Co2 Mix question

[Jer]

My first few home brew ales were bottled and had a good level of carbonation. I then purchased some corny kegs and Co2 with a 60/40 mix. Everything works fine but I much preferred the bottles as they had more carbonation and seemed fizzier which I like. I have tried upping the serving pressure but it seems to just give more foam. How do I get my beer fizzier? Should I go for a higher C02 mix?

 

[marlon]

My beer is well carbonated, but I use 100% C02. I've never used a mixture though, so I could be talking out my @*$ ê....I do that quite a lot according to the wife

 

[The Baron]

No Marlon you are correct 100% Co2 will give more bubbles/carbonation that a mix of Co2 and Nitrogen ( they use nitrogen to serve guiness and stouts & creamflows etc to give a creamy head but less bubbles/Carb. So the answer is to use 100% Co2
Ps make sure the regulator is the correct one as mixed and Co2 bottles use different connections I think one is male and the other female

 

[chewie]

My first few home brew ales were bottled and had a good level of carbonation. I then purchased some corny kegs and Co2 with a 60/40 mix. Everything works fine but I much preferred the bottles as they had more carbonation and seemed fizzier which I like. I have tried upping the serving pressure but it seems to just give more foam. How do I get my beer fizzier? Should I go for a higher C02 mix?

Co2 to carbonate the keg, mixed gas for serving, you need to carbonate the keg and once at the desired level of carb then vent the keg and hook up the mixed.

 

[Jer]

So do most people have two gas bottles or do people generally just use C02 only.

 

[The Baron]

Most just have one Jer and carb and serve with Co2 generally. Some do use pubgas mixes and will carb with that as well as serving but it will not be as well carbed as 100% Co2 (ideal for ales stout drinkers) as you said it is really for serving and provides a less gassy beer so not ideal for lagers, Goldens and IPA's

 

[Jer]

Thanks, Makes sense as when I went to pick it up my regulator had a female fitting and the bottle also was female. The guy in the shop (welding shop) gave me a free regulator and was going to order me an adaptor for when I was next in. I need a refill as I wasted lots learning to keg so will hopefully get him to fill it with 100% Co2.

 

[Alside101]

You could prime your keg with sugar like a pressure barrel then use the mixed gas for serving

 

[Drunkula]

This is a good read: http://jollygoodbeer.co.uk/2015/08/23/under-pressure-keg-beer-pressure-in-the-uk/

In pubs you might be pushing the beer up a floor or two or over a long distance and the pub gas mix lets you really up the pressure without causing overcarbonation. Most people at home won't need that. And of course it you're force carbing you're wasting money with a mix.

If you've got a keezer then you could try knocking the temperature down more than you normally would, and maybe get an inline flow controller or flow control taps.

 

[Fil]

co2 only user here so dont take my possible repetition of internet fables as gospel, check it out...

That said i think you can find US look up tables similar to the conditioning charts which will provide you with optimum conditioning/serving pressures for mixed gas.. as the nitrogen is less soluble(is it??) i think you can exhaust the co2 in a charged keg while maintaining pressure with nitrogen alone durring an intial conditioning with pressure, so a vent or two part way through the conditioning may also help??