I'm stepping into Kegs and Forced Carbing. The only info I'm finding is from the beer side. For Cider do you carb at room or fridge temp.? I'm not interested in quick carbing. So how long and at what psi do you all carb your ciders? After carbing to you bottle at room or fridge temp.?
Kegs and Forced Carbing
- Thread starter MarkKF
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BobAgain
Active Member
Hi Mark,
I make mostly Graham's English after running sweet/dry experiments on the family. I rack into the keg, bleed the air off/put it on CO2, let it chill in the fridge for a few days, and then carb at 25 psi. I'm pretty lazy so I only agitate for 5 minutes or so and then put it back into the fridge (my gas is not connected in the fridge). I bleed off and then pour at 5 psi, pouring into growlers or a glass or three. Back to 25 psi and then back into the fridge. It's worked for me.
I make mostly Graham's English after running sweet/dry experiments on the family. I rack into the keg, bleed the air off/put it on CO2, let it chill in the fridge for a few days, and then carb at 25 psi. I'm pretty lazy so I only agitate for 5 minutes or so and then put it back into the fridge (my gas is not connected in the fridge). I bleed off and then pour at 5 psi, pouring into growlers or a glass or three. Back to 25 psi and then back into the fridge. It's worked for me.
It doesn't matter if you carb at fridge or room temperatures- just use the proper pressure for the temperature. Here is a force carbonation chart: http://www.kegerators.com/carbonation-table.php
Just look at the chart, and you'll see that if you want 2.5 volumes of c02 at 40 degrees, you'll want the regulator set at 13 psi. No shaking or otherwise messing about- just "set it and forget it".
I actually don't love my cider carbed, but my daughter likes it at about 2.5 volumes. Some like it even spritzier- and more like 3.0 volumes more a very fizzy wine.
Just look at the chart, and you'll see that if you want 2.5 volumes of c02 at 40 degrees, you'll want the regulator set at 13 psi. No shaking or otherwise messing about- just "set it and forget it".
I actually don't love my cider carbed, but my daughter likes it at about 2.5 volumes. Some like it even spritzier- and more like 3.0 volumes more a very fizzy wine.
Yes, give or take. Try to have 1 foot of 3/16" beverage line for every psi the regulator is at, just to maintain carbonation through the pouring.
When I do soda, it's at 30 psi and I have nearly 30' of line, but for beer I can get by with 10' (12 psi or so). Whichever you go, with a higher champagne-like carbonation or a lower carb level, going longer on the lines is a good bet.
I force carb my cider to 3 volumes of co2. After i cold crash and filter the yeast, i do the set it and forget it method. takes me about 1.5 weeks to fully carb. I set the psi to what it needs to be for 3 volumes at room temp. but since i cold crashed the cider and its already cold it helps speed to process up. takes about 24 hours before the cider gets up to room temp.
UpstateMike
Well-Known Member
Try a welding supply shop if your LHBS can't help you.
Airgas
140 Commerce Ct
Cheshire, CT 06410
(203) 272-0389
They'll be cheaper than a brew supply shop too. And I think Airgas has "beverage grade" CO2 which is a higher purity than "food grade". Not that you'd notice.
I use these guys:
Hocon Industrial Gas
30 North Plains Industrial Rd
Wallingford, CT 06492
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I've found that my ciders take considerably longer than my beers to carbonate, given the same temp + pressure. Beers are ready to drink in 10 days while ciders take closer to 4 weeks. Just my personal experience.
MC
MC
BierGut
Well-Known Member
I really lucked out when on my way to fill my tank at a very inconvenient location on the other side of town I passed by a welding supply shop just a stones throw away from my house. Filled a 5lb tank for $17
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It's got nothing to do with "sense", but real-life application.I've had ciders that sat there and did not get carbonated for nearly a month. Mind you, I don't shake them. Just the old set-it-and-forget-it. Beers ready in 7-10 days, ciders in 4 weeks.
The composition of cider is quite different than beer... Cider is mostly water, fructose, and alcohol. Beer has much more stuff in it than cider - proteins, hop oils, etc.
MC
Yeah, i know it is but that doesn't change much the way co2 dissolves into solution. It doesnt take me any longer to carb cider than beer. This is the first time ive ever heard of it taking longer to carb cider vs beer.
your exp does not = fact.
you're prob the only person that has this problem with cider.
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I agree, my experience does not make it a fact, but it's been factual in my own experience. I didn't claim that it does that for everyone, mind you. I just don't know why it does this, I don't really have an explanation. This has happened in every cider that I made, and I'm on batch 10 in the last 3 years. All beers + ciders are carbonated at the same PSI. It's always a possibility that this particular regulator (it's a bank of 6) has a lower flow, but then again it would slow down the pour.
MC
Are you sure that its not just your perception? With beer you get more of a feeling of carbonation cause of the mouth feel. i carb my ciders to 3 volumes od co2 and you don't get the same mouth feel with cider as with a carbonated beer which i typically carb to 2.5ish volumes of c02.
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