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Author Topic: air stone  (Read 6020 times)

Offline pashusa

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air stone
« on: November 10, 2009, 05:49:16 pm »
the guy that wrote "Joy of Brewing" said you could put a airstone in your keg on the gas in to help carb your beer faster. Has anyone tried this?
I wasn't even in town that day, I swear.

Offline Matt B

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Re: air stone
« Reply #1 on: November 10, 2009, 05:53:24 pm »
Nope. 40 PSI for 12 hours usually does it for me. or if I'm in a real rush, 40 PSI and give the keg a good shake every half hour. much more than 40 PSI makes me nervous, and my beer usually isn't that cold in anything less than 12 hours anyway.



Offline dbeechum

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Re: air stone
« Reply #2 on: November 10, 2009, 06:00:07 pm »
I tried, but it's tricky cause the right way to do it is with an airstone and a slow release mechanism for quick carbonation. (aka crack the vessel open slightly and apply the correct CO2 level for an hour as the gas bubbles through the beer.)

For me, I just look up my pressure on a chart, hook it to the keg and roll it back in forth for 10-15 minutes or until the gas stops hissing. It takes more time, but I get more precise that way than the old slam and shake.
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Offline pashusa

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Re: air stone
« Reply #3 on: November 10, 2009, 06:07:39 pm »
When I read it I though it seemed like a lot of fuss for little benifit.I like the set it and forget it, or the rolling method if I'm short on time, I think.
I wasn't even in town that day, I swear.

Offline zee

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Re: air stone
« Reply #4 on: November 10, 2009, 10:46:31 pm »
I tried, but it's tricky cause the right way to do it is with an airstone and a slow release mechanism for quick carbonation. (aka crack the vessel open slightly and apply the correct CO2 level for an hour as the gas bubbles through the beer.)

For me, I just look up my pressure on a chart, hook it to the keg and roll it back in forth for 10-15 minutes or until the gas stops hissing. It takes more time, but I get more precise that way than the old slam and shake.

i tried the shake and pray method this summer. set my co2 pressure and started rolling the keg around the basement. did this until it stopped hissing. put it in the fridge for about an hour and then rolled on the floor again until it stopped hissing. brought to a party and dispensed flat beer.

maybe i didn't pray enough or something.

Offline dbeechum

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Re: air stone
« Reply #5 on: November 10, 2009, 11:48:00 pm »
maybe i didn't pray enough or something.

Zee,

Do you remember roughly how long you shaked and prayed for? I find that it takes me a good 10-15 before its done. (of course the last 5 is all about trying to squeeze in that last little bit.
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Offline zee

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Re: air stone
« Reply #6 on: November 11, 2009, 07:03:27 am »
i don't remember the time, but i'd actually guess i was there for more than 15 min. i remember shaking and listening and thinking that i'd been there a really really long time and i could still hear gas going in. as i said, i did it until the shaking no longer made the gas hiss.

when you shake, do you have the keg upright and shake it like a british nanny, or in another position? i had mine on its side on the floor and i was rolling it back and forth pretty vi-gorously to make sure it sloshed a lot. [maybe a 1/4 roll in each direction in quick succession.] i was trying to keep the gas in post on top so it didn't dip below the level of the liquid too often. [that seemed like a good idea, for no reason.]

Offline dbeechum

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Re: air stone
« Reply #7 on: November 11, 2009, 11:26:33 am »
Kegs on its side and I'm rolling it like I'm working dough. But constant motion, back, forth for the whole time.

Wonder if you maybe have a leak on the poppet?
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Offline crabber

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Re: air stone
« Reply #8 on: November 15, 2009, 08:10:43 pm »
I tried, but it's tricky cause the right way to do it is with an airstone and a slow release mechanism for quick carbonation. (aka crack the vessel open slightly and apply the correct CO2 level for an hour as the gas bubbles through the beer.)

For me, I just look up my pressure on a chart, hook it to the keg and roll it back in forth for 10-15 minutes or until the gas stops hissing. It takes more time, but I get more precise that way than the old slam and shake.

i tried the shake and pray method this summer. set my co2 pressure and started rolling the keg around the basement. did this until it stopped hissing. put it in the fridge for about an hour and then rolled on the floor again until it stopped hissing. brought to a party and dispensed flat beer.

maybe i didn't pray enough or something.
I'm with you, whenever I try to shake-carbonate a keg using dispensing pressure, I can shake all day long and it doesn't seem to do much for the beer.  Crank and shake or set it and forget it are the only methods that have worked for me.