CO2 Volume Threshold?

[worlddivides]

I looked everywhere for the answer on this and couldn't find anything definitive. I did find some threads on multiple different forums where similar questions were asked, but none of them really had anything more than guesses.

My question is: What is the CO2 volume threshold for homebrew-grade beer glass bottles? In other words, the kinds made by professional homebrew companies such as Northern Brewer, Morebeer, etc. etc. etc.

A lot of the forums claimed 3.0 volumes, but I honestly cannot believe that for a second since there are a lot of beer styles where 3.0 volumes or higher is the standard. For example, Bavarian hefeweizens are usually between 3.5 and 4.0 volumes. And a lot of Belgian and German styles are between 3.0 and 3.5 volumes. So I would assume that homebrew glass would HAVE TO be made to tolerate at least up to 4.5 volumes, but I don't have any data to back that up.

Hence... I was wondering if anyone on this forum had any data about what homebrew-grade beer glass bottles are made to tolerate up (i.e. their "CO2 volume threshold").

 

[DanMyers]

I can't answer your question directly.... but if you are looking to carb a beer at a high volume rate consider champagne bottles. As long as they have a significant indent on the bottom of the bottle, you really do not have anything to worry about.

 

[unionrdr]

I primed my Bavarian watermelon hefeweizen to 2.8 Vco2. It foamed very easily after a week or more fridge time when poured into a glass. It had a very strong pssst when popping the cap. Lots of carbonation as well.

 

[beergolf]

Whenever I want to carb something higher than 3 vols I use these..

http://morebeer.com/products/belgian-style-beer-bottles-cappable-qty-12-375ml.html

They are very heavy. If you are using a hand capper you need to turn the plate around to the bigger side and they work great.

 

[worlddivides]

Whenever I want to carb something higher than 3 vols I use these..

http://morebeer.com/products/belgian-style-beer-bottles-cappable-qty-12-375ml.html

They are very heavy. If you are using a hand capper you need to turn the plate around to the bigger side and they work great.

I've seen those before. I didn't know they had a higher CO2 threshold, though. Great info to keep in mind.

Probably the best option for future consideration.

I can't answer your question directly.... but if you are looking to carb a beer at a high volume rate consider champagne bottles. As long as they have a significant indent on the bottom of the bottle, you really do not have anything to worry about.

I've heard and read that Champagne bottles can hold ridiculous amounts of CO2, but I've never liked the idea of having to buy something like 25 bottles of Champagne and drinking through all of them just to bottle a 5 gallon batch of highly carbed beer.

 

[beergolf]

I've seen those before. I didn't know they had a higher CO2 threshold, though. Great info to keep in mind.

Yes, They are very thick. I just weighed some regular bottles and they weighed 202-204g. The Belgian bottles weighed in at 323-325g. Way heavier. The glass is very thick.

 

[zachattack]

I wouldn't go over 3 volumes of CO2 with regular bottles. It really depends on what temperature you're storing/carbonating the beer, but 3 volumes can get above 60 psi if you keep the beer in a warm place.

I made the attached chart a while back to illustrate.

 

[unionrdr]

So, by the chart's reckoning, my 2.8 Vco2 is 55-58 PSI. That was plenty of carbonation & head for me.

 

[zachattack]

I just made that chart using a keg carbonation calculator, the equilibration pressure is the same. So if you're curious you can plug in your exact numbers.

 

[beergolf]

So, by the chart's reckoning, my 2.8 Vco2 is 55-58 PSI. That was plenty of carbonation & head for me.

It really depends on the style. Most brews are good with less carbonation than that. I like my stouts and English styles carbed pretty low. ( Below 2 vol) Even IPA's do not get carbed very high. No higher than abput 2.5 max.

However, I brew a lot of Belgians and Saisons and they really are better with higher carbonation. I like them with about 3.5 or even 4 vol.

 

[sweetcell]

My question is: What is the CO2 volume threshold for homebrew-grade beer glass bottles? In other words, the kinds made by professional homebrew companies such as Northern Brewer, Morebeer, etc. etc. etc.

A lot of the forums claimed 3.0 volumes, but I honestly cannot believe that for a second since there are a lot of beer styles where 3.0 volumes or higher is the standard. For example, Bavarian hefeweizens are usually between 3.5 and 4.0 volumes. And a lot of Belgian and German styles are between 3.0 and 3.5 volumes. So I would assume that homebrew glass would HAVE TO be made to tolerate at least up to 4.5 volumes

to assume that homebrew shops take every style of beer into consideration when selling a bottle is a stretch. they need to think about other things like price. note how those thick belgian bottles cost more than standard 12 oz bottles - why make everyone pay more for those, when cheaper bottles are fine for the vast majority of beer styles? only a handful of style are over 3 vols.

commercially, every belgian beer that i know of comes in a thick glass bottle. I've been collecting them for years and now have a good inventory of thick glass bottles. i'll only use those, or champagne bottles, for my belgians and sours.

speaking of:

I've heard and read that Champagne bottles can hold ridiculous amounts of CO2, but I've never liked the idea of having to buy something like 25 bottles of Champagne and drinking through all of them just to bottle a 5 gallon batch of highly carbed beer.

there are a lot of options for getting free champagne bottles. talk to any restaurant that serves mimosas during weekend brunch. stalk out a reception hall after a wedding. the first recycling day of the year (AKA right after new years eve) is a great time for picking up bottles.

soak in warm PBW overnight, rinse, and you're good to go.

 

[GrizzAndFish]

Samuel Smith bottles are VERY thick, although at 550 mL (18.7 fl oz), they're kind of an oddball size. I imagine they can handle about as much carbonation as you can throw at them.

 

[worlddivides]

It really depends on the style. Most brews are good with less carbonation than that. I like my stouts and English styles carbed pretty low. ( Below 2 vol) Even IPA's do not get carbed very high. No higher than abput 2.5 max.

However, I brew a lot of Belgians and Saisons and they really are better with higher carbonation. I like them with about 3.5 or even 4 vol.

Most of the beers I've brewed have been between 1.5 and 2.5 volumes and the last cider I made is a little under 1.5 (probably 1.2 or so).

The Belgian I just brewed will be the highest so far at around 2.7, but I've been wondering about what I would need to do if I wanted to make a beer at 3.5 or 4.0 CO2 (such as a Bavarian hefeweizen or a Belgian tripel).

This thread has been very informative.

 

[worlddivides]

to assume that homebrew shops take every style of beer into consideration when selling a bottle is a stretch. they need to think about other things like price. note how those thick belgian bottles cost more than standard 12 oz bottles - why make everyone pay more for those, when cheaper bottles are fine for the vast majority of beer styles? only a handful of style are over 3 vols.

commercially, every belgian beer that i know of comes in a thick glass bottle. I've been collecting them for years and now have a good inventory of thick glass bottles. i'll only use those, or champagne bottles, for my belgians and sours.

Well, mainly I was thinking about how homebrew bottles tend to be so much thicker than most of the bottles you buy at supermarkets or liquor stores.

But now that I think about it, I bought a bottle of Chimay's tripel a few days ago and the glass was JUST as thick as a Champagne bottle. So definitely a good point there.

there are a lot of options for getting free champagne bottles. talk to any restaurant that serves mimosas during weekend brunch. stalk out a reception hall after a wedding. the first recycling day of the year (AKA right after new years eve) is a great time for picking up bottles.

I hadn't even considered that, but that's a great idea.