How much glucose is needed to carbonate beer. Homebrew beer carbonation methods: natural carbonation. Bottled carbonation methods
» Beer carbonation primer
Calculator for beer carbonation with sugars
The calculator will determine the level of carbonation based on the type and amount of added sugar, including the residual amount of CO2 present in the beer due to fermentation temperature. In addition, it will calculate the additional alcohol obtained from the fermented sugar. The calculator supports dextrose, table sugar (sucrose), honey, dry and liquid malt extracts. Sugar is added during bottling. Residual yeast in the beer ferments the introduced sugar, which leads to the formation of CO2 and the natural carbonation of the beer.
A guide to carbonizing beer styles
See also:
- Step-by-step instructions for preparing the primer and carbonizing beer
- Download excel calculator for beer carbonation with fermentable sugars (available for VIP users)
The beer you are about to add sugar to already contains some CO2, as it is a natural by-product of fermentation. The amount of CO2 depends on the temperature of the beer, CO2 dissolves better in colder beer than in less. The addition temperature is usually the fermentation temperature of the beer, but other temperatures can also be used. If the fermentation temperature and the current primer application match, then it is enough to indicate the current temperature for the calculation.
However, in practice, it happens that the fermentation temperature may be higher or lower than the current temperature of the beer due to a diacetyl rest, or cold aging of the beer, or the temperature has changed for some other reason.... In this case, you will need to decide which indicate the optimum temperature, which is the most suitable for the calculation. During cold aging, some CO2 will dissolve into the beer. If your cold aging lasts for a very long time, this may affect significant increase dissolved CO2.
This calculator uses the following equation to calculate CO2:
CO2 in beer = 3.0378 - (0.050062 * temp) + (0.00026555 * temp^2)
The calculator shows the CO 2 level before adding sugar. Since during the fermentation process, a certain amount of CO 2 is retained in the beer. The amount of dissolved CO 2 directly depends on the temperature.
Do not exceed the primer!
The calculator tells you the approximate amount of sugar needed to raise your CO2 level from start to finish.
Increased carbonation leads to a number of problems, such as excessive foaming of the beer, bursting of bottles and swelling of caps.
Note on sugars: Corn sugar and dextrose are one and the same. Dextrose is the most popular primer sugar. Table sugar is also used, and it is believed that corn sugar is 91% of table sugar. And table sugar contains 100% sucrose. Dry malt extract (DME) is another option. This calculator uses 68% DME from sucrose.
How does carbonation take place?
To saturate beer with carbon dioxide, 2 approaches are used:
- natural carbonation
- forced carbonation
natural carbonation.
Natural carbonation is the process of producing carbon dioxide during secondary fermentation. This happens due to the yeast, which absorb the fermentable sugars and release carbon dioxide in the process.
To do this, after the main fermentation, a new batch of sugars is introduced into the beer. This is done using various additives:
- Sugar
- primer
- Dextrose
- and etc.
When using such additives, one should take into account their possible influence on the taste of beer. For example, sugar adds some flavor, and honey brings its own notes to the aroma, and makes the taste sweetish.
The use of glucose or dextrose for natural carbonation is fully justified. These sugars have little to no effect on the taste of the beer, and ferment well.
However, the most the best way for natural carbonation is the application of a primer. The primer has the same composition as beer, minus the sugars. Thus, its effect on beer is minimal.
Primer is still unfermented wort. It is taken from the total volume of the wort even before the introduction of yeast and stored separately in the refrigerator or freezer.
When using sugar, dextrose, honey or other additives, it is recommended to pre-diluted them in clean water, and also boil.
Forced carbonation.
Mostly used in the commercial field and consists in connecting a cylinder with carbon dioxide. But in home brewing, forced carbonation is rarely used, and it's not particularly interesting)
Although most alcoholic beverages have a whole army of their admirers, not many of them think about how some features of alcohol appear or their properties and characteristics. One of these drinks, which is in great demand among lovers and gourmets, is a refreshing and original beer produced by a variety of manufacturers in numerous countries around the world.
Beer is liked by many users not only for its taste and aroma, but also for such features as snow-white persistent foam and carbonation. The last factor that makes a beer refreshing, pleasant, and has a mild spiky quality is called carbonation. What is this concept? Can you carbonate beer at home? How exactly is carbonization done?
