Carb problems from keg to bottles

[loosecannon81]

Got a question for you. I carb out a keg. Keg is in freeze at 35 degrees with 13 psi on it for 4 days. I have a bottling gun attached to a filter. After I bottle all my beers I place the bottles back in the freeze at 35 degrees. When opening some bottles I have little head and others a lot. I dont understand. I have the bottles boxed per keg I use and I get head from one bottle but not the other from the same keg. Any thoughts? I think the freezer is to cold for the yeast after I bottle. Would that be a problem if it was kegged carbed

 

[TallDan]

My guess, based on what you're saying and what i've seen force carbonating and serving from a keg is two things.

1. 4 days isn't long enough to really get the beer carbed. I'm finding that with the "set and forget" method of force carbing my beer isn't really done even after a week. I'm usually getting good carbonation after two weeks.

2. If you aren't shaking or doing anything else to the keg, my theory is that the beer at the top of the keg gets carbonated before the beer toward the bottom. This is a guess based on the fact that you have a large body of co2 in the top of the keg to get absorbed into the beer, but no circulation of the beer or gas within the keg. Since the keg empties from the bottom, the first pints (or bottles) pulled from the keg are the last to fully carbonate.

So I think you have a combination of the above. The first bottles you fill are with the beer from the bottom of the keg that isn't fully carbonated yet, and the last ones the beer from the top of the keg that may even be a little over carbonated based on temperature and pressure.

If you want to bottle from the keg that quickly, try shaking the keg a few times a day during carbonation. Also check your carbonation charts to make sure you're getting your carbonation level into the right range.

 

[loosecannon81]

Ok I can understand that. I have another two kegs in the freezer that has been in for a week. Going to wait two weeks and try bottling. I have checked the charts several times and I have the correct setting. From your guessed based theory im thinking I should shake the kegs every couple of days to move the beer around. Also how does a commerical brewery carb there beer so quickly I cant see them waiting 2-4 weeks to carb a batch? Thousand of dollars will be lost.

 

[billl]

" I have a bottling gun attached to a filter. "

Not sure what this means. Typo? Are you using a counterpressure filler? How much foaming are you getting while filling?

 

[loosecannon81]

The filler that I have is a Blichmann stainless bottle filler. i have that attached to Beerbrite Filtration System. The brew flow is as such: out the keg to the filtration cartridges to the gun then bottle. Depends on how I have the bottle angled and PSI of the tank depends on the foam. At times there is a lot and others not much.

 

[crownsdown]

You should not be running carbonated beer through a filter. You are losing CO2 to the cartridge filter. Filter prior to carbing.

 

[loosecannon81]

Well that right there could be part of my problem! Can you explain how you lose CO2 through the filter?

 

[billl]

The beer foams as it goes through the filter. That is the CO2 coming out of suspension. If you want to filter the beer, you need to do that BEFORE you carbonate it. (Most homebrewers and craft brewers don't filter)

 

[crownsdown]

I filter my brews, AND use a beergun. After my beer has fermented, I perform a diacetyl test on it. If it passes, my processes is as follows: rack the beer into a keg, chill it to 37 degrees, run it through either a 1 micron or 3 micron filter into another keg, "set it and forget it" carbonate that keg until satisfactory, and then I bottle half of the keg with the blichmann beergun. That gives me 2.5 gallons for personal consumption, and 2.5 gallons worth of bottles to be given out or entered into competitions.

 

[loosecannon81]

How do you perform your diacetyl test and whats the purpose. So thst is what I will try as far as carbing goes.

 

[loosecannon81]

All thanks for the replies. Update. So all my bottled beer have been at about 68 degrees. Had a gathering last night and every beer had very good carbonation and head retention. Not saying some of the posters were wrong but I do believe the 34 degrees temperature had sonething to do with it also. Thanks for I will use some of the ideas posted above. Happy brewing