Beer Forum

Do carbonating stones work well. Can beer be served from corney keg with line and stone still hooked up.

IMO, they are unnecessary.

Just set the pressure and temperature where you want it, purge a few times, and leave it alone.
It'll be ready in a few days. You can help speed it along with a shake every now and then, but it might be my imagination but you get finer bubbles and a foamier, moussier head when you don't try to rush it and just let it go on its own. Quick carbonating and shaking tends to produce bigger bubbles and quick falling head, at least in my experience.

Thanks. This was my fisrt kegged beer... I won't be so anxious next time.

I'd agree they're unneccessary. I don't see a difference in the texture of the foam quick vs. slow forced carb, but I recently switched over (finally got a gas manifold a few months ago) & it seems easier to keep the carbonation where I like it. I always had a hard time keeping the carb level from drifting up & down a few tenths using the fast carb method.

BDawg wrote:IMO, they are unnecessary.

... it might be my imagination but you get finer bubbles and a foamier, moussier head when you don't try to rush it and just let it go on its own. Quick carbonating and shaking tends to produce bigger bubbles and quick falling head, at least in my experience.

I have had the same experience. Low and slow seems to always be better.

BDawg wrote:IMO, they are unnecessary.

Just set the pressure and temperature where you want it, purge a few times, and leave it alone.
It'll be ready in a few days. You can help speed it along with a shake every now and then, but it might be my imagination but you get finer bubbles and a foamier, moussier head when you don't try to rush it and just let it go on its own. Quick carbonating and shaking tends to produce bigger bubbles and quick falling head, at least in my experience.

I usually shake the crap out of my beers for about 4 min due to what my LHBS told me. I leave it for about 48 hours. I feel like they don't carb up right. But instead of large bubbles I feel like they are waaay too fine / too many and often de-carb very quickly. Next beer I will try some patience. Maybe I'll ust try to re-carb one of my current beers.