Thanks to the beer carbonization method, the drink is actively saturated with carbon dioxide, therefore, during the manufacture of a hoppy drink, manufacturers pay a lot of close attention to this side. The process of carbonation of beer is carried out by two main methods - natural and forced.
Most of us are familiar with the difference between a beer that we have drunk from a freshly opened bottle and a drink that has been sitting in an open container for half an hour or more. If in the first case the beer has a pleasant taste and a taste saturated with carbon dioxide, then in the second situation all these properties and characteristics are lost and the beer becomes not tasty, and the bubbles do not tingle pleasantly on the tongue. How is natural carbonization and forced saturation method carried out?
Natural saturation. In most cases, carbonization is carried out at home by the method of natural saturation with carbon dioxide. The carbonization method, despite the fact that it is not known to many, has been in existence for hundreds of years. The essence of the method is that sugar is added to young beer that has not been filtered. Brewer's yeast receives additional nutrition, due to which they become more active and begin to intensively produce carbon dioxide. This method of carbonation is popular with homebrewers because it does not require specialized equipment or overly complex, expensive ingredients. The technology itself is light, affordable and simple.
Forced saturation. This method is most often used in industrial production beer. The technique involves filling a huge container with filtered beer, into which carbon dioxide is pumped under high pressure. If you carry out such carbonization at home, then to force the drink to be saturated with carbon dioxide, you can use a regular soda siphon.
Carbonation of beer at home - how to carry it out?
Home users and brewers have developed several ways to carbonate beer at home, and each of them is effective and practical. New brewers and homebrewers who are unfamiliar with these methods carefully research the suggestions of experienced brewers and try to experiment with some of them, choosing the most practical and affordable. The most common ways to carbonate beer at home are:
- Sugar or honey. This is one of the most accessible methods, which involves the use of 7 g of granulated sugar or 5 g of liquid honey per 1 liter of beer. The main disadvantage of this carbonization method is the appearance of a taste of kvass.
- Fructose. This is a substance that is made from sweet fruits, not sugar beets. The main advantage of this carbonization method is the minimal kvass taste. The optimal dosage when using the method is 8 g per 1 liter of beer.
- Dextrose. Under this substance should be understood glucose, presented in powder form. An effective and correct dosage when using this carbonation method is 8 g per 1 liter of beer. With this method, there is even less kvass flavor than during the two previous methods.
- Malt extract. It can be purchased at specialty stores, but it is better to use unhopped concentrate in carbonization. In order to carbonate 1 liter of beer, you will need approximately 9 to 12 g of extract. Although there is no odor or taste with this method of carbonation, the disadvantage is the need to purchase a ready-made concentrate.
- Young must. With this method of carbonization, a pure and original taste of beer is obtained, and the primer is prepared easily and quickly. The wort is added to the finished beer after the fermentation process has ended and it is thoroughly mixed.
By knowing how the carbonation process works, home crafters will be able to produce better quality drinks that delight with their pleasant and unique taste.
The characteristic pop when opening the bottle and a slight smoke from the neck appear due to carbon dioxide. The process of saturation of beer with carbon dioxide is called carbonization. The factories use special tanks - after-fermentation tanks, in which the beer ferments under high pressure, but this is an expensive technology. At home, the most popular way to carbonate a beer is to use a primer, a substance that contains sugars, which in turn cause re-fermentation.
You can visually determine the degree of carbonization of beer by the number of bubbles in a glass with a freshly poured drink: the more bubbles, and they rise more rapidly from the bottom up, the more carbon dioxide is saturated with beer. The second proxy is head height, but head is more affected by malt and mash quality than by carbonation.
It is possible to artificially carbonate home-brewed beer with a bottle of carbon dioxide (forced carbonation). This requires special equipment: kegs, fitting, cylinder itself and reducer. Also, periodically the installation will have to be filled with carbon dioxide.
An example of equipment for the carbonization of beer in kegsAdvantages of the technique: the beer is transparent and without yeast sediment, and kegs are easier to transport over long distances. Disadvantages - equipment for gassing is expensive and requires proper use, after bottling beer from kegs into bottles, the shelf life is a maximum of a couple of weeks.
