Are there tricks for getting natural carbonation in a keg for ales ? I don't have this problem with lagars.
Usually my ales in the Cornelius kegs are very flat. I follow Charles P. advice by using 1/3 cup of corn sugar and sealing the keg with a blast of CO2. I'll let it sit 2-3 weeks. They eventually get carbonated once I hook up the CO2 but who can wait that long ?
Should I shake the keg a few times during fermentation? Any ideas would be appreciated,
Thanks.
Dave
Kegging
Moderator: slothrob
Well,
I chiil the beer to 40-35F because the low tempreture lets the beer absorb CO2. After the keg is chilled, hook up the co2 and lay the keg on it's side. Put the pressure to 20psig and rock the keg back and forth until the regulator stops working hard.(or you can't hear the bubbles anymore) Bada-bing carbonated beer. Remember to return the psig back to the dispensing pressure.
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I have a question?
Are you trying to naturally carbonate (cask or bottle condition) or force carbonate? It seems that you are mixing the two methods. I bottle condition my ales so I can't help you on keg specifics. If you do naturally condition you should add the priming and store the ale warm 65 degrees for a few days. Remember you are reestablishing the yeast colony in the maturing ale. You also need to insure that you have enough viable yeast in solution (carry over or added).
If you wish to force carbonate don't add the priming and cool the ale as close to 32 degrees as you can acheve this will speed absorbtion of the CO2. True ales are not lagared and tend to be less carbonated.
Good brewing.
If you wish to force carbonate don't add the priming and cool the ale as close to 32 degrees as you can acheve this will speed absorbtion of the CO2. True ales are not lagared and tend to be less carbonated.
Good brewing.
Carbonation Stone
Another suggestion to help speed up artificial carb is a carbonation stone. Just attach to your gas in line per instructions supposedly will carbonate beer in minutes. Haven't used one yet for finished beer, but sure works well to use one hooked up to an aquarium O2 pump to aerate wort ( 5 mins tops to fully aerated wort beats shaking hands down ).
My method
I normally take my beer from the cellar its at about 4 deg c, into the keg, turn the keg upside down and inject the co2 at abot 40-50 pis, let it sit for 10 min, and do it again 3-4 times, then hold the keg in the fridge for 24 hours and let gas at 25-30 psi, the following day i drop the pressure to pouring psi and away it goes
stone works for carb but not bottling
I've used a carbonation stone. It worked very well for carbonating the beer. However, it does not work out if you are going to use a counter pressure bottle filler to bottle. Too much back pressure and you end up with bottles full of foam. If you are going to keep the beer in the keg for serving then go for it.
Carb stone again
The pros use a stainless steel stone(s) mounted in the fermenter to carb the beer (also for oxygen)and then transfer to kegs. I think we all agree on the subject, which would indicate good advice.