Volumes of CO2 for English Bitter?

[donovanlambright]

I brewed the Ordinary Bitter from Brewing Classic Styles and kegged it with 1.5 volumes of CO2, as the book suggests. To get that volume, I used the chart in How to Brew and dialed the pressure to 5 PSI (I keep my keezer at 50 degrees).

The beer seems really flat. I’m trying to keep an open mind but it just doesn’t seem right. Imported bitters like Fullers don’t seem to be carbed that low and I’m starting to question the information in BCS. Or my pressure. Anybody trying to serve an authentic bitter who could share their experience?

 

[Darthbrewder]

I’ve never actually had a traditional bitter served from a cask or keg. I think I read somewhere that the bottled versions of the beers you mentioned, usually have more alcohol and are carbonated more.

 

[Homergah]

5 psi is serving pressure. How long has it been on gas? It's going to take a long time at that pressure/temp to get saturation.

 

[donovanlambright]

5 psi is serving pressure. How long has it been on gas? It's going to take a long time at that pressure/temp to get saturation.

It’s been on gas for two weeks.

 

[HTH1975]

Bottled British beers are always more carbonated than cask beers. A good trick is to pour the initial amount (till the foam fills the pint glass) from a height to knock out some carbonation, then top up when the foam settles.

 

[McKnuckle]

For convenience, I carb my English beers to the same 12 psi as all the others with keezer set to 40ºF. This produces a satisfying head when poured.

After sitting at room temp for a few minutes, they warm and de-gas to a desirable level. This brings out the smooth malt flavour and mouthfeel that these beers are famous for.

I have had plenty of English beers on cask (very sad that I have to travel there to do so... ), so I at least have something to compare it to. It ain't the same at home in the U.S. of course, but it's still nice.