Help, I'm new to cornies

[Cussword]

Yipee :party: I have just taken delivery of two nice, shiny, recon Cornies off Norm ( Beltin' chap). I have filled one with Brewmakers Irish Velvet :drink: , I have a Midget Widget with Nitrogen Mix. How much pressure should I put in it Also is there a specific way to do it, (steady chaps) like when you are carbonating beer?

 

[Springer]

Midget Widget with Nitrogen Mix

Can't remember the details but there was a recent post about this

specific way to do it

:lol:
Can't remember this either, unless its Saturday night. :lol:

 

[Cussword]

Help I have just racked this :pray:

 

[Muddydisco]

Someone may shoot me down here.
I pressurise to 25 psi to get a good seal, I spray distilled water over the lid and poppets to check everything is sealed. Then drop the pressure down to 3-5 psi for serving.
Are you force carbonating or throwing the yeast in as well? I normally force carbonate.

Edit Or try here http://www.thehomebrewforum.co.uk/viewtopic.php?f=36&t=6802&p=71926&hilit=force+carbonating#p71926

 

[Cussword]

I've racked it off the yeast twice, that is what I need to know, do I force carbonate (with nitrogen) or do I just pressurize at whatever? :wha:

 

[aeddon]

If you have racked the beer clear and its finished fermentation it will be flat. The benefit of using a corni keg is that you can force carbonate the beer which leaves it clear, whereas if you added spraymalt/sugar the yeast will cloud the beer somewhat. If you pressurize the keg it will create a seal and keep your beer fresh, but it will be fresh and flat! So you need to force carbonate your beer.

Co2/nitrogen is added to the keg at a high PSI level and is dissolved into the beer. Cold beer absorbs Co2/nitrogen easier than warmer beer. You will have to chose two psi settings, one for carbonation and one for serving, each beer style has a carbonation level. bitter=1.5-2.5, wheat beer= 2.5-4. Carbonation charts refer to the carbonation level not the psi. It can be confusing, but Co2 is absorbed better if cold, for example: bitter style is 1.5 to 2.4 carbonation, at 10c you will need 5 psi, if the beer is 20c it will need 12psi

Generally speaking you will need to leave the the canister attached at the desired carbonation PSI for a week to fully carbonate and as muddy disco said reduce the PSI to the serving level 3-5psi. When you have finished serving, return it to the carbonation level psi level.

I do not use the mixed gas widget thingy you have, but use a 7kg Co2 canister, with a Co2 regulator which has a psi dial and a screw that you turn to increase or decrease the desired psi.

 

[Cussword]

:thumb: Thanks chaps, it's my first time

 

[BigStoo]

I notice you are using the midget widget.

Bear in mind that the pressure in the corny will drop as the gas is absorbed into the beer. So each time you connect the widget the reading will have dropped, and you'll have to pop a bit of gas in.

A lot of people get all worried they have a leak.

 

[Lurch]

I keep reading about the low psi for serving, if I had my pressure at 3 psi it would take all day to pour a pint.
I normally have it at 25 and it's still a bit on the slow side, I'm using a Dalex tap without the sparkler.

 

[Cussword]

I notice you are using the midget widget.

Bear in mind that the pressure in the corny will drop as the gas is absorbed into the beer. So each time you connect the widget the reading will have dropped, and you'll have to pop a bit of gas in.

A lot of people get all worried they have a leak.

: Thanks for that.

 

[Aleman]

I keep reading about the low psi for serving, if I had my pressure at 3 psi it would take all day to pour a pint.
I normally have it at 25 and it's still a bit on the slow side, I'm using a Dalex tap without the sparkler.

It depends on how much beer line and what diameter that line is as to what pressure you can keep in the keg to deliver a beer with the carbonation and rising bead you want. I have flow control taps, and use 3psi (at 11C) to carbonate my ales. To get this dispensed at a sensible rate I use 18" (I could use longer) of 3/8" Beer line and the flow control is turned fully open. To dispense Lagers and Ciders (Still at 11C) I use 15psi and 24-36" of 3/16" Beer line, and regulate the flow a little bit with the flow control. . . . It takes around 25-30 Seconds to fill a pint glass . . . but it retains the carbonation which is good.

Remember that if you are using mixed gas you have to be aware that your pressures must be much higher otherwise you will end up with a under carbonated beer. If for example you are using 70/30 mixed gas you only have a 30% as much CO2 as you have with just standard pure CO2. Therefore you need to increase your pressures accordingly so rather than using say 10 PSI you have to use close on 20 PSI to get the same level of carbonation. Why is there no mention of the nitrogen content is actually very difficult to get nitrogen to dissolve in a liquid it doesn't do it but not to the same extent that CO2 does. The degree to which the beer will carbonate does depend on the partial pressures of the gases in the mix. If these are 70/30 in the head space then in theory they will be 70/30 in the liquid unfortunately because they don't dissolve to the same extent things are slightly more complex. So unfortunately you cannot apply the ideal gas equation, but starting with approximately double the pressure you would use the CO2 is a reasonable assumption of a starting point. This can be adjusted up and/or down later as required. Of course you must apply the caveats from above, you need to correct line lengths to enable you to dispense at a reasonable rate but still retain the carbonation.

 

[Cussword]

It depends on how much beer line and what diameter that line is as to what pressure you can keep in the keg to deliver a beer with the carbonation and rising bead you want. I have flow control taps, and use 3psi (at 11C) to carbonate my ales. To get this dispensed at a sensible rate I use 18" (I could use longer) of 3/8" Beer line and the flow control is turned fully open. To dispense Lagers and Ciders (Still at 11C) I use 15psi and 24-36" of 3/16" Beer line, and regulate the flow a little bit with the flow control. . . . It takes around 25-30 Seconds to fill a pint glass . . . but it retains the carbonation which is good.

Remember that if you are using mixed gas you have to be aware that your pressures must be much higher otherwise you will end up with a under carbonated beer. If for example you are using 70/30 mixed gas you only have a 30% as much CO2 as you have with just standard pure CO2. Therefore you need to increase your pressures accordingly so rather than using say 10 PSI you have to use close on 20 PSI to get the same level of carbonation. Why is there no mention of the nitrogen content is actually very difficult to get nitrogen to dissolve in a liquid it doesn't do it but not to the same extent that CO2 does. The degree to which the beer will carbonate does depend on the partial pressures of the gases in the mix. If these are 70/30 in the head space then in theory they will be 70/30 in the liquid unfortunately because they don't dissolve to the same extent things are slightly more complex. So unfortunately you cannot apply the ideal gas equation, but starting with approximately double the pressure you would use the CO2 is a reasonable assumption of a starting point. This can be adjusted up and/or down later as required. Of course you must apply the caveats from above, you need to correct line lengths to enable you to dispense at a reasonable rate but still retain the carbonation.

I've said this before, but the guy is like a walking brewing encyclopedia.
No offence Tony :whistle: