Anyone have a beer degassing hack

[enkamania]

Curious if anybody had a quick way to degas a beer.

 

[VikeMan]

Do you mean degas a sample for a hydrometer reading, or reduce carbonation in a keg, or...?

 

[enkamania]

For a hydrometer reading

Do you mean degas a sample for a hydrometer reading, or reduce carbonation in a keg, or...?

 

[VikeMan]

For a hydrometer reading

Only way I know is to cover the sample jar with something (your hand if nothing else), shake the heck out of it, uncover, repeat.

I suppose you could rig up something with a drill turning a stirring device, if you want to walk away while you degas, but I don't think it would be a lot faster.

 

[Vale71]

Ultrasound bath.

 

[Robert65]

Stir plate?

I use a refractometer, and dripping a little through a coffee filter both removes suspended particles and degasses. I have no idea whether this would work on a larger scale.

 

[kevink]

Vacuum pump

 

[crane]

I ferment under pressure so I have more than the normal amount of CO2 in solution when I go to take my final gravity reading with fully carbonated beer. I use a canning jar attachment for my food saver to create a vacuum in the headspace. Works quite well for me.

 

[VikeMan]

I ferment under pressure so I have more than the normal amount of CO2 in solution when I go to take my final gravity reading with fully carbonated beer. I use a canning jar attachment for my food saver to create a vacuum in the headspace. Works quite well for me.

I'm curious about how much difference you've seen between readings where you've vacuum'd vs shaking (or whatever manual method). i.e. have you done it manually, taken a reading, and then vacumm'd on the same sample?

 

[jekeane]

throw in on a stir plate for 15-20 minutes.

 

[crane]

I'm curious about how much difference you've seen between readings where you've vacuum'd vs shaking (or whatever manual method). i.e. have you done it manually, taken a reading, and then vacumm'd on the same sample?

No differences other than time. Previously I would pour a sample between 2 jars a few times, then let it sit for several hours.

 

[jwa120]

I throw mine in the blender for a few seconds, then you just have to wait for the foam to settle.

 

[TheMadKing]

Dump it from one glass to another about 10 times - it's what a lot of pro brewers do

 

[redbs]

I throw mine in the blender for a few seconds, then you just have to wait for the foam to settle.

And when you get done you can reward yourself with margaritas since the blender's already out. Win win!!!

 

[Hwk-I-St8]

And when you get done you can reward yourself with margaritas since the blender's already out. Win win!!!

Or make 'em the way I do:

2 oz Patron
1 oz Countreau
1 oz fresh squeezed lime juice
1/2 oz simple syrup

Put in shaker, shake until the metal is frosty. Pour into chilled martini glass and serve.

We call them margatinis (or quarantinis these days) and they're glorious, plus no blender needed.

 

[kevink]

Dump it from one glass to another about 10 times - it's what a lot of pro brewers do

I have tried that but it took way more than 10 dumps and lots of shaking to get it all out.

 

[TheMadKing]

I have tried that but it took way more than 10 dumps and lots of shaking to get it all out.

Are you sure it was still CO2 foam and not just foam from agitation with air?

Beyond that, just letting it sit for awhile after agitating will get the rest of it out

I haven't found a small amount of CO2 to make a huge difference in the gravity reading anyway.. As long as there aren't enough bubbles to cause buoyancy there's actually only a very small change in the specific gravity of fully carbonated beer

 

[VikeMan]

I have tried that but it took way more than 10 dumps and lots of shaking to get it all out.

I tried this today, and could still see lots of CO2 bubbles in the beer itself (not on top in foam). After about 20 dumps, I was comfortable that it appeared to be mostly out. There was a .002 difference before and after. "Before" in my case was a beer that had fermented under about 2 PSI of pressure at 68F.

 

[TheMadKing]

I tried this today, and could still see lots of CO2 bubbles in the beer itself (not on top in foam). After about 20 dumps, I was comfortable that it appeared to be mostly out. There was a .002 difference before and after. "Before" in my case was a beer that had fermented under about 2 PSI of pressure at 68F.

I just tested for myself

I poured a hydrometer tube of fully carbonated beer and put a few drops of fermcap S in it to get rid of the foam

The temperature measured 44F and the gravity reading was 1.011 (corrects to 1.010 at 68F)

I poured the sample back and forth in two pint glasses 20 times as you suggested just to make darn sure I got it all. I stopped seeing serious foam around the 10-12 range

I poured The sample back into my hydrometer tube. The temperature was now 57F and the gravity reading was 1.010 which does not change at 68F according to the brewers friend calculator

So I observed ZERO change in SG reading between a fully carbonated sample and a degassed sample

Direct from my keezer at 2.5 vols CO2

After degassing

The initial reading

The second reading after degassing

 

[TheMadKing]

And just for sanity I checked my hydrometer calibration

 

[smcinco]

I have tried that but it took way more than 10 dumps and lots of shaking to get it all out.

