Carbonating beer and transfering?!?

[miafunk2003]

Im having a small problem I need some help with. I usually force carb my beer and when i pur it into a glass it is nicely carbonated with a nice head. But when i transfer it to a growler or beer bottle using the we dont need no stinking beer gun method i have no head at all the next day. What am I doing wrong?

 

[Hammy71]

You might try turning up the CO2 2-4psi a couple of days before you bottle. In the bottle the CO2 in the beer will equalize with the dead space at the top of the bottle. Increasing the carbonation should give you a little more wiggle room. Trying to leave as little head space as possible may also help.

 

[Yooper]

Im having a small problem I need some help with. I usually force carb my beer and when i pur it into a glass it is nicely carbonated with a nice head. But when i transfer it to a growler or beer bottle using the we dont need no stinking beer gun method i have no head at all the next day. What am I doing wrong?

The key to keeping the beer carbonated (and I've had it carbonated for months afterward using the BMBF method!) is the whole "counter pressure" part of it. It's absolutely crucial to avoid foaming and to keep the pressure on the top and only "burp" when the filling slows or stops. You want to maintain the pressure the whole time.

It's easiest if the bottles are cold and the beer is cold.

 

[audger]

It's easiest if the bottles are cold and the beer is cold.

yes. you definately want the bottles to be the same temperature of the beer going into them.

 

[miafunk2003]

What i dont understand is when i put it into the growler it hardly foams up and if i pour it immediately it foams up nice but a day later nada at all

 

[Yooper]

What i dont understand is when i put it into the growler it hardly foams up and if i pour it immediately it foams up nice but a day later nada at all

Because you open it? Just like when you pour a soda out of a bottle today, and tomorrow it's much less carbed?

 

[miafunk2003]

I understand that but then how do i fill it without losing carbonation?

 

[shortyjacobs]

Wait a sec. Does it have no HEAD a day later, or no CARBONATION a day later? I.e., is it still fizzy a day later, just no foam?
If so, sounds like your bottles/growler isn't clean enough.

If it's not fizzy, then you're decarbing it somehow:

• When transferring, drop keg pressure to 2-4 PSI only, not the normal 12 PSI, so it transfers nice and slow and doesn't foam up.
• Chill your bottles/growler.
• Fill em up to the top, then remove the wand, leaving the correct amount of head space.

As long as your caps don't leak or your growler doesn't leak, it should hold carbonation.

 

[miafunk2003]

yeah its not fizzy at all its just FLAT beer. I drop the pressure all the way and it hardly foams up. If i put it in the fridge chill it for an hour and drink its nicely carbonated but if i wait till the next day it completely flat

 

[day_trippr]

yeah its not fizzy at all its just FLAT beer. I drop the pressure all the way and it hardly foams up. If i put it in the fridge chill it for an hour and drink its nicely carbonated but if i wait till the next day it completely flat

Two possibilities come to mind: one, before the beer hits the fridge it's warmer, so it will appear to have a higher carbonation level than once it's been chilled. Or, two, the caps aren't sealing the bottle very well...

Cheers!