checking level of carbonation

skelley · Posted: Tue Nov 26, 2013 2:48 pm Post subject: checking level of carbonation

I am under the gun with a beer I just put on co2 and was wondering how to check the level of c02. Does it make sense that I could simply shut off the co2 at the tank, bleed the co2 off of the head space and wait and see what the psi in the gauge comes up to? I could then determine my Vol c02. It might be a slight underestimate but only slightly given the small head space in the keg. Does anyone see a problem with this method?

Kevin59 · Posted: Tue Nov 26, 2013 3:31 pm Post subject:

It seems like that'd be a decent way to do it. In theory the PSI should come back up to the same level shown on the regulator before disconnecting and purging the keg, if the beer had fully absorbed the CO2 while under pressure. I think. Smile

Do you have a separate pressure gauge you can connect to the gas in post on your keg to make the measurement?

skelley · Posted: Tue Nov 26, 2013 5:26 pm Post subject:

would you need one? Is there a valve in the regulator to stop the back flow of pressure to the guage on the regulator? I was thinking you could simply measure it on the guage of the regulator as long as you shut off flow and purged head space???

Kevin59 · Posted: Tue Nov 26, 2013 5:30 pm Post subject:

skelley · Posted: Tue Nov 26, 2013 5:59 pm Post subject:

What does a check valve look like? Is it part of the regulator?

Kevin59 · Posted: Tue Nov 26, 2013 6:13 pm Post subject:

mnoltimier · Posted: Sat Nov 30, 2013 6:31 am Post subject:

I don't think this would work. CO2 volumes is based on temperature and pressure and if you just shut the gas off to the regulator you would only be pushing the co2 from the keg that is not in solution. If the beer is warmed up than less co2 would be in solution than if cold. Let's say you had a 3.5 vol Tripel in the keg and kept it cold than slowly the co2 would come out of solution but I don't think it would be an accurate display on your regulator. If you are in a pinch you could always shake the keg slowly back and forth to force more co2 into solution. I'm not a big fan of this because from what I've learned on the Brewing Network (Zainisheff, Palmer) that will affect head formation and head stability... but it will carbonate your beer in a couple of minutes.

skelley · Posted: Sat Nov 30, 2013 4:52 pm Post subject:

I am suggesting that you keep the keg in the frig. I do believe if you hook a guage (that does not have a check valve) up to the gas in post after purging head space it will equilibrate and give you the pressure at equilibrium state and then you know the vol co2. Simply shutting off the gas will not work if your regulator has a check valve will not work (without check valve it would work).