CO2 Volume Preference

[kalmah21]

Hello everyone. I have been using the Northern Brewer priming calculator for carbonating by style. I noticed with a few of my beers that "to style" seems to yield much lower carbonation than most commercial examples. They are definitely not flat and retain the head that they do have quite well. One such example is a robust porter. I carbonated to 2.1 volumes per the calculator which I thought turned out a bit low. Most commercial beers seem to be carbonated to ~2.3 (my best guess). My question is: Do you always carbonate to style, only carbonate to style when entering a competition, or always carb to a volume you prefer? If you carb to a volume you prefer, what volume do you prefer? My apologies if this has been discussed ad nauseam elsewhere and I missed it.

 

[Falcon3]

Beauty of having a kegging system, is that you can tailor your carbonation to your tastes. I also find many styles, I prefer higher carbonation than is "suggested." I like 3vols for PIlsners and 2.8 for IPA and most american Pales, which is a bit above style. Of course, for my English beers, I prefer them below a lot of modern suggestions (suggested ~2vols, and I set it for 1.5).

 

[zachattack]

Most commercial beers seem to be carbonated to ~2.3 (my best guess).

I believe most commercial beers in America are carbonated closer to 2.7.

 

[Yooper]

I like almost all of my beers carbed up like a commercial bottle. Sure, that may not be technically "to style", but unless you have a beer engine and a cask set up, English real ales won't be "to style" anyway, even if you serve them flat.

I generally go with about 1 ounce of corn sugar per finished gallon of beer, for a nice carb level similar to a commercial bottle of beer.

 

[kalmah21]

I believe most commercial beers in America are carbonated closer to 2.7.

Wow, I didn't know commercial beers were carbonated that high. That would explain why most of my beers are generally flatter than what I buy off the shelf. I'll have to try higher volumes in my next brew.

 

[zachattack]

Yeah one common recurring problem here is people hooking up kegs of commercial beer, then wondering why they're so foamy. It's often due to the higher carb level, once the pressure is bumped up they start pouring fine.

Someone tried starting a thread compiling commercial keg carbonation levels, but it didn't do too well.

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f35/commercial-beer-carbonation-list-348911/

From my googling, I've found other lists, like this one:
http://www.micromatic.com/forum/us-...home/7243-beer-carbonation-levels-thread.html

I try to e-mail the brewery before I tap a keg, they're usually happy to report the carbonation level. I think Sierra Nevada does 2.6, Ommegang 2.7, Allagash White was at 2.5. It's my understanding that many macro lagers are around 2.7, in the linked Micromatic thread someone claims all AB/Inbev products are at 2.7.

 

[RonPopeil]

I find carbonation irritating and tend to carb low. 2.0-2.4 Vols.