Fine bubbles vs coarse bubbles?

[whoaru99]

Yeah, the thread title is sorta odd but is it just me or do brews seem to have difference in carbonation where some seems more fine/delicate fizz and others a coarser type of fizz?

Not talking more or less carbonation, per se, rather the texture of the carbonation if that makes sense.

Why would that difference be?

 

[FloppyKnockers]

I know what you're talking about. I describe it the same way.

I'm sure there's more to it, but I find that if I force carb, I get the bigger bubbles. If I set and forget, I get the finer fizz. Of course, after force carbing and it sitting on gas for a while, the bubbles get smaller.

 

[wepeeler]

You can still get fine bubbles if you force carb, but don't go aggressive at the start. Set it low, and let it go. I find after a few weeks in the keg, I get nice tight bubbles.

 

[lumpher]

Bigger bubbles usually indicate the carbonation hasn't dissolved into it yet. You want the small tight bubbles. That's when the carbonation is good. The big bubbles come out of suspension quick and leave it flat with no carb bite at all.

 

[Bobby_M]

There are a lot of theories out there and I think one of the most corrupt of them all is that spunding creates finer bubbles than force carbonation but I think it's incorrectly attributed. If you were to split the same beer into two cold side processes, you'd likely find that the spunded "fine bubble" beer simply has a slightly higher carbonation level because the forced carbonation version, which may have been carbed through a stone in a brite tank just didn't reach full equilibrium.

The other thing that produces fine bubbles is lack of nucleation points in the beer. That is, a beer that is brilliantly clear will crack co2 out of solution and that tiny bubble rises and forms the head. In a hazy beer or one with fine particulates, those particles can be the source for a few Co2 bubbles that happens at the same time and the bubbles combine before they even rise up through the beer. Big bubbles.

So, lagering or fining, is the answer in my opinion.

 

[whoaru99]

I'll see if the bubbles get small as time progresses. It's been lagering for a couple months and it pretty clear, although I did forget to add irish moss et al..

It's still sitting at 34F. Carbed at 20 psi for a day or two, then reset the regulator to 8-9 psi and it's been on the gas now for close to two weeks. Had plenty of fizz just struck me as coarse fizz relative to a bottle of Heineken I had last night.

 

[Miraculix]

There are a lot of theories out there and I think one of the most corrupt of them all is that spunding creates finer bubbles than force carbonation but I think it's incorrectly attributed. If you were to split the same beer into two cold side processes, you'd likely find that the spunded "fine bubble" beer simply has a slightly higher carbonation level because the forced carbonation version, which may have been carbed through a stone in a brite tank just didn't reach full equilibrium.

The other thing that produces fine bubbles is lack of nucleation points in the beer. That is, a beer that is brilliantly clear will crack co2 out of solution and that tiny bubble rises and forms the head. In a hazy beer or one with fine particulates, those particles can be the source for a few Co2 bubbles that happens at the same time and the bubbles combine before they even rise up through the beer. Big bubbles.

So, lagering or fining, is the answer in my opinion.

This!

Exactly my experience.

There is no "less dissolved co2". It is either in solution, or not in solution.

 

[Brewer Mike]

I had a beer in a competition, where one judge commented "Coarse bubbles" and the other "tiny bubbles".

 

[whoaru99]

Must be medium bubbles then.

 

[balrog]