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Carbonated water beverages and
tonics were modern marvels of the time .
” be very highly carbonated , up to 100 % or more higher carbonation than the standard beer you ’ ll find on the supermarket shelf . They ’ re also bottled in very strong bottles that can take the kind of pressure those beers are under . Belgian beer glassware incorporates a notch etched in the very bottom of the glass where the bubbles are released resulting in a pretty stream up to the surface of the beer . This helps maintain a soft foam as it ’ s enjoyed . Bottle conditioned beers will always have a yeast sediment considered “ lees ” at the bottom of the bottle . Because of this , care should be taken in moving , storing , and pouring these beers . Most brewers don ’ t care for the hassle of bottle conditioning so most beer is force carbonated .
American beer is almost exclusively force carbonated . Force carbonating beer can be done several ways . One way is to fill the headspace of a tank of beer with CO2 and maintain a pressure around 30 psi . The beer will slowly absorb the gas . Another , more common way is to send CO2 through a porous stone called a carb stone that is submerged in the beer inside a pressurized tank . Another faster way is to carbonate in line while transferring
beer to another tank using a device called a pinpoint . The pinpoint forces the beer into a restricted flow while applying CO2 forcing the beer to absorb the gas more quickly .
A technique of natural carbonation from Germany called “ spunding ” has recently begun to gain traction . Spunding involves using a pressure sensitive valve to control the natural carbonation of a beer while it ferments . If the pressure in the tank increases over the set level , the spunding valve will release the excess pressure . With spunding you can dial in a specific level of natural carbonation without the hassle or expense of bottle conditioning .
There is a definite difference in forced vs . natural carbonation . Natural carbonation happens at a microscopic level and is dissolved more completely , taking a long time to let go of the CO2 . The bubbles from a natural carbonation are smaller , head retention is better , and that carbonation bite is smoother . Forced carbonated beer has a noticeable difference in appearance and flavor , but it pours clearer . It has more bite to it but less of the bready , yeasty flavors .
There ’ s also more belch to a forced carbonated brew . There ’ s a difference business wise too .
Forced carbonated beers are ready to sell much faster , and bottle conditioned beers have a longer shelf life . About two weeks after bottling , Michael had me come over and we tested the beer . I remember opening the first bottle relishing the “ tchshh ” sound of a successful bottle conditioning . We were both blown away by how good it was . There was a definite advantage to switching to all grain . The amount of control you have over the finished product opens up new possibilities in flavor and color . We made lots more beer together , eventually getting a kegging setup and started force carbonating our beers . We even started bottling from the keg . I still preferred bottle conditioning , but the convenience of having rotating homebrew on tap in my garage was undeniable . It made the house a great hang for sure .
Chris Keller has worked in beer sales for a distributor , as a brewer for Saint Arnold Brewing Co . in Houston , and is the owner of Pint and Barrel Drafthouse in Palestine , Texas .
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