Carbonating Stout - Pressures?

[bimmerpower]

Hi folks

This is my first beer... been doing wine for a while, and needed something i could drink faster!

I did an irish stout, extract kit.

Primary for a week, secondary in a corny for a week, and then slow carbonate in another corny in the fridge for a week. at 40-41 degrees. From what i have found, the proper co2 volume for an irish stout is 1.6-2.0. so, i shot for the middle of 1.8, which is appx 41 degrees at 6 psi.

So, i let it carbonate for a week at 6psi.

I assume that i need to leave the serving pressure at the same otherwise it will overcarbonate correct?

My question is, the beer actually tastes pretty good, but a bit flat. no head at all. i know you can go nitro etc to get the nice guinness head, but shouldnt i get some?

i dont want to turn up the pressure as wont that overcarbonate it based on the charts i have seen? So, thoughts on why it tastes flat??

the taste is good, but since its my first beer i am just looking for some advice. thx!!!

 

[bimmerpower]

Hi folks... I posted this last night to a different forum, but maybe this one is a more appropriate place.

This is my first beer... been doing wine for a while, and needed something i could drink faster!

I did an irish stout, extract kit. - Brewers Best.
OG 1.051
FG 1.020


Primary for a week at 70 degrees, secondary in a corny for a week at 70, and then slow carbonate in another corny in the fridge for 7 days at 40-41 degrees. From what i have found, the proper co2 volume for an irish stout is 1.6-2.0 (morebeer . com ). so, i shot for the middle of 1.8, which is appx 41 degrees at 6 psi.

So, i let it carbonate for a week at 6psi.

I assume that i need to leave the serving pressure at the same otherwise it will overcarbonate correct?

My question is, the beer actually tastes pretty good, but a bit flat. no head at all. i know you can go nitro /beer gas etc to get the nice guinness head, but shouldnt i get some with just straigh CO2.

i dont want to turn up the pressure as wont that overcarbonate it based on the charts i have seen? So, thoughts on why it tastes flat?? Is this just inherent in doing Stouts w/ CO2 alone?

the taste is good, but since its my first beer i am just looking for some advice. thx!!!

 

[MoRoToRiUm]

I would say to up the PSI. I have Midwest supply dry Irish stout I was going to start carbing/ clarifying today. I was going to blast and settle the serving PSI around 8....

 

[Yuri_Rage]

Your stout will not produce that Guinness-like creamy head and mouthfeel without the proper gas and faucet. At 6 psi, it will be very lightly carbonated and feel a bit flat. If it's flatter than you prefer, increase the force carb pressure slightly. Most commercial beers are carbonated at about 2.5 volumes, so that will feel more "normal."

 

[b767fo]

To get a better head and remove the 'flat' you will have to bump the pres. If you really want the waterfall you need the nitro and a stout tap. For 1.8 vol at 41F you will need a nitro pressure of 20psi. Draft gas (which is what you use for a nitro system) is 75% N2 and 25% CO2.

 

[Yuri_Rage]

Threads merged. Don't double post.

 

[wildwest450]

Also a week is not enough time to carbonate 5 gallons, it will take at least 2 weeks. I would bump up the pressure to at least 8 if not 10 psi(still within guidelines for a stout). I have perlick taps and you can get a smaller diameter nozzle for the tap, I use it when serving stouts, it helps with the creamy head, without nitro.

 

[bimmerpower]

Well, i turned it up to 8 psi, and as the days passed, it has gotten about perfect... so i think a combination of the higher pressure, and more time to carbonate did the trick.

thx folks

 

[MoRoToRiUm]

I fast carbed mine at 30PSI for three days, and am serving at just under 10PSI; Just tapped it last night. Glad it worked out for you bimmerpower

 

[Chris62]

If you brew a stout do you carb it with c02 then switch it to mixed gas when serving?

 

[MoRoToRiUm]

If you have stout faucet (with burst disc) and beer gas setup, go for it! Carb with CO2 and then switch over to beer gas to maintain pressure and serve. I just carb/serve on CO2, but with my love of dark beers, looking for cheap setup for my one tap...

 

[bmckee56]

I just tapped my Imperial Stout using Beer Gas after carbonating with CO2. I am having difficulty with foaming excess and I believe it is due to the line size (1/4" ID) which should be 3/16" ID.

After allowing it to settle out, it looks great and tastes delicious. Here is a link to view a glass of it.

http://www.scottlynncellars.com/images/Stout12.jpg

I hope to correct the line problem tomorrow by switching to the right line ID.

Salute!

