CO2 absorbtion

[brew_cat]

I'm carbonating a keg at 10psi now. Just curious. I usually just leave the gas on. This time I'm turning it on until I can't hear then turn it off. Come back in a couple hours and do it again. It seems to absorb it pretty fast. I assumed it would be slower. Any comments?

[sneezles61]

gassing it through the liquid post?
Sneezles61

[brew_cat]

No the gas post

[sneezles61]

Try the liquid.. Seems to absorb more..
Sneezles61

[squeegeethree]

Carbonic Acid is the hidden flavor in carbonated beverages that nobody talks about

[sneezles61]

It "sharpens" the over all taste and feel... To me anyways..
Sneezles61

[Steve]

CO2 absorbtion is a function of temperature, pressure and surface area. If you leave the gas on, the pressure will stay up so it will absorb a bit faster. The more surface where gas meets liquid, the faster the absorbtion. Bubbling up through the liquid line will help very slightly. Rolling and shaking the keg to expose liquid to gas will help a lot - and its good for physical fitness You will really hear the gas flow.

[WMNoob]

Be careful hooking up to the liquid post. I’ve had the regulator stick and gotten beer in my gas lines.

My brother in law turned me on to the “36 for 36” method. For ales he uses 36 psi for 36 hours on the gas side. At 36 drop the pressure, vent, and serve. Works well.

[brew_cat]

I'm not in a hurry that's why I just have it set at 10psi. I have plenty on tap already. Just curious about turning it on and off. The reason I even tried this was because I suspected a gas leak but noticed that the beer was getting carbonated so it's not leaking and absorbing. Just another silly thing to do during a pandemic.

[wilcolandzaat]

Same here. Did. Put 2 weeks. Atach new co2 tank. Took. A peak into the brew area. Monday. Pfff. Tank empty. Ok got spare tank. Grandson did atach new tank. No leaks. Or what. So ever. Kind of weird

[sneezles61]

I do seat the lid with somewhere around 40 PSI's... That is where most my leaks happen...
Sneezles61

[WMNoob]

Same here @sneezles61

@brew_cat I occasionally do low and slow and I leave my gas on.

[dannyboy58]

"Shouldn't" happen if you have check valves in the line.

36/36 has worked reasonably well for me in the past when I'm in a hurry but nothing gets it fully carbed like time.

@Steve rolling and shaking works if you're in a big hurry and with experience it's reasonably safe but also a good way to overcarb if you're not careful. I'm skeptical re the workout claims. Either way it will still be better carbed in a couple weeks, with regard to mouthfeel and that carbonic bite mentioned above.

[Steve]

My favorite workout is the 12 oz curl. Yes time works best, but it requires patience.
The carbonation chart provides CO2 saturation information, that is, the maximum amount of CO2 that can be dissolved into the liquid, if given enough time, at the given pressure and temperature. Shaking or rolling will speed up the rate of CO2 absorption, but it can't change the final amount dissolved. The risk of overcarbing comes from setting the pressure higher than the desired chart pressure to speed things up - for example if the 36 for 36 accidently goes longer than 36 hours.

[dannyboy58]

You can't compare your 36 for 36 to set it and forget and claim there's no way to overbarb with it. There's no science to support that. You can absolutely overbarb with any of the "quick carb" methods.

[Steve]

Thanks @dannyboy58 Here's a good discussion of the subject. https://byo.com/article/master-the-action-carbonation/
My point was simply this "The table ... tells you how much CO2 will be in your beer at equilibrium (the point at which CO2 can no longer be absorbed) for a given pressure and temperature."

[dannyboy58]

I understand your point. The tables were developed in laboratory conditions where all parameters are tightly controlled. Is that your brew room? Unlikely. How accurate is your thermometer or for that matter your CO2 gauges?

Beyond that the rolling and shaking, as well as pushing CO2 through the liquid tube change conditions that help define the charts. Over carbing is by definition the upsetting of that equilibrium you seem to believe it's impossible to break. By your philosophy no beer ever will be over carbed? C'mon...

[sneezles61]

Fascinating!
I over carb mine... It's warm most times... Into the keezer, hook up the gas and walk away... As it chills, the over carbed part seems to disappear...
I know, and you long time keggers know how it works...
Quick carbed brew isn't as good as one that's been in a long time... that's a fact.. But then usually you are clearing out some trub anyways with the first pint or two...
I set my regulator at 10-12 PSI and really like a nice frothy top..
Sneezles61

[radagast]

I set mine to 30 psi for first 24 hours in kegerator, then when I get home from work the next day, I drop it to 20 for 2-3 days before I test it. Once I get where I want, I drop to serving pressure. I have had different carb levels between beers with this method, but then I just shut of the gas valve to the foamy keg till it settles out. If I would increase my brewing schedule I could get ahead of this and use the set it and forget it method, but typically by the time I'm carbing both serving kegs have already kicked. As I took some growlers of my Black IPA and Pumpkin to friends who like them, these two kicked very fast. Just brewed second batch Sunday so I'll be out for a bit.

Rad

[squeegeethree]

In my experience a “heady” beer is also easier to over carb. There’s a reason there’s a style guide for carbonation to match beer types.