Carbonation temp/forcing??

Hi,

I've been reading a lot about people forcing carbonation at around 35 degrees and 20-30 psi.

First, we are brewing ales and keg/carbonate at room temp in the basement for about a week.

Why do you carbonate at a lower temp? Is this method used for ales?

What's the deal with the higher psi for carbonating?

Thanks,

Eric

Cold liquids absorb carbonation quicker and hold it longer. It takes much more time to carbonate warm beer and it releases it out of solution more easily.

Thanks for the info.

Eric

After it's carbonated, can I move the kegs to the basement (room temp) or do they need to remain at serving temp?

Thanks,

I have brewed 6 or 8 kegs just to store and pull out when needed. I put them in a room in the basement. I the room about 52 degrees Fahrenheit. Generally these beers are brewed in late fall or winter to lager till spring. I pull them out as needed. I normally don't store my ales or hoppie stuff that long. Hops lose there "hoppieness" to quickly.

Ok,

So you are saying that I can carbonate at 35 degrees then remove these from the cooler and store at 50-55 degrees without an issue?

What's up with the lenght of time you store ales? I've stored ales at 50-55 degrees for over six monthe and haven't had any problems yet...

Thanks for the info,

Eric

Hi BobBrews -

Do you have a technical explination as to why this works?

Thanks,

The colder temp (35 F) and higher pressure (30 psi) allows you to carbonate the beer more quickly.  I used to follow the temperature-carbonation chart that is avidly used by many home brewers (and rightly so, as it is an excellent chart), and left my beer to force carbonate for a week.  Now, I mostly use the cold-temp/high-pressure method and force carbonate in 24 hours.  Stouts I might go as low as 25 psi, most ales I go 30-35 psi (depending on how "crisp" I want my beer), and soda pops I go 40 psi.  I was dubious at first, but learned of this technique from a professional brewer in Iowa who makes some of the most excellent beer styles in the region (visiting his brewery is well "worth" the trip).  I tried it myself and now rarely use the week-long method unless I am specifically targeting a precise carbonation level (in which case, I use the chart).  One word of caution, though:  you need to make sure that your carbonation vessels and equipment can withstand the higher pressure.  Corny kegs and many of the gas hoses and clamps that you can find at reputable homebrewing equipment stores will work (but check with a store employee if you're not sure).  But some vessels and equipment may not, and could erupt if you put them under too much stress, so use diligence.

noodle,

The reason I don't store my ale's is not a technical issue. I just brew them and drink them as soon as I can because, (I love them so)! No reason you can't store them. I love fresh hops so I choose to drink "hoppie" brews quickly. I use hop vodka quite liberally also. http://www.stempski.com/hop_vodka.php  Search Google for the science of carbonation. There is a LOT of information there.
Brew on!

Thanks for the info and the link. Looks interesting...

Eric