 

[bmckee56]

Switched my line size to 3/16" and installed 8' of line to the tap. I am using a Stout Tap with a restrictor plate and I am using Beer Gas to dispense the brew. I am getting a lot of nice thick foam and the stout settles out fairly well, but I am getting about half and half (Head/Beer) when allowed to sit for several minutes. I am opening the tap handle all the way and the glass fills nicely. What pressure are most Stouts dispensed at (20psi - 10psi or what).

I have read several threads and everyone seems to have a different approach. As I said, I have a Stout Faucet (Tap), using beer gas (75-25 ratio) and 3/16" beer lines (8'). I am currently running 9psi on the regulator to get it to the glass. My refrigerator temperature is 40F.

Thanks

Salute!

 

[alohanole]

I carbonate my stouts at ~6-8 psi on CO2 for 10-14 days (40° F), then switch to the beer gas @ 25-30 psi. My latest, an oatmeal stout, is just about perfect at about 30 psi on the beer gas. If you have a 75/25 beer gas mix (I have 70/30 at the moment), you will want to approximately quadruple the pressure you carbed with on CO2. For example, if your CO2 pressure was 7 psi, then the beer gas serving pressure would be 28 psi. This is to maintain the level of carbonation, based on the partial pressure of CO2 in a beer gas mix.

 

[2xbrewing]

Hey guys can anybody explain to me how to quickly keg carbonate a guinness and serve it in about 4 days. I have a party coming up i want to bring it too right after its done fermenting for 3 weeks. Im using co2.

 

[MagicMatt]

Hey guys can anybody explain to me how to quickly keg carbonate a guinness and serve it in about 4 days. I have a party coming up i want to bring it too right after its done fermenting for 3 weeks. Im using co2.

Wow, way to revive a 6 year old thread instead of just creating a new one (or, you know, searching the forums for your answer).

In short, you can set the keg to 30psi for 24-30 hours at 35°F, then remove the gas, purge the headspace and reapply the pressure at correct carbonation pressure for your desired volumes of CO2 and the temp of the beer. It should be ready in 2-3 days.

 

[day_trippr]

Seems to me appending an on-topic reply to a tightly-related thread is commendable.

Eschew thread proliferation!

Anyway...just a heads up: higher FG brews take longer to reach carbonation equilibrium. You might get a 12 point beer to carbonate in a few days using the burst-carb method while a 20 point stout will take twice as long.

I carb kegs using the "low 'n' slow/set 'n' forget" method exclusively and while a 5 gallon pale, wheat, or IPA might take 17 days to be perfect, my stouts take at least a full week longer (and they're not even carbing as high!)...

Cheers!

 

[MagicMatt]

You might get a 12 point beer to carbonate in a few days using the burst-carb method while a 20 point stout will take twice as long.

What's funny is I literally just had this happen to me today. No more than an hour ago, I get home and check my kegs (one an IPA @ 1.011 and the other a stout @ 1.019). Both had been at 30psi for a day and then 12psi for a day, then off the gas for today. The IPA held it's pressure and seems fully carbed, but the stout was at 5psi.

Now I know!

 

[Master]

So some thread necromancy.

Kegged a Nitro Stout on October 4th.

Let it sit on 12psi CO2 for a day (Beer gas tank was out getting filled) and then put it on 75/25 Beer Gas at 35psi. That should have yielded a partial pressure of 8.75 psi of CO2, and at least been somewhat carbonated. In my 40F fridge, 9psi should have yielded about 2.1 volumes of CO2.

Tapped it last night. Served through a Stout Faucet with restrictor plate. Served at normal speed for a stout.

DEAD FLAT. Taste is OK. No head, no cascade, no nothin.

Any ideas?

 

[Jag75]

So some thread necromancy.

Kegged a Nitro Stout on October 4th.

Let it sit on 12psi CO2 for a day (Beer gas tank was out getting filled) and then put it on 75/25 Beer Gas at 35psi. That should have yielded a partial pressure of 8.75 psi of CO2, and at least been somewhat carbonated. In my 40F fridge, 9psi should have yielded about 2.1 volumes of CO2.

Tapped it last night. Served through a Stout Faucet with restrictor plate. Served at normal speed for a stout.

DEAD FLAT. Taste is OK. No head, no cascade, no nothin.

Any ideas?

Your gonna need it on co2 longer then just 1 day . It took me about 5 days . It was about day 3 and it started looking pretty good . By day 5 it was perfect. I dont remember what my psi was but it was 8 - 15 . I took it off and connect to beer gas after a day or 2 and put it back on co2 . I went back and forth for a few days .