Forced Carbonation low foam

[cervezafausto]

Hi, I just made the forced carb technique using the set it and forget it method at room temperature ( 30 PSI at 65º for two weeks) then a I put my kegs into my fridge for 24 hours so I can bottle my beer using my beergun. The results are kind of strange, today when I open my beer (2 days after I bottled my beer) I notice that it is carbonated, I feel the taste and I see the constant bubbles but with out head retention, when I said no head retention I mean no head retention at all, Im sure it is not my recipe because in the last batches I used the priming sugar method and everything it's ok. Other thing I feel like there are less aroma in my beer using this method.

Do you guys know whats is happening?

 

[BigFloyd]

A couple possibilities come to mind.

First, trying to accurately carb at 65*F is like shooting an arrow at a moving target in the dark with a strong wind. The gas doesn't dissolve in the liquid easily at that temp.

It could be a glass issue. Stuff run through a dishwasher using jet dry or other similar anti-spotting agent can have a thin coating that's a head killer.

 

[Bobby_M]

You can definitely carbonate at room temp using 30psi but just to be sure, you did leave the gas on the whole time right?

 

[pablosbrewing]

Hi, I just made the forced carb technique using the set it and forget it method at room temperature ( 30 PSI at 65º for two weeks) then a I put my kegs into my fridge for 24 hours so I can bottle my beer using my beergun. The results are kind of strange, today when I open my beer (2 days after I bottled my beer) I notice that it is carbonated, I feel the taste and I see the constant bubbles but with out head retention, when I said no head retention I mean no head retention at all, Im sure it is not my recipe because in the last batches I used the priming sugar method and everything it's ok. Other thing I feel like there are less aroma in my beer using this method.

Do you guys know whats is happening?

http://www.kegerators.com/carbonation-table.php

Carbonation in the keg should have been fine. Assuming you sampled before bottling and it was to your liking, then let's look at the bottling process.

The beer gun is very unforgiving compared to a counterpressure bottling setup, but both have the same basic ideas for success:

• Rule #1 Every bubble of foam is lost carbonation.
• Chill the beer as cold as possible
• Chill the bottles to the same temp
• Use a long serving hose (3/16 ID 10 feet)
• Use very low CO2 pressure - start where beer just flows and increase from there.
• Cap as quickly as possible after filling each bottle

If you have a 2nd person, one fills, one caps.

Hope this helps

 

[okiedog]

If you have 2 weeks, connect to CO2 at (or slightly above) serving pressure, while keeping the beer chilled in the fridge. CO2 absorbs much easier at cooler temps.

 

[Bobby_M]

This idea that CO2 dissolves easier at lower temps is always a confusing way to describe it. If easier means lower pressure, then sure. The process of force carbonating to a certain volumes of co2 is dependent on both time and temperature, but there is no better or worse or easier. Set the regulator to what the chart says given a measured beer temperature and physics takes over.

Based on the fact that molecules move faster when temp goes up, it is reasonable to say that warmer force carbonation is faster than cold.

 

[cervezafausto]

You can definitely carbonate at room temp using 30psi but just to be sure, you did leave the gas on the whole time right?

Yes I leave it for 2 weeks and the beer is already carbonated but theres no foam

 

[pablosbrewing]

Yes I leave it for 2 weeks and the beer is already carbonated but theres no foam

To answer your original question - force carbonation at the same carbonation level as priming sugar does not change head retention.

If head retention is not good out of the keg prior to bottling, you should not proceed with bottling until you are sure of the cause.

edit: beer with lower carbonation and no head, still has bubbles.

 

[brewprint]

I just tried to force carb a keg at room temp at 30 psi rolling for 6 minutes. I then put the keg in the fridge overnight. Then purged and put at serving pressure. Little to no carbonation. I've done this before with a cold keg and had it carbed to 'drinkable' levels for only one minute of rolling.

I've come to the conclusion that it is true that co2 will only absorb well into cold liquid.

 

[Bobby_M]

30 psi warm is different than 30 psi cold. Boost and shake carbing at room temp would take 50 psi.

 

[Slow_Day]

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