Carbonation stone

[fun4stuff]

how do you guys use these?

From what I’ve read, people will set the psi to 4, then increase it by 2 psi every hour until you reach your target pressure.

Why not just set it to your target pressure right away?

I’ve also read some sources that say to find your wetting pressure: the pressure at which the stone first starts to bubble in water. Then you want to end up at (target pressure) + (wetting pressure). So if you’re target psi is 12 and your wetting pressure is 4, you want to end up setting to a max of 16.

 

[Jtvann]

You've laid out the process I use.

Find wetting pressure. A lot of times, that's 4, which is why people say start there. Start at wetting pressure or 1 psi over wetting pressure. Slowly increase incrementally.

The reason you dont start at the higher pressure is that the bubbles created are so bug that they hist blow right through the beer into the head space. You want to create the smallest flow of bubbles that you possibly can. The idea is that the bubbles are so small and slow to float up, that they get absorbed into the beer without making it to the surface.

Edit: Another way to tell when to stop is by measuring head pressure. If you go too fast, you'll increase this to where it doesnt help much. Go slow. Stop when you're head pressure matches the final pressure you're looking for.

 

[Robert65]

I haven't used a stone to carbonate in a good while, but did for a long time. I initially used the method of starting low, i.e. at "wetting pressure," and incrementally increasing to the next wetting pressure when gas was no longer being admitted at that pressure, and so on, because the instructions with my first stone said to. Then eventually I got lazy. Keg in keezer, at seving temperature, at serving pressure on the stone from the get go. Wait until you no longer find gas is being admitted (~24 hours.) I saw neither any difference in the end result, nor much difference in elapsed time. But less fiddling around. And still precise (unlike burst carbonation) and way, way quicker than set and forget carbonation (which actually is what I now prefer to do as long as I plan ahead and leave the time.) I suppose the takeaway is, no matter the particulars, gas in a keg ultimately has nowhere to go but into the beer. Just a matter of how fast you want to get there and how much trouble you want to go to.

 

[fun4stuff]

Thanks for the explanation!

Why do you prefer set and forget vs using the carb stone (setting at carb pressure)? Seems like the carb stone would be much faster.

 

[Robert65]

Thanks for the explanation!

Why do you prefer set and forget vs using the carb stone (setting at carb pressure)? Seems like the carb stone would be much faster.

As long as I'm in no hurry, it's just one less thing to clean and sanitize. Trying to keep it simple and have more time to brew and drink beer. I just manage to keep far enough ahead on supply. But it is a fast and effective way to carbonate. (Back when I used a stone, I also used to filter my beer, another thing I've simplified out of the process. As I think about it, I wonder if I wouldn't kick up sediment using a stone on unfiltered beer. Never thought about that.)

 

[mgillard1976]

I don't have many batches under my belt, maybe 20, but I've always just hit the kegs with 50 psi for 24 hours and I'm good to go. Will a carb stone work faster than that?

 

[fun4stuff]

I don't have many batches under my belt, maybe 20, but I've always just hit the kegs with 50 psi for 24 hours and I'm good to go. Will a carb stone work faster than that?

Possibly, if it’s been chilled already. I’ve read mixed things on them... everything from them carb’ing up a keg in 20 mins to 1 day.

I started carb’ing a keg last night with the stone but the beer was not chilled. Im busy until noon, then I’ll check and report back.

I forced carb’d my kegs like you said for the last few years too. Although they’d be drinking in a day or two, i still felt like it’d take a week to even out... and every once in awhile the keg would end up over carb’d.

Edit:
Tested it. Perfectly carbonated and chilled after 12 hours. I just placed keg in last night, set it to 12 psi, and lifted pressure relief valve a few times before bed and in morning.