Max volumes of CO2 for keg?

[jeff.stuffings]

I was curious how many volumes of CO2 you can get into a beer and still have it pour ok on draft?

We'd like to do 3.0 volumes of CO2 for a beer, but I suspect this will be too much. Thanks in advance for your help.

[Jephro]

It's hard to give a direct answer to that question. Temp of the lines, diameter (I.D.) of the lines, length of the run, pressure on the keg & lines all play a role. 3 could be fine but...

Are you just planning on pouring this in your pub, or will this go to outside accounts? It's one thing for you to manage in house but at mutiple accounts it could be quite the headache.

This may give you a bit of insight.

[Scott M]

It would depend also on what beer style it is. 2.0 - 2.5 would be proper for most.

http://sdcollins.home.mindspring.com/ForceCarbonation.html

[Larry Doyle]

A big beer company I know of runs their kegs in the 2.45-2.65 range which is a tad lower than their range for bottles/cans. Anything over 2.75 runs the risk of "wild beer" complaints.

[TL Services]

Like others, I wouldn't go much above 2.5vol.

If you are looking to create a good head at dispense, why not try nitrogenation? N2 gives smaller bubbles and a tighter head which tends to have greater stability.

A low level (10-15ppm) of N2, together with 2.2-2.5vol CO2 would be a good starting point.

[Kozel]

High CO2 draught

We regularly run from 2.92-3.04 volumes on our Hefeweizen with no problems in pouring.

Cheers,

Don

[liammckenna]

With flow restrictor at point of pour you could do 3.0 volumes CO2.

Finding a suitable gas mix and pressures to maintain CO2 equilibria would be another story.... 90/10 mix?

Pax.

Liam

[TL Services]

Finding a suitable gas mix and pressures to maintain CO2 equilibria would be another story.... 90/10 mix?

0.8bar (gauge) of 100% CO2 according to my calculator tool

[Geoff Logan]

I've done a saison at 3.0 volumes in kegs before. Most accounts had no issue, but those who didn't know any better complained that the beer was "wild". It poured perfectly here at our brewery store. Some accounts around here just aren't aware of the varying CO2 levels in certain beers, but they can be educated.

[kfm]

Final Co2

Hey Jeffrey,

What did you decide on the volumes? We're meeting with some bar owners this week to discuss what their systems can handle.

Kelly Meyer
New Braunfels Brewing Co.
" H e r e ' s t o L I f e "
830.481.7092

https://www.nbbrewing.com