12's versus 22's

[ChadRabbit]

So my buddy and I recently bottled an all grain batch that we screwed up a little bit. We figured hey, let's just see what happens with it.

The interesting part? The 12 oz bottles came out fine while the 22s were very weak just like we expected. What happened?

 

[Revvy]

They appear "weaker" because they take longer to carb and condition than 12 ounce bottles.

I have some pints, 22 oz bombers and other sizes that I often use, but since I enter contests I usually also do a sixer or two of standard 12 ouncers for entering. And inevitably the 12 ouncers are done at least a week faster than the larger bottles....some times two weeks ahead of time...

Also the rule of thumb is 3 weeks at 70 degrees for a normal grav 12 ounce bottle....to carb and condition....It takes longer for the yeasties to convert the larger volume in the bigger bottles to enough co2 in the headspace to be reabsorbed back into the solution...A ratio I don't know how much by...

Big Kahuna gives a good explanation here...

Simple. It's the ration of contact area just like in a keg. The c02 will need to pressurize the head space (Which takes LESS TIME) in a bigger bottle (More Yeast and sugar, roughly the same head space) but then it has to force that c02 into solution through the same contact area...thus it takes longer.

Here's some folks who have actually experienced it.

In my experience, a 22-oz container will condition more slowly. This has only been apparent to me with beers that are really slow-conditioning anyway, like my red ale that I screwed up. It had some pretty significant heat-related off flavors that disappeared from the 12-ounce bottles WAY before they left the 22s.

I have done both 12 and 22 oz bottles. About the only difference I have seen is the big bottles take a few days longer to carb. They do save bottling time (less bottles to sanitize,fill,cap). Somehow I seem to run out of beer faster though

I regularly use both 12oz and 22oz bottles with no noticeable taste difference. The 22 ouncers might take longer to carb up but by the time I get around to drinking them I have never noticed a difference.

I always bottle my batches into 2 cases of 22oz bombers and then end up with a little left over that goes into a couple of 12oz bottles. In my experience, the 22oz bottles usually take longer to carb. Sometimes 1 to 2 weeks longer (4 to 5 weeks total bottle conditioning time).

Well here's one to support the 22oz taking longer.

When trying to convince people to not carbonate in growlers, you have talked about the CO2 pressure building up in the headspace and then being absorbed into the liquid. There's the same amount of surface area and volume in the neck of a 22 or 12 ounce bottle. Wouldn't the greater ratio beer to surface area make the CO2 absorb slower in the larger bottle?


edit:
Should of read the whole thread first.
Now I see your BigKahuna quote.