The "feel" of carbonation

[ClemTiger0408]

I recently tried to clone a beer I really like that's seasonal.

Today I compared the two. The flavor is similar but the biggest difference I notice is in the feel of the bubbles of carbonation.

The commercial beer (New Belgium Accumulation)'s bubbles seem to be ... Sharper? I don't know how else to describe it. Like they bite a little more. Whereas mine tastes smoother. Almost like the bubbles are smaller or like a nitro pour (it isn't on nitro).

So what gives? I keg. The PSI is set at 12 and the temp is around 40 degrees F. When I pour mine I get lots of foam (probably a line issue).

Any thoughts?

 

[day_trippr]

Seems simple enough: your beer is flatter.

Whether you actually carbonated the beer to the same volumes as Accumulation or not, you're obviously losing a lot of carbonation to excessive foam. If you can fix that it'll be easier to dial in a carb level that'll match up with your clone's original...

Cheers!

 

[ClemTiger0408]

Seems simple enough: your beer is flatter.



Whether you actually carbonated the beer to the same volumes as Accumulation or not, you're obviously losing a lot of carbonation to excessive foam. If you can fix that it'll be easier to dial in a carb level that'll match up with your clone's original...



Cheers!

So having excess foam would make the beer flatter? I never considered this. Now I just need to figure out how to reduce foam...

 

[smitty8202]

40 i think is a little high.bring the temp down and the c02 will take to the beer better

 

[day_trippr]

So having excess foam would make the beer flatter? I never considered this. Now I just need to figure out how to reduce foam...

Foam has to come from somewhere, there's no Foam Fairy

The two "must haves" when it comes to kegging:

First, our favorite carbonation table. Pick your desired dispensing temperature, then scan across the row to the volumes of CO2 you want (hint: 2.5 is roughly where most pales and IPAs are), then go up the column to the proper CO2 pressure used to hit and maintain that carbonation level. And if you want to carb towards the high side of "the usual", keep that higher pressure in mind for the next step.

With required CO2 pressure known, you then go to the only beer line length calculator worth using, plug in your CO2 pressure and any other particulars to fill in the calculator, and you'll then know the length of line needed to properly balance your dispensing system...

Cheers!