They go pitcher to pitcher from really high so that might be the difference.

 

[TheMadKing]

I just tested for myself

I poured a hydrometer tube of fully carbonated beer and put a few drops of fermcap S in it to get rid of the foam

The temperature measured 44F and the gravity reading was 1.011 (corrects to 1.010 at 68F)

I poured the sample back and forth in two pint glasses 20 times as you suggested just to make darn sure I got it all. I stopped seeing serious foam around the 10-12 range

I poured The sample back into my hydrometer tube. The temperature was now 57F and the gravity reading was 1.010 which does not change at 68F according to the brewers friend calculator

So I observed ZERO change in SG reading between a fully carbonated sample and a degassed sample
View attachment 680492
Direct from my keezer at 2.5 vols CO2

View attachment 680493
After degassing

View attachment 680495
The initial reading

View attachment 680494
The second reading after degassing

So this didn't seem right. I know there should be SOME difference. Carbonated solutions should be more dense and should read slightly higher.

I tried it again and noticed something interesting. The hydrometer initially read the same 1.011 in the carbonated sample, and then as bubbles clung to the outside it started to rise, finally leveling off around 1.070. I gave the hydrometer a gentle swish to get the bubbles off and then it sank right back down to 1.011. Interesting that the reading was being thrown off by the mechanical buoyancy of the bubbles and not because of a significant difference in actual density.

I'm going to leave it carbonated and allow it to warm up to see if I just made a mistake with my temperature or something earlier as well

 

[Qhrumphf]

Stir plate FTW.

 

[TheMadKing]

So this didn't seem right. I know there should be SOME difference. Carbonated solutions should be more dense and should read slightly higher.

I tried it again and noticed something interesting. The hydrometer initially read the same 1.011 in the carbonated sample, and then as bubbles clung to the outside it started to rise, finally leveling off around 1.070. I gave the hydrometer a gentle swish to get the bubbles off and then it sank right back down to 1.011. Interesting that the reading was being thrown off by the mechanical buoyancy of the bubbles and not because of a significant difference in actual density.

I'm going to leave it carbonated and allow it to warm up to see if I just made a mistake with my temperature or something earlier as well

So the next morning after sitting out all night, the hydrometer was still reading 1.010. The sample was at 71F and totally degassed

So it seems that the actual density change due to carbonation is very minimal, and you can get an accurate reading even with some carbonation in solution, as long as there are no bubbles clinging to the hydrometer making it buoyant.

Clearly degassing is the best practice because of this, but it also shows that its not something you have to be absolutely fanatical about, unless you're measuring very very accurate SG readings.

 

[Sebastian Weetabix]

Try sticking one of those battery operated tooth brushes (A NEW ONE!) in the tube and turn it on for two minutes.

I use one of these when I clean cuckoo clock works.
Hell of a lot cheaper than an ultrasonic bath!

 

[SanPancho]

two pint glasses. Our standard is to decant from glass to glass 20 times. Let it sit for 5 min so foam dies down and you’re good

and yes, if still fermenting you gotta spin those bubbles off for accuracy

 

[couchsending]

I can’t believe 25 posts and no one mentioned this.

Just pour it through a coffee filter.

Simple, easy, and better yet removes a bunch of yeast so you get a little bit better indication of what the beer will taste like sans yeast.

 

[Qhrumphf]

Nalgene or PET bottle, shake and vent and shake and vent and repeat works as well.

Coffee filter will definitely do the job.

 

[Robert65]

I can’t believe 25 posts and no one mentioned this.

Just pour it through a coffee filter.

Simple, easy, and better yet removes a bunch of yeast so you get a little bit better indication of what the beer will taste like sans yeast.

I did mention it, post #6.

 

[couchsending]

I did mention it, post #6.

Damn

 

[Robert65]

Damn

Ah, but you did answer my question as to it was practical on a hydrometer size sample as well as a refractometer sample. Thanks!

 

[beerisyummy]

SO I'm reading all this and thinkinnngggg I'll just subtract a point or two from my final gravity

 

[l.kull]

I love the EasyDens and have used the "syringe vacuum method" mostly. But I have also used ultrasound and yesterday I put together a heavy duty vacuum system for degassing It might boil off alcohol and water as well due to the high vacuum thou :/

35W ultrasonic cleaner, not impressed...

Heavy duty vacuum (too large to upload):
https://www.icloud.com/sharedalbum/#B12J0DiRHJOyh15;A87627F4-552D-4367-B622-98021D7DCC3C
Problem is that I can boil water at sub room temperature as well with it
https://www.icloud.com/sharedalbum/#B12J0DiRHJOyh15;884E7BB5-FE65-4EAF-AED3-0537DCA6E00B