Need help, losing carb

Homebrew Talk - Beer, Wine, Mead, & Cider Brewing Discussion Forum

Help Support Homebrew Talk - Beer, Wine, Mead, & Cider Brewing Discussion Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.

hank1105

Well-Known Member
Joined
Dec 29, 2012
Messages
46
Reaction score
5
Hey everyone, so I went to my monthly homebrew club meeting tonight. As usual we bring our own homebrews to share, which is always great. I just got into kegging which is glorious. I filled a growler half way and was stoked to share with my fellow home brewers since I thought this was the best IPA I ever brewed. Went to open and flat, beyond pissed.

So, what is the easiest way to keep carb? I have seen the beer gun, but can I simple chill a bottle, fill to the top, leave some head space and cap? Suggestions more than welcome the beer would be drank within 4 hours and chilled the whole time. Thanks.
 
Hey everyone, so I went to my monthly homebrew club meeting tonight. As usual we bring our own homebrews to share, which is always great. I just got into kegging which is glorious. I filled a growler half way and was stoked to share with my fellow home brewers since I thought this was the best IPA I ever brewed. Went to open and flat, beyond pissed.

So, what is the easiest way to keep carb? I have seen the beer gun, but can I simple chill a bottle, fill to the top, leave some head space and cap? Suggestions more than welcome the beer would be drank within 4 hours and chilled the whole time. Thanks.

Yes, you can fill it and keep it carbed. A couple of things that will help- fill it all the way, and use a piece of tubing to reduce foaming. If you have foaming, the co2 goes away with the foam. For short term, I just use a long piece of tubing (like they do in brewpubs).

I use a soda bottle sometimes, and a carbonator cap. A soda bottle is pretty tacky looking, but you can put on a carbonator cap and give it a shot of c02 and it will stay nicely carbed up until it's opened.

If you want to always use a glass growler, this works very well: https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f35/we-no-need-no-stinking-beer-gun-24678/
 
Yooper's suggestions are all spot on, but it's worth repeating that if you'd filled the growler to the top, you would have been much better off. The less headspace, the less CO2 you'll lose to that headspace. And the less oxidation you'll get. Use a piece of tubing as Yoop suggested, and it also helps to have the growler nice and cold so there's minimal foaming.
 
Good stuff guys, I have a perlick adapter and tubing, so all good there. Makes sense, more head space equals more opportunity to lose carb. Thanks!
 
:mug:

I have the perlick growler filler adapter as well. I just keep a growler or two in the keezer so they're always cold. I'll even top off the growler as I pull it away from the tubing so there's even less headspace. But using this simple setup I've had an (unopened) growler still be perfectly carbonated a week later.
 
:mug:

I have the perlick growler filler adapter as well. I just keep a growler or two in the keezer so they're always cold. I'll even top off the growler as I pull it away from the tubing so there's even less headspace. But using this simple setup I've had an (unopened) growler still be perfectly carbonated a week later.

Really, wow, that is good stuff, definitely going this route.
 
Back
Top