The easiest and cheapest way to carbonate home beer is to add some sugars to the fermented wort to cause a slight re-fermentation, resulting in natural carbon dioxide. The disadvantage is that a yeast sediment forms at the bottom of the bottle, which cannot be removed with improvised means.
How to make beer primer
For gassing, the brewed and fermented beer is drained from the sediment into a clean fermentation tank with one of the 5 types of primer previously added.
1. Beet sugar or honey. The most accessible way. It takes 7 grams of sugar or 5 grams of liquid honey per 1 liter of beer. A significant disadvantage of carbonation with sugar (honey) is that the beer is almost guaranteed to have a leavened aftertaste.
Sugar is the worst primer
2. Fructose. It is a sugar derived from sweet fruits, not from beets. The main benefit of fructose carbonation is less kneady flavor. The correct dosage is 8 grams per 1 liter of beer.
3. Dextrose (glucose). Under two different names, one substance is hidden - dextrose is glucose in powdered form. Carbonization of beer with dextrose (requires 8 grams per 1 liter) gives even less beer (kvass) taste than sugar and fructose.
The syrup is easier to add and less risk of contaminating the beer
Sugar, fructose and dextrose can be poured dry directly into the bottle, but in order not to infect the beer with pathogenic microorganisms and speed up fermentation, it is better to make a syrup: mix the right amount of primer in grams with the same amount of water in milliliters, bring to a boil, boil 5-10 minutes over low heat, removing the foam. Cover the finished syrup with a lid, cool to room temperature and add to the beer.
4. Malt extract (concentrate). Sold in brewing shops, it is a saccharified and boiled wort, from which a maximum of liquid has been evaporated. It is better to use unhopped concentrate. To carbonate 1 liter of beer, 9-12 grams of extract is required (the higher the quality, the less). It is desirable to cook syrup according to standard technology (described above). Does not give foreign smells and tastes. The disadvantage is that the concentrate must be purchased separately.
5. Young must. The most correct method, usually experienced brewers, by the word “primer” means the carbonation of beer with wort, since in this case a pure taste is obtained, and the primer itself is easy to make at home.
Technology: at the last minutes of brewing (after adding aromatic hops), 10% of the wort is poured into a clean, sterilized container, for example, a jar, hermetically sealed and left in the refrigerator. After the beer has fermented, the wort is added for carbonation and mixed.
When carbonizing with wort, the main thing is not to forget to leave a primer
Beer with a primer is closed with a water seal for 30 minutes to activate fermentation, after which the drink is bottled, corked and transferred to maturation. The remaining brewer's yeast in the wort will cause a re-fermentation, which will saturate the drink with carbon dioxide. The beer carbonation time depends on the recipe and the degree of carbonation desired, usually 14-35 days.
Carbonization of beer occurs during its maturation and secondary fermentation. The product is additionally saturated with carbon dioxide. When preparing a drink on your own, it is important to correctly calculate the amount of impurities, otherwise the bottles may explode.
What is beer carbonation and what is it for?
Carbonization is the process of saturating a drink with carbon dioxide. Beer initially contains a certain amount of compounds. During primary fermentation, yeast releases alcohol and carbon dioxide. However, in most cases, the quality of the product does not meet the requirements of consumers, so additional saturation is carried out.
When changing the volume carbon dioxide in the drink, the size of the foam cap increases. Additionally, the quality of the malt affects the indicator. After carbonization, the taste and smell of the product change. However, it is important to correctly calculate the proportions of raw materials, otherwise the bottles will swell. Excessive saturation is fraught with premature spoilage of the product. The volume of sugar depends on the initial amount of gas, the type of raw material, the batch size and the holding temperature.
Forced Saturation Method
Forced saturation is achieved by direct injection of carbon dioxide into the product under pressure. This method is more commonly used by breweries. At home, drinks are carbonized with a primer, because forced saturation equipment is expensive.
The advantages of the method include relative autonomy, stability of the result and minimal intervention in chemical composition drink. With the necessary knowledge, the process is simplified. Forced saturation allows you to get more consistent results regardless of the quality of the wort, season, minor errors and other factors. An additional portion of carbon dioxide is introduced into the composition without sugar and other impurities, so the drink retains its original taste.
The disadvantages of forced saturation include the high cost of equipment. In addition, there are problems during transportation. After spilling, drinks should be consumed within 2-3 weeks, because the artificially introduced gas quickly disappears.
