...good catch. I changed the original.
