Carbonate Craft Beer in Bottles and Kegs

For craft brewery factory or brewpub, usually they serve beer in bottle or keg. Today let’s talk about how to carbonate beer in bottle or keg.
Beer carbonation is described in terms of volumes of carbon dioxide, or CO2 for short. The more volumes of gas the more carbonated the beer will be. Quite simply, CO2 is soluble in a solution in an inverse relationship to the temperature of the solution. What this means is that the colder the liquid is the more CO2 can be held in solution. This is very important when you get to calculating your volumes of CO2 because the colder your finished beverage is the more residual CO2 will be in solution. This is one of the main reasons that beers are over-carbonated.
Beer carbonation, craft brewery factory, brewpub,

Beer carbonation, craft brewery factory, brewpub,

1) Bottle Conditioned Beer
Bottle conditioning is the process of naturally carbonating beer by adding a priming solution (water + some type of sugar) to the flat beer immediately before bottling to initiate a "re-fermentation" in the bottle. The CO2 produced from the re-fermentation in the beer bottle is absorbed into the beer, creating carbonation.

The amount of carbonation in the finished beer can be controlled by adjusting the amount of priming sugar in the priming solution. After priming and filling, the newly bottled beer should be stored at 20-23C for 2-3 weeks or until fully carbonated. After this time the bottles can be chilled or stored below 15 degrees to stabilize the beer.

Bottle conditioning also has an effect on the flavor and aroma of the beer due to the presence of active yeast in the bottle. The yeast in the bottle is able to reabsorb or process byproducts from fermentation eventually rounding out or mellowing the flavors. It can also extend the shelf life of beer by delaying the staling effects of oxidation.

2) Carbonate Beer in a Keg
Carbonating your beer, cider, or soda in kegs can be simple, easy, and quick. Before we begin, make sure you have the necessary equipment for carbonating a keg.

Have your beer transferred to a keg:
Make sure you have the necessary tubing and keg disconnects for the gas and liquid.
The C02 Gas Cylinder
The C02 beer regulator for adjusting carbonation levels
A force carbonation chart to ensure perfect carbonation

Force Carbonation
Most carbonation in kegs is done using pressurized CO2 from a gas cylinder, a process called force carbonation. The fastest results can be achieved when the beer in the keg is at a cold temperature. This will let the CO2 diffuse into the beer more efficiently and at a faster rate.

The most accurate and easiest method for force carbonating is often referred to as the “set it and forget it method.” Select your refrigerator temperature and your desired carbonation rate set your CO2 regulator to that pressure, and wait 5-10 days for the beer to carbonate.

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Emily Gong

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