Carbonating beer with bicarbonate of soda

[PaulCa]

I'm still considering trying the force carbonation with an external yeast reaction idea. Maybe some day when I have the correct adapter I'll try and carbonate the corny with an external yeast fermentation and see what happens.

I think I worked out once that a typical 23 litre brew generates a kilo of CO2 during ferment. Easy enough to test total mass loss if you can weigh the fermenter, but my calculations were based on the drop in gravity. Assuming it is only CO2 that leaves the fermenter and it drops from say 1050 to 1010, then 40g per litre of CO2 has been generated. Or I'm mad.

 

[tim_n]

Is this a viable way of carbonating beer in the bottle without sediment? I've never minded sediment when drinking at home as it's always settled very well, but it makes transporting the beer all but impossible.

I asked this exact same question the other day at the brewing group at the london hackspace. Russ there has built a device (no idea where he got the plans from) which basically consists of several taps, tubes and a rubber bung. The biggest faff from his point of view was customising the rubber bung.

First take the fermented beer and rack off into a secondary and cool as cold as possible. Rack into bottles.

Put the tube into the bottom of the bottle sealing the top with the bung. There are two tubes, one goes to the bottom, the 2nd sits at the top and acts as a pressure relief valve. Carbonate very much like you would with a sodastream. Release excess pressure slowly using the tap connected to the tube at the top of the bung to prevent the liquid going crazy.

Remove the apparatus and cap quickly.

The beer is force carbonated - it's cooled because a cold liquid holds more CO2 than a warm liquid (you can prove this with a sodastream, there's a very noticeable difference.

It all sounds like a bit of a faff to me. There's very little argument for doing this in my mind except for saving those precious last few ml.

 

[graysalchemy]

Just as easy to go and buy some mass produced Sh*te from tesco's, because that is what you are trying to emulate. :whistle: :whistle:

 

[whiter shade of ale]

Just as easy to go and buy some mass produced Sh*te from tesco's, because that is what you are trying to emulate. :whistle: :whistle:

Agreed. I like bottle conditioned beer. If it's aged properly and transported carefully then there should be no problems (i do it often).

 

[DamageCase]

I've only bottle conditioned a few beers and even after months and months it looks like pond water with the slightest disturbance. These were also two completely different yeasts. Also bare in mind I don't drive so walking is probably the culprit no matter how careful I am.

 

[graysalchemy]

How much sediment do you have in the bottom of them? Is the beer bright when you put it in?

 

[oldjiver]

I did a post here when I experimented with homemade white wine and bicarbonate of soda. It does make wine "spritzig". But then wine is very acidic.

 

[tim_n]

I've only bottle conditioned a few beers and even after months and months it looks like pond water with the slightest disturbance. These were also two completely different yeasts. Also bare in mind I don't drive so walking is probably the culprit no matter how careful I am.

Not had that problem ever - Only murky brew is German Wheatbeer, but that's the point if it's going right... maybe you should try making some!