I just got my nitro system set up and looking for advise on how to force carb at the lower carbination. I typically force carb my normal beers at 45 psi for about 24 hours. This gets them about 80 - 90% there and then i put down to serving pressure (12psi) and in a couple of days they are perfect. Is the Co2 absorption linear? If i want Co2 to be around 6psi can i go at 12 psi for 24hrs then put down to 6psi for a couple of days? I know i am not using volume here but hopefully you get what i am asking.
Nitro newbie/ force carb question
- Thread starter Shawn0522
- Start date
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microbusbrewery
Senior Member
Take a look at this chart. It'll tell you the required pressure and temperature to reach your desired carbonation level. You might get lucky just winging it, but using the chart will give you much more accurate results.
http://www.kegerators.com/carbonation-table.php
http://www.kegerators.com/carbonation-table.php
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Shawn0522
Well-Known Member
I have the chart and know my serving/final psi at my serving temp should be around 6psi, but to just set my regulator at 6psi it may take more than a week to get carbed. I am curious if anyone has cranked regulator up and force carb quicker. For my higher co2 volume beers i set at 45 for 24 hrs and its pretty close.
microbusbrewery
Senior Member
If you have a traditional nitro setup, you'll have to have the regulator set much higher than 6 psi. Something in the neighborhood of 36 psi is the norm. Sure, you can crank up the regulator and try to force carb it faster, but that's the "winging it" that I was referring to. It's a function of time, temp, and pressure that determines how much CO2 dissolves into solution. You might get lucky and you'll end up at your desired target volumes, but more than likely you'll be over or under carb'd. Slightly under is not too big of a deal, but if it's over carb'd you'll be pouring tons of foam.
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Shawn0522
Well-Known Member
I have a traditional nitro set up on beer gas but was not planning on carbing with beer gas. Do you typically carb with pure Co2 or do you use beer gas to carb? How long does it typically take?
microbusbrewery
Senior Member
I prefer to carb my nitro beers by either force carbing (a week at the prescribed temp and pressure) or by adding the appropriate dosage of priming sugar to get me to about 1.2 volumes. Then I'll put them on beergas at about 32 psi. Never tried carbing with beergas, but I've read it can take over a week.
ncsuwerewolf
Well-Known Member
If co2 levels are linear. And beer gas is 25 % co2 and i want my beer to be carbed at 25% of normal beer. Then it means i should be able to carb with beer gas the same as i carb a regular beer with striaght co2 which i what i do. And i have had no issues as long as the keg is sealed well. I set it at 40 psi and give it 24 hours. Then leave it at serving pressure for a few days to equalize.
