Fizzzzzzzz

[Geordiepete]

Hi guys,

Just a few quick queries about carbonation,

How long does it take to happen fully?

i.e. If I opened a bottle after only 10 days maturing would the beer not be fully carbonated. i did this with a bottle of my ale and there was a rather pathetic psst when I opened the bottle and the beer had the light fizz of a flat cola. Just wondering if i'd left it longer would it have improved?

Also Im in the UK and tend to use plastic 40pint kegs to store my beer rather than bottle it. Some of the kits I've made have been 36 or 24 pint kits and obvioulsly putting them in a 40 pint keg leaves alot of headspace, would I be correct in assuming this is affecting my carbonation levels? Could it be improved by adding more priming sugar? I do have the ability to add Co2 to my kegs but while this gets the beer out nice and quick and produces a nice frothy head. The beer still tastes rather flat. Any advice is greatly appreciated.

 

[Orfy]

Hi Pete.
I'm in Cheshire.

What temp are you storing the kegs at?
Are you sure the tops are sealing?
What type of beer are you making?

Carbonation can take 1-4 week depending on conditions.

 

[Geordiepete]

Hi Orfy,

Im a Geordie, living in hampshire, i have a mate up in chesire though, he lives in warrington.

Anyway.

I got that boiler you linked me too just before xmas! its tip top, havn't made a brew with it yet though as I wanted to be sure I've got this carbonation thing sorted out. I have all my ingredients ready to go for a hobgoblin clone so i'm looking forward to that.

I've been doing kits up to now

Woodfordes Headcracker
Muntons Winter Warmer
Coopers Old Dark ale

The kegs are sealing ok i think as when I add co2 to them it stays in there and they still have the pressure when i go back to them days later. I suspected temperature was an issue as I have no choice but to keep them at the fermenting temp of a steady 20 deg. Thats why I decided with the old dark ale to do one bottle and keg the rest as obviously I can easily chill the bottle to 13 deg or whatever. I added half a teaspoon of sugar to a pint bottle and while the fizz was a bit better than what |i'm getting out the keg it still nowhere near the level i'd hope for? Mabey I didn't leave it long enough?

One more quick question,

If my keg is carbonating and I take a little sample, will I disturb the carbonation process?

Thanks for your help mate

 

[Orfy]

20c should be fine, it may just need more sugar or a longer time.
Taking a sample won't hurt. You can always add a little CO2 to top up the pressure. What CO2 set up do you have?

I'm also in Warrington.

 

[Geordiepete]

Ive just got the adapter for a soda stream cylinder and top up with that, i've got a couple of king kegs and a standard barrel with a valve fitted.

Was up in warrington last year, went to an Italian place up there for a meal, can't remember what it was called. Good food though!