Pils pressure

[barley ben]

This goes with my thread in the yeast topic but I wanted to put this in the right place. I'm gonna try to make a pilsner style ale(pilsner recipe with a ale yeast) and courious. For my ales, my pressure on my keg is at 10. What do you think I should set it at for a lager?

[chris1kanobi]

I serve all of my beers at 10. For me it is a personal preference, and a matter of convienence. I know certain styles have spicific "reccomended" carbonation levels, but I like all my beers lightly carbonated with a 1" head, yum. Do whatever you are comfortable with, it don't matter.

[danno]

this is from Northern Brewer's (http://www.northernbrewer.com/docs/html/corny-keg.html) documentation about corny kegs.


British Ale: 1.8 to 2.2 volumes
German Lager: 2.5 volumes
American Lagers and Ale: 2.6 to 2.8 volumes
Wheat Beers: 3.0 volumes

volume chart by temp and pressure
Temp 5 PSI 10 PSI 15 PSI 20 PSI 25 PSI 30 PSI
30° F 2.23 2.82
35° F 2.02 2.52 3.02
40° F 1.83 2.30 2.75 3.19
45° F 1.66 2.08 2.51 2.94
50° F 1.50 1.90 2.30 2.70 3.10
55° F xxxx 1.75 2.12 2.47 2.83 3.18
60° F xxxx 1.62 1.95 2.27 2.60 2.92

So, if you're at 10psi and 45º for your ales, you're at 2.08 volumes of co2, which is in the British Ale range. If you want a "to style" pilsner, you might want to increase pressure to 15 psi, which at 45º gives you 2.51 volumes...

All that said, for ease of use (how many regulators do you want to have?) and personal preference, I too run all my beer at 10psi...