I'm assuming it drops to 0 because you have no flow. You only have .5 differential between the regulator and the headspace. You haven't even accounted for the wetting pressure of the stone yet or the depth of the stone below the top of the beer. The point of the flow meter is to increase the regulator pressure until you have half scale flow. If your wetting pressure is 4psi for example and 28 inches of beer above the stone (1psi per 28inches), then you would need 18.5psi on the regulator just to overcome that and start getting some flow.
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CO2 use for carbonating 10bbl to 2 volumes
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idid the same set up. what i ended up doing is first perge the tank with co2 fill tank with beer I DONT SET THE HEAD SPACE i set hook up the co2, turn on co2 set flow meter to 1/2 way ,and check it a few time durning the day when i leave for the night i set it a little higher bc it will drop over night. I end up haveing beeer done in 36 hrs to 48 hrs let it sit over night for saturation of co2. walk in next day usely the head presser has gone from say 10 psi to 11 psi then you have saturation. now remember he spudes his beer i his fermenters befor there in his brite tanks so he has co2 already in the beer
hope this helps if you need more help send me a PM and ill give you my number talk you throw it
cheers matt 3GB
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you are figuring out the bubble pressure of your carb stone. for me, I have my head space set to 14 psi. After a filtration with some inline carbonation, my base starting CO2 is ~ 1.8 volumes. Thus, I would like to add 0.7 volumes of CO2 (roughly 5,000 liters of CO2). 5,000 liters of CO2 over 8 hours is 615 liters per hour. I like to carb initially at 13 l.p.m., and can do a 60 bbl tank in about 8 hours really slowly. but in order to get 13 lpm through my stone, I need ~ 22.5 psi at the regulator.
to check this follow these steps:
If you have a glycerin filled pressure guage, screw that into a T/C X 1/4" fnpt fitting (http://www.gwkent.com/female-adaptor.html). Clamp that to a pneumatic fitting X T/C (http://www.gwkent.com/pneumatic-plug-tc-adaptor.html). Then figure out what pressure you need to get flow going through your stone. Bear in mind, at the beginning of carbonation will be your max flow rate (13 lpm). as you begin to reach saturation, the flow will slow, and ultimately stop, again, I am almost perfect 8 hours later.
I say use a glycerin filled guage, b/c I find they are more accurate...give it a good 15 seconds before taking the pressure reading...
Cheers
Derek N. Luke
Brewmaster
Newport Storm Beers
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This is just the thread that keeps on going, and one that I keep coming back to.
I was following these instructions to a T before: crash to 33 degrees, apply 10psi head pressure, open valve to carb stone. I installed the flowmeter from mcmaster and it worked great. I would open the flowmeter just so that it was barely flowing, I would have to increase the pressure 2-3 times until I reached around 14psi in the tank and done.
These were 3bbl tanks and I just installed some 6bbl tanks that I double batch into. After I apply 10psi head pressure I open the carb stone valve but nothing flows. I have to increase the flow on my regulator to about 45psi and then it will start flowing. Here's where it gets confusing: I now have to keep lowering the pressure to keep the flow down. My initial thought was that the caarb stone was blocked and I needed to increase the pressure to unclog it and then start lowering it. I took all my carb stones out and figured my wetting pressure in a bucket of water. Everything seemed normal.
Anyone had any thoughts on why this is responding like this?
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I have been trying this technique and it works OK but here is my problem. I continually blow through the head pressure prior to complete carbonation. I have the same flow meter as was recommended in this thread. I can not seem to get flow slow enough to stop this from happening. I also am surprised in the fact that I put pressure on the stone at a level just high enough to produce flow (as shown by flow meter) yet as blow through and head pressure increases even 5 plus psi above set level my flow continues. Are these a problem with my carbonation stone being of low quality or an issue with my flow controller. Thanks in advance.
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Originally posted by skelley View PostI have been trying this technique and it works OK but here is my problem. I continually blow through the head pressure prior to complete carbonation. I have the same flow meter as was recommended in this thread. I can not seem to get flow slow enough to stop this from happening. I also am surprised in the fact that I put pressure on the stone at a level just high enough to produce flow (as shown by flow meter) yet as blow through and head pressure increases even 5 plus psi above set level my flow continues. Are these a problem with my carbonation stone being of low quality or an issue with my flow controller. Thanks in advance.
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I can not get flow until my regulator pressure is at 30 psi. Therefore my wetting pressure of my stone is quite high. It has been since first use so I do not think it is about clogging. My head pressure begins to rise within 15 minutes. There is no way my beer is carbed appropriately. Also if head pressure rises in should put back pressure on my stone and stop it. At least that is what seems logically as long as I am working right at my minimum pressure to produce flow. What do I have wrong?
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Originally posted by skelley View PostSorry
My head pressure is at 13 psi when regulator at 30 psi to get any flow
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Wetting pressure is the pressure to produce and flow while in a shallow bucket of fluid vs good flow? Not sure. Although it has always taken 30 psi to get the flow meter to move. Maybe the problem is insensitivity of flow meter but I think wetting pressure plus head pressure plus column pressure of beer and pressure of the pressure release valve approaches 30 psi. No matter the number I do not get any flow until 30 psi and that is where I leave my regulator.
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Need some advice with this method....
Originally posted by gitchegumee View PostOnce transfer is complete, I raise the head pressure on the receiving tank (quickly) to saturation pressure at the carbonation level I want at that temperature. Then start carbonation slowly through a rotameter. Carbonation is done when the head pressure rises a tad and the rotameter slows to a trickle. I can carbonate 10hl in 3-5 hours this way. 20hl takes a bit longer and I let it go slowly over night. This is done without excess CO2, and with using the maximum amount of "natural" CO2.
Can anyone point out where I'm going wrong? All advice welcome and appreciated. Thanks!
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I can not but this seems to be the problems. Either you blow through and raise head space pressure before carbonation complete and/or the flow continues. It seem that if the rotometer was sensative enough that you produce your flow at the lowest possible pressure on the regulator to the stone at a given head pressure the flow would stop as you bleed through and increase head pressure. I do not get it either. Maybe the rotometer is not sensative enough to show flow as soon as it occurs??? Thanks to anyone who can explain this but it seems at least a couple of us can not get this method to work as stated in this thread.
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It's been explained numerous times in this thread and others and honestly is pretty basic level stuff. The rotameter means nothing. It's only an indicator of flow. If your regulated pressure is greater than the head pressure then what do you think is going to happen? Read back through the entire thread and other ones that deal with this same topic. Good luck.
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Originally posted by soia1138 View PostIt's been explained numerous times in this thread and others and honestly is pretty basic level stuff. The rotameter means nothing. It's only an indicator of flow. If your regulated pressure is greater than the head pressure then what do you think is going to happen? Read back through the entire thread and other ones that deal with this same topic. Good luck.
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