CO2 pressure and beer temps

[mountain beer]

I have been reading a lot in these forums about certain beers have certain co2 pressure. Is there a chart anywhere or can anyone advise what amount of pressure I should be putting on my keg. I have an English style brown ale in my keg right now.

Also, I have one refrigerator that I have my cornielius keg in and a lot of bottled beer. What would be the best tempeture for most beers. I have some brown ales, lagers, stouts....etc. Any and all info would be helpful in my quest for that great brew.

[Richard English]

See my thread elsewhere about pressure. English beers should be served at 45 - 50 degrees fahrenheit. Serve them colder if you wish but experiment. Don't serve them at Budweiser temperatures or they will begin to taste like Budweiser - in other words, of very little!

[mountain beer]

Richard

I tried to turn my refrig. temp down. I initially had it at 40 degrees and i put it warmer but the refrig is in the garage and it is about 8 degrees outside and about 1 foot of snow---i cant get the temp any lower---it actually got colder. I have been pouring the beer and letting it sit for awhile--

thanks
Mountain

[Richard English]

40 degrees is quite cold enough for English beer.

[Beer Nazi]

Hey Mountain - don't worry too much about your keg temperature. Of course you don't want it too cold. 38 to 43 deg.F is a good temp.

If you pour a glass of beer, simply let it sit and warm up a bit to suit.

Now, as far as what to have your regulator set to in order to get a great glass of beer out of your corny, I have no idea of a formula to arrive at that pressure, but there may be one. The I.D. of your hose will have a bearing on what pressure you set your regulator to.

The best advice I can give is to do it by trial and error. Start at about 5 psi and adjust up or down.

Too much or not enough head when pouring?

Too fizzy or not fizzy enough?

Should take 5 or 6 pints to get it right (then make a note of the style of beer and your favorite setting) but damn, what fun it is to experiment!!! :D

Of course, hose ID will have an effect on your bubble size (fizziness) too. 3/16 is a good all-purpose ID hose. I've been able to pour great glasses of Stouts, Fruit Ales, Porters, and Wheat Beers using 3/16".

[danno]

Originally posted by Beer Nazi Of course, hose ID will have an effect on your bubble size (fizziness) too. 3/16 is a good all-purpose ID hose. I've been able to pour great glasses of Stouts, Fruit Ales, Porters, and Wheat Beers using 3/16". [/B]

It's also important to note that it's not just ID, but hose length that matters. For 3/16" ID beer line, you should have 0.5 feet for every PSI of dispensing pressure, to balance out dispensing. I carbonate and dispense all my beer at 10 PSI with 5' of tubing, and also make soda that I carb and serve at 30 PSI through 15' of beer line....

danno

[CaptHook]

Hey danno--are you saying, size does matter?

[danno]

Capt, I believe that just as in, uh, life; size is secondary to knowing how to use your equipment... ;)

[YamahaXS]

i believe the trial and error approach works for whatever ever it is that we are really talking about. :D

[Beer Nazi]

Good point Danno!!! (never did worry about size none....<<sniff>>) :D