Force Carb - using an aerating stone

[balikian]

I just read today about using the aerating stones to help speed up force carbing beers. I really want to try this method out. I've been doing the shake and bake method for awhile and would love to be lazier about it. I just have a few questions about the methods used...

1. One option is to get a lid with a gas in post on it with the tube and stone. The cheapest I've found with reasonable shipping times (i.e. not from China) is $45. I assume you could put the lid on, carb it for a day or 2, depressure it and swap out the lid to a standard lid. Is this correct?

2. Another method I've read about is putting a tube and stone on the normal gas in post of the keg. I have a few questions about how this works.
a. how long does the tube need to be? almost to the bottom of the keg?
b. Does leaving the stone in the keg during normal serving affect the carbonation or input of gas into the keg?

3. What's the best way to sterilize the stone? boil? will iodine solution rinse out? I'm guessing not.

I assume if you go with the stone attached to the keg's normal gas-in post, you have one for each keg you have.

I normally do 10 gallon batches filling 2 kegs so ideally, I would like to force carb both kegs at a time, but with the lid method, that would be spendy purchasing 2 lids. I've sort of researched making them myself, but I don't know if it would be that much cheaper as I would need to buy a couple extra lids anyway. Or could I just use 2 of my existing lids and if I screw it up, buy new lids then? That might be reasonable.

What do the fine folks here recommend from experience? Thanks.

 

[zam216]

1. I just purchased the lid and diffusion stone combo. I got this exact one on amazon with amazon prime free shipping for 45$.

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00SOPQH8W/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20

What I did was carb it with the stone for 2 days then I depressurized removed this lid and replaced the normal lid. You can leave the lid on but I have other kegs I would like to use it on.



2. This method I have not tried but through my reading and understanding the stone would need to go to the bottom. I have read it is a ***** to get on the post though.


3. First use I soaked it in star san then put it right in to my keg. When I removed it I put it right into a solution of PBW for 30 minutes and then rinsed it and stored it in the packaging it came in so it doesn't break or get the pores clogged.



I prefer the lid over attaching to the post strictly for ease of removing it. It was very simple and painless. Just remember with a carbonation stone there is a wetting pressure where the bubbles start to come out of the stone. Mine was 5 psi so when you are carbing you need to take that into account. For example I wanted 12 psi so I would stop at 17 psi with the stone attached. 5 psi wetting pressure + 12 psi desired pressure = 17 psi total pressure. W What I did was I kegged it on Monday at 5 psi for 30 minutes then increased to 7 psi the next day strictly because I fell asleep before I could raise it. Then I increased by 2 psi every half hour to an hour until I got to 17 psi. . On Wednesday I pulled a glass and it was carbed perfectly. I depressurized the keg and replaced the normal lid and returned the pressure to 12 psi and it was perfect. You do this to keep small fine bubbles that dissolve into the solution before reaching the head space. If they reach the headspace they will not diffuse into the liquid as quickly

 

[balikian]

awesome. thanks for the info. Think I'll give the lid a try then. And it just so happens, I've got a batch to keg so it will be good timing. Thanks again.

 

[zam216]

Just make sure you find your wetting pressure prior to putting the stone in to your keg and never touch the stone with your hands. The oils can clog the pores very easly! The slow ramp method will have you carbed in <2 days.