Applications of CO2 nucleation with a paper coffee filter

[indevrede]

I came across this paper from 2011 where the authors study coffee filter paper as a way to generate a head of foam on an Irish stout (alternative to the "widget" in Guinness cans):

http://arxiv.org/abs/1103.0508

This intrigued me because I've been looking for an easy way to evolve CO2 for several purposes:

1) Starters with higher cell counts and vitality without using an expensive orbital shaker (the stir bar technique creates cell shear stress, search for "shaken not stirred" starters at the AHA forum for more info)

2) Better lager fermentation without cold trub (the consensus is that cold break provides CO2 nucleation sites, but is otherwise not useful for well-oxygenated yeast)

3) Degassing English Bitters in the glass (i.e. an alternative to those fancy glasses with laser-etched patterns on the bottom).

So far I've used a piece of regular white coffee filter for 1) and 3), and I'm planning to try 2) next. I haven't done any side-by-side experiments, but the paper clearly does produce a stream of CO2 bubbles. Whether it makes an appreciable difference in the final product, I'm not sure.

For more info, here's another post from way-back discussing dissolved CO2 and the benefits to helping release it:

http://www.beerandloafing.org/hbd/fetch.php?id=69393

This technique might also be useful for helping high-gravity beers to finish.

Try it and let me know what you think. (You'll need to weight down the paper, I used a plastic clip).

 

[brewerdoc]

I came across this paper from 2011 where the authors study coffee filter paper as a way to generate a head of foam on an Irish stout (alternative to the "widget" in Guinness cans):

http://arxiv.org/abs/1103.0508

This intrigued me because I've been looking for an easy way to evolve CO2 for several purposes:

1) Starters with higher cell counts and vitality without using an expensive orbital shaker (the stir bar technique creates cell shear stress, search for "shaken not stirred" starters at the AHA forum for more info)

2) Better lager fermentation without cold trub (the consensus is that cold break provides CO2 nucleation sites, but is otherwise not useful for well-oxygenated yeast)

3) Degassing English Bitters in the glass (i.e. an alternative to those fancy glasses with laser-etched patterns on the bottom).

So far I've used a piece of regular white coffee filter for 1) and 3), and I'm planning to try 2) next. I haven't done any side-by-side experiments, but the paper clearly does produce a stream of CO2 bubbles. Whether it makes an appreciable difference in the final product, I'm not sure.

For more info, here's another post from way-back discussing dissolved CO2 and the benefits to helping release it:

http://www.beerandloafing.org/hbd/fetch.php?id=69393

This technique might also be useful for helping high-gravity beers to finish.

Try it and let me know what you think. (You'll need to weight down the paper, I used a plastic clip).

Enjoyed the post because for me this was very thought provoking since I honestly did not have a good answer for your question. I'll have to read more about it but when I do eventually try it I'll be sure to message you and let you know how my experience went.

 

[trentm]

I came across this paper from 2011 where the authors study coffee filter paper as a way to generate a head of foam on an Irish stout (alternative to the "widget" in Guinness cans):

http://arxiv.org/abs/1103.0508

This intrigued me because I've been looking for an easy way to evolve CO2 for several purposes:

1) Starters with higher cell counts and vitality without using an expensive orbital shaker (the stir bar technique creates cell shear stress, search for "shaken not stirred" starters at the AHA forum for more info)

2) Better lager fermentation without cold trub (the consensus is that cold break provides CO2 nucleation sites, but is otherwise not useful for well-oxygenated yeast)

3) Degassing English Bitters in the glass (i.e. an alternative to those fancy glasses with laser-etched patterns on the bottom).

So far I've used a piece of regular white coffee filter for 1) and 3), and I'm planning to try 2) next. I haven't done any side-by-side experiments, but the paper clearly does produce a stream of CO2 bubbles. Whether it makes an appreciable difference in the final product, I'm not sure.

For more info, here's another post from way-back discussing dissolved CO2 and the benefits to helping release it:

http://www.beerandloafing.org/hbd/fetch.php?id=69393

This technique might also be useful for helping high-gravity beers to finish.

Try it and let me know what you think. (You'll need to weight down the paper, I used a plastic clip).

Thanks for posting this Indevrede. A coffee filter may be an alternative to a method I use to kick off the secondary fermentation in my Brettanomyces finished beers. I've been using pelleted hops to perform this function. A couple of days after pitching Brett into the secondary, I've been adding 0.5 oz per 5 gallon batch of pelleted hops to evolve the excess CO2. If not careful the the beer will foam over but without fail, the removal of CO2 stimulates the Brett and will complete the secondary within 6 weeks, even at 60F. Next time I'll try some pieces of coffee filter weighted with paper clips. Do you have a guess as to how many filters it would take to significantly reduce CO2 in a 5 gallon batch?

 

[indevrede]

Do you have a guess as to how many filters it would take to significantly reduce CO2 in a 5 gallon batch?

Hmmm, I'd guess one filter, but only because I'd be surprised if it were 0.1 filter and disappointed if it were 10 filters. But for a more accurate answer, I propose a visual test: pour two beers (bright beer in clear glasses) and add a piece of coffee filter (say 1 inch square) to beer A and watch the bubbles evolve. Then, add hops (1 gram at a time?) to beer B to match the rate of CO2 bubble generation. When you've matched the rates, then you have an equivalence between hop pellet mass and filter paper area.

Note 1: you'll need to put the hop pellets in something like a tea infuser so that the particles don't float up to the top.

Note 2: You could also keep the hop mass constant and add (or remove) paper squares to match the rates.

Note 3: You'll have to make changes quickly because the dissolved CO2 levels in A and B will become different, so the bubble evolution rate will change.

Note 4: Maybe use seltzer instead of beer?

Note 5: Handle filter paper carefully, I think skin oils reduce some of the bubbling / foaming.

Note 6: For your actual beer, make sure the clips are plastic (or else stainless steel). Regular paper clips are chrome plated steel, and would probably rust.