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Beer Temperature effect on C02

Blackfriar

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Does anyone know if the temperature of the beer at the time of bottling has any effect on the level of carbonation? 
If I bottle a beer at 3c and then bring it up to 20c (so that the ale yeast can do its work to carbonate the beer), do I calculate the priming sugar for 3c or 20c? 
 
Blackfriar said:
Does anyone know if the temperature of the beer at the time of bottling has any effect on the level of carbonation? 
If I bottle a beer at 3c and then bring it up to 20c (so that the ale yeast can do its work to carbonate the beer), do I calculate the priming sugar for 3c or 20c?

You always need to calculate priming for the highest temperature your beer has reached during or after fermentation, but before it is sealed in a pressurized container (in your case a bottle).
In your case, if the beer has been kept at 3c during fermentation and filling and is brought to 20c only once the bottles have been sealed, you would be correct in calculating for 3c. Any CO2 that will come out of solution as the beer is being warmed up will be trapped in the bottle and will go into solution again provided you chill the bottle to serving temperature, possibly well in advance to give the CO2 time to go back in the beer (the process is not really instantaneous). I'm of course assuming you don't like drinking lukewarm beer and will indeed be chilling it to a more enjoyable temp before consumption :)

Cheers,

Vale
 
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