Slow carbonation with coconut in keg?

[grizzly2378]

Okay, I know that the oil from coconut can kill head retention, but that’s not my current issue. I’ve got a milk stout that I kegged a week ago with 10 oz of toasted unsweetened coconut in a hop bag. My normal procedure is to set it and forget it at 12 psi. Normally, after a week, I have pretty decent carbonation and then full carbonation after 10-14 days. I pulled a pint of the coconut stout after a week and got no head whatsoever and the carbonation was lower than normal. Checked my system for leaks and didn’t find any and both of my other kegs are carbed just fine (all three kegs are running off the same regulator through a 3 valve distributor). Pulled the relief valve on the keg in question and there’s definitely pressure, the co2 just doesn’t seem to be diffusing well.

The beer tastes awesome...best coconut flavor I’ve been able to get in a beer. But I’d like it to carb up more. So, question is, does coconut oil also slow carbonation overall? Or is something else going on?

 

[Staticsouls]

I can say, from repeated brewing of the same coconut ale recipe, that the head retention in my coconut beer is not even close to any of my other beers. I attributed this to the coconut oils myself. Not sure if I have noticed a difference in actual carb level , as opposed to a different brew though.

I am going to make another batch so I will report back.

 

[grizzly2378]

I can say, from repeated brewing of the same coconut ale recipe, that the head retention in my coconut beer is not even close to any of my other beers. I attributed this to the coconut oils myself. Not sure if I have noticed a difference in actual carb level , as opposed to a different brew though.

I am going to make another batch so I will report back.

As an update to this, mine did carb up eventually without me doing anything extra. It just took a week to 10 days longer. Head retention sucks, but at least it’s carbed.

 

[day_trippr]

fwiw, before I installed a nitro faucet I always noticed my chocolate stouts needed an extra week or two to carb up to style compared to pretty much everything else I brew - and that's a wide gamut.
I attributed it to something gumming up the gas/beer interface (cocoa fat, presumably).

Dispensing the same beer on beer gas through a stout faucet the carbonation thing is no longer an issue.
I only have to bring the beer up from its post-fermentation ~.6 volumes to ~1.2 volumes now. The nitro and faucet do the rest

Cheers!

 

[Enemygod]

Not to long ago I brewed a coconut milk dipa and used 2lb of coconut. It did not take me any longer to carb the beer than normal and I actually didn't experience any head retention loss. In fact the beer had great lacing down the glass until the last drop.