Problems carbonating stout in keg

[zam216]

Ok I have a stout in my keg now going on a week and I just poured a test glass to see carbonation and I am getting little to no head when pouring. I have had the keg on 8psi for a week at 44 degrees and recently upped it to 10psi on Sunday . The beer doesn't taste flat but I still have no head. I plan on bottling the beer with my beer gun but don't want to bottle flat beer. Is this how a stout should be or possibly is it because I don't have a stout tap? Will it improve after I bottle?

 

[BeerFst]

I assume this stout is the Chocolate Cherry in your sig. Chocolate can add oils depending on how you added it. I've yet to actually use real chocolate, but it seems powdered adds the smallest amount of oils. Oils kill the head retention.

 

[day_trippr]

I force-carb using the so-called "set and forget" method of constant ideal CO2 pressure. Of all my brews, my big stouts consistently take longer to carbonate. If an average OG takes 2.5 weeks to be perfect, the 100 point stouts take 4 weeks.

Whether eventually dispensed with straight CO2 through a Perl or 75/25 beer gas through a stout faucet doesn't matter. Once they're nicely carbed the head is as desired - there's no indication there's anything else influencing the outcome but time.

Patience is all I can advise...

Cheers!

 

[chickypad]

You're also set at a fairly low carb level. 8 psi at 44 deg will give you 1.95 vols, and 10 psi 2.14. I understand that is carbing to style, but unless you are serving on a beer engine or stout faucet IME those levels just seem flat. I don't think most bottled commercial stouts are carbed that low.

 

[kalmah21]

You're also set at a fairly low carb level. 8 psi at 44 deg will give you 1.95 vols, and 10 psi 2.14. I understand that is carbing to style, but unless you are serving on a beer engine or stout faucet IME those levels just seem flat. I don't think most bottled commercial stouts are carbed that low.

I second this. I carb at 13psi at 42 deg which is a little under 2.5 vols. I find this to be closer to a bottle of commercial beer.

 

[zam216]

That makes sense that commercial stouts are higher thank you I'll try that