Different Styles: Natural vs. Forced Carbing

[DerekTC]

Hey all.

I'm putting a 5 gallon Heffeweizen batch into my corny kegerator set-up this week.

I've been reading up on natural vs. forced carbonation. It seems (correct me if I'm wrong!) that there is a negligible difference in taste. But what I'm wondering is if different styles of beer take to natural or forced carbonation better.

What are your thoughts on this?

Thanks in advance!

 

[malkore]

No differences. You can force carb or prime with sugar any beer style.

Sometimes, on really high gravity beers or extended lagered beers, you might need to pitch additional yeast at bottling to get it to carbonate...So in those situations force carbing can simplify things.

 

[Grinder12000]

The only problem I see with Forced is that most of the time people seem to want to drink their beer to early and it's green. Beer needs aging and forcing gets you carbonation but not aging.

I've been to a few homebrew festivals and I bet 90% of the forced carbonation brews needed a month more time to gel and get rid of that horrible green homebrew taste.

 

[TopherM]

I used to think there was a difference, and you'll find plenty of people who will argue a difference. I used to think naturally carbing in a keg made it taste more like a bottle conditioned beer, and that a bottle conditioned beer was slightly superior to a kegged beer.

HOWEVER, after having my kegging setup for about 8 months now, I FINALLY figured out how to dial in the carb levels on a force carb, and now I can absolutely tell no difference.

For a HEFE, which is best served young, I'd go ahead and force carb it to get to the drinking sooner than naturally carbing. Just skip all of the shaking the keg, high PSI nonsense and simply seat the seals with a burst of 30PSI, purge, then set it at serving pressure for about 2 weeks (12-15PSI on my system at 40F). That'll carb it like a natural carb everytime.

 

[barneygumble]

I used to think there was a difference, and you'll find plenty of people who will argue a difference. I used to think naturally carbing in a keg made it taste more like a bottle conditioned beer, and that a bottle conditioned beer was slightly superior to a kegged beer.

HOWEVER, after having my kegging setup for about 8 months now, I FINALLY figured out how to dial in the carb levels on a force carb, and now I can absolutely tell no difference.

For a HEFE, which is best served young, I'd go ahead and force carb it to get to the drinking sooner than naturally carbing. Just skip all of the shaking the keg, high PSI nonsense and simply seat the seals with a burst of 30PSI, purge, then set it at serving pressure for about 2 weeks (12-15PSI on my system at 40F). That'll carb it like a natural carb everytime.

Yup. Purge means to vent the keg through the relief valve btw. This eliminates oxygen from the keg. Set your pressure after the seal and purge to desired volume CO2 for the style and forget about it for two weeks. Beers that are meant to be drunk young can be sampled then. Draw off half a pint and dump it. Then draw off a sample to taste. If its ready, set your pressure to serving pressure. (if serving and carbing pressures are much different, look at balancing your system). If not, give it another week. Right now I'm drinking an IPA which just finished in the keg. Two weeks. Flavor is great, clarity is ok as is head. It will be better in a week. One more and its back to bed for the beer for a week. This one will be a sooner rather than later beer. Next on deck for the tap next to it is a brown that will prolly be up to 4 weeks in the keg before I open the tap.

 

[DerekTC]

Awesome. I will do that.

Thanks for the advice!

 

[brewit2it]

The only problem I see with Forced is that most of the time people seem to want to drink their beer to early and it's green. Beer needs aging and forcing gets you carbonation but not aging.

I've been to a few homebrew festivals and I bet 90% of the forced carbonation brews needed a month more time to gel and get rid of that horrible green homebrew taste.

I'd have to disagree. Unless you are making some really big beers aging doesn't make beers better in my opinion. The fresher the better for pretty much everything I make. 2 weeks in the primary, a week in the keg and you're good to go. If you like how aging changes your beer then go for it but I prefer my beer fresh.

Like the late great Michael Jackson said "If you see a beer, do it a favor, and drink it. Beer was not meant to age."

 

[barneygumble]

I'd have to disagree. Unless you are making some really big beers aging doesn't make beers better in my opinion. The fresher the better for pretty much everything I make. 2 weeks in the primary, a week in the keg and you're good to go. If you like how aging changes your beer then go for it but I prefer my beer fresh.

Like the late great Michael Jackson said "If you see a beer, do it a favor, and drink it. Beer was not meant to age."

Didn't he call it Jesus Juice? lol

Depends on the style. APA's IPA's Hefe's, yes. Some Belgians too. Maltier beers, browns, stouts, and all lagers...notsomuch.

 

[hefehawk]

I don't have room in my kegerator right now, but will in about a week (finishing off a 1/2 barrel of Shiner Bock). I have some priming sugar for for 5 gallon batch that is done fermenting. My keg will be ready tomorrow as I'm soaking it in some PBW tonight that I will clean and rinse out tomorrow and then sanitize. Can I add the priming sugar to the keg and then rack on top and then seal for a week at room temperature?

 

[TopherM]

Can I add the priming sugar to the keg and then rack on top and then seal for a week at room temperature?

It's going to take more like 2-3 weeks naturally carbing, just like a bottle.

 

[hefehawk]

It's going to take more like 2-3 weeks naturally carbing, just like a bottle.

OK, will probably just "work" really hard at kicking the half barrel I have left by this weekend and keep the beer in the primary until then.