Getting the most drinkable beer out of fermenters...

[Rob2010SS]

So I have a strawberry rhubarb gose finishing up that I'm really excited for. I ended up with quite a bit of beer - maybe 6 gallons. I'm going to keg it first and foremost, but I'm toying with the idea of trying to get the rest into growlers (64 or 32oz) and adding some sugar to get them to carbonate.

If I end up with full growlers, that's easy math. Use the calculators to figure out how much sugar to add. My dilemma comes in if I end up with a half full growler. How do you account for all the headspace? Do you add more sugar to create more CO2 in order to account for that or does the extra headspace in there not matter and it will carb up the same?

Of course, most obvious question, is a half growler worth trying to carbonate or is all that headspace going to damage the beer by the time it's carbonated?

 

[Smellyglove]

You calculate the co2 for the full volume of whatever you carbonate your beer in. Even if you have 1L of liquid in a 10L container. You need to fill that headspace with "something" and still have the targeted co2 in your beer since gas will seek equilibrium in a space which is filled with "nothing" and liquid. But you'll still have o2 in there from the start, so you should vent it, ideally using a spundvalve.

 

[Rob2010SS]

You calculate the co2 for the full volume of whatever you carbonate your beer in. Even if you have 1L of liquid in a 10L container. You need to fill that headspace with "something" and still have the targeted co2 in your beer since gas will seek equilibrium in a space which is filled with "nothing" and liquid.

Awesome! Thanks.

 

[Smellyglove]

Awesome! Thanks.

I did one last edit to my post after you replied.

 

[Rob2010SS]

You calculate the co2 for the full volume of whatever you carbonate your beer in. Even if you have 1L of liquid in a 10L container. You need to fill that headspace with "something" and still have the targeted co2 in your beer since gas will seek equilibrium in a space which is filled with "nothing" and liquid. But you'll still have o2 in there from the start, so you should vent it, ideally using a spundvalve.

If I don't have a spund valve....? Could I just purge it with CO2?

 

[TasunkaWitko]

I'm toying with the idea of trying to get the rest into growlers (64 or 32oz) and adding some sugar to get them to carbonate.

No.

 

[day_trippr]

Agreed, an idea that should be forgotten before acting...

Cheers!

 

[Smellyglove]

Why not? Let a person know what oxidation tastes like? It's only left overs.

 

[day_trippr]

Was thinking more of the fact that growlers aren't designed for "bottle conditioning" and might ruin your day when they grenade...

Cheers!

 

[Rob2010SS]

Why not? Let a person know what oxidation tastes like? It's only left overs.

Oh believe me, I know what it tastes like. I've had a batch that was oxidized. It was very clear what happened when I tasted it. I knew that was a risk with this but didn't know if it was worth it or not.

Was thinking more of the fact that growlers aren't designed for "bottle conditioning" and might ruin your day when they grenade...

Cheers!

This... I know that I do NOT want to mess with this. I could get normal bottles and do this and not mess with the growlers. Maybe I'll nix the whole thing. Was just trying to maximize yield, lol.

 

[parjay]

If you do it, use the flip-top ones with the rubber gasket. I have done a couple that way, I believe that they vent off gas if you over-carb. If you use a screw-top, you are really just making glass bombs.

 

[day_trippr]

[...]This... I know that I do NOT want to mess with this. I could get normal bottles and do this and not mess with the growlers. Maybe I'll nix the whole thing. Was just trying to maximize yield, lol.

All is not lost: I keep a couple of two liter screw-top soda bottles for just that thing. While I use carbonation caps on them you could dose a bottle with primer, fill it then cap it and be good to go. I've put 30 psi on mine without issue (for "instant beer" )...

Cheers!