Natural saturation method
The natural saturation method involves the release of carbon dioxide during secondary fermentation. Microorganisms remaining after processing the wort help to convert glucose. The intermediate product contains little sugar, so it is necessary to further enrich the liquid with substances.
The natural saturation method is relatively cheap, since it is enough for the manufacturer to add a primer to the product after primary fermentation. The disadvantages include the instability of the result, a change in taste and the presence of sediment in the finished drink. The degree of saturation of the final product depends not only on the type of raw material for carbonization, but also on the season of its collection, the conditions of its transportation, the level of temperature and humidity during storage, etc. A number of circumstances cannot be controlled by the manufacturer, so it is almost impossible to obtain identical batches.
For natural saturation, third-party products have to be added to drinks. These include honey, sugar, dextrose, etc. Additives change the taste of the beer. The degree of intervention depends on the production technology and the type of raw material. Since saturation occurs due to the activity of microorganisms, after processing is completed, a yeast sediment precipitates. It is not possible to get rid of it with the help of improvised means at home.
Raw material to stimulate natural carbonation
Most often, the following products are used for saturation:
- Beet sugar. May be added neat. The standard dosage is 7 g of crystals per 1 liter of liquid. Adding sugar is the simplest method of saturation, but in most cases, after fermentation, the drink will have a strong kvass flavor.
- Fructose. It is allowed to add to the product in its pure form. The standard dosage is 8 g of fructose per 1 liter of drink. After fermentation, there is a risk of kvass aftertaste, but its severity will be less than with the addition of beet sugar.
- Honey. The standard dosage is 5 g per 1 liter of liquid. When carbonized with honey, a taste of kvass or overly sweet notes may occur.
- Dextrose. The dosage of powdered glucose is 8 g per 1 liter. With the use of dextrose, off-flavour is less likely to occur. Glucose can be added to the drink in its pure form.
- . The concentrate can be purchased in specialized stores. The extract is a wort from which excess liquid has been removed. It is recommended to use a product without hops in the composition. The standard dosage depends on the quality of the raw material and the manufacturer's recommendations. The concentrate practically does not change the taste of the drink.
- Wort. For saturation, a product is used in which yeast has not yet been added. Wort is the preferred type of raw material, as it has the most similar qualities to the final product.
Some manufacturers use exotic products to saturate. For example, chocolate or maple syrup, molasses.
Before adding raw materials, it is recommended to disinfect it. Sugar products are mixed with water and a syrup is prepared. Heat treatment eliminates the formation of mold and premature spoilage of the drink. The proportions of water and sugar should be the same. During the preparation of the syrup, it is important to remove the foam that is released when heated. After the process is completed, the liquid should be cooled.
How to carbonate beer at home
The sequence of actions depends on the type of raw material. If sugar is used, syrup is prepared from it in advance. Young wort is drained after adding hops. Saturation requires 10% of the total volume. The product is stored in a sealed glass container in the refrigerator. Additionally, calculations must be made in advance. You can use the beer carbonation calculator to determine the amount of raw material.
After fermentation is completed at home, the tools are first prepared. All accessories are disinfected to prevent the penetration of pathogens into the drink. After disinfection, the primer is evenly distributed over all bottles or mixed with the total volume. It is desirable to minimize contact with air. Special systems, siphon, hoses, etc. can be used to transport the wort.
After thorough mixing, the finished mixture is closed in a sealed vessel. This is necessary to activate the fermentation reactions. After 30 minutes, the liquid can be bottled. The container with is left in a dark place at the standard fermentation temperature for ripening. After a week, the drink can be placed in the refrigerator for storage.
Sometimes there is no gas. The problem occurs for the following reasons:
- Dead yeast. Microorganisms are killed high temperature. This is traditionally done by adding a hot primer. If some of the yeast remains, the colony may recover, but it will take longer.
- Wrong temperature setting. When storing the drink in the refrigerator, saturation does not occur, because the microorganisms cease their vital activity.
- Not enough primer.
The degree of saturation can be determined by the level of pressure in the bottle. If the containers remain soft, you can increase the exposure time, move them to a warm place or shake the container. The latter method will help to evenly distribute live microorganisms and release them from the sediment. You can add an extra portion of primer, but in the absence of live yeast, this will only worsen the taste.