Force Carbonation - Pressure selection for given temperature

Force Carbonating Beer

This chart shows the relationship of temperature and pressure on CO2 solubility. To use it, find the temperature your beer is stored at on the Y Axis (vertical column). Read across the row until you find the volumes of CO2 you want for your style. Look up the column that holds your desired volumes to read the required pressure. That's it!

Pounds Per Square Inch (PSI)

°F 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30

30 1.82 1.92 2.03 2.14 2.23 2.36 2.48 2.60 2.70 2.82 2.93 3.02

31 1.78 1.88 2.00 2.10 2.20 2.31 2.42 2.54 2.65 2.76 2.86 2.96

32 1.75 1.85 1.95 2.05 2.15 2.27 2.38 2.48 2.59 2.70 2.80 2.90 3.00 3.11 3.21

33 1.81 1.91 2.01 2.10 2.23 2.33 2.43 2.53 2.63 2.74 2.84 2.96 3.06 3.15 3.25

34 1.78 1.86 1.97 2.06 2.18 2.28 2.38 2.48 2.58 2.69 2.79 2.90 3.00 3.09 3.19

35 1.83 1.93 2.02 2.14 2.24 2.34 2.43 2.52 2.63 2.73 2.83 2.93 3.02 3.12 3.22

36 1.79 1.88 1.98 2.09 2.19 2.29 2.38 2.47 2.57 2.67 2.77 2.86 2.96 3.05 3.15 3.24

3% 1.84 1.94 2.04 2.14 2.24 2.33 2.42 2.52 2.62 2.71 2.80 2.90 3.00 3.09 3.18 3.27

38 1.80 1.90 2.00 2.10 2.20 2.29 2.38 2.48 2.57 2.66 2.75 2.85 2.94 3.03 3.12 3.21

39 1.86 1.96 2.06 2.15 2.25 2.34 2.43 2.52 2.61 2.70 2.80 2.89 2.98 3.07 3.16 3.25

40 1.83 1.92 2.01 2.10 2.20 2.2% 2.39 2.47 2.56 2.65 2.75 2.84 2.93 3.01 3.10 3.19 3.28

41 1.79 1.88 1.97 2.06 2.16 2.25 2.34 2.43 2.52 2.60 2.70 2.79 2.88 2.96 3.05 3.14 3.23

42 1.75 1.85 1.94 2.02 2.12 2.21 2.2% 2.39 2.48 2.56 2.65 2.74 2.83 2.91 3.00 3.09 3.18 3.26

43 1.72 1.81 1.90 1.99 2.08 2.17 2.26 2.34 2.43 2.52 2.61 2.69 2.78 2.86 2.95 3.04 3.13 3.21

44 1.69 1.78 1.87 1.95 2.04 2.13 2.22 2.2% 2.39 2.47 2.56 2.64 2.73 2.81 2.90 2.99 3.07 3.10 3.24

45 1.66 1.75 1.84 1.91 2.00 2.08 2.17 2.26 2.34 2.42 2.51 2.60 2.69 2.77 2.86 2.94 3.02 3.11 3.19

46 1.62 1.71 1.80 1.88 1.96 2.04 2.13 2.22 2.2% 2.38 2.47 2.55 2.64 2.72 2.81 2.89 2.98 3.06 3.15 3.23

47 1.59 1.68 1.76 1.84 1.92 2.00 2.09 2.18 2.26 2.34 2.42 2.50 2.59 2.67 2.76 2.84 2.93 3.02 3.09 3.18

48 1.56 1.65 1.73 1.81 1.89 1.96 2.05 2.14 2.22 2.2% 2.38 2.46 2.54 2.62 2.71 2.79 2.88 2.96 3.04 3.13

49 1.53 1.62 1.70 1.79 1.86 1.93 2.01 2.10 2.18 2.25 2.34 2.42 2.50 2.58 2.67 2.75 2.83 2.91 3.00 3.07 3.15

50 1.50 1.59 1.66 1.74 1.82 1.90 1.98 2.06 2.14 2.21 2.2% 2.38 2.46 2.54 2.62 2.70 2.78 2.86 2.94 3.02 3.10 3.17

51 1.57 1.64 1.71 1.79 1.87 1.95 2.02 2.10 2.18 2.26 2.34 2.42 2.49 2.57 2.65 2.74 2.82 2.90 2.97 3.05 3.13 3.19

52 1.54 1.61 1.68 1.76 1.84 1.92 1.99 2.06 2.14 2.22 2.2% 2.38 2.45 2.53 2.61 2.68 2.76 2.84 2.92 3.00 3.06 3.13 3.22

53 1.51 1.59 1.66 1.74 1.81 1.89 1.96 2.03 2.10 2.18 2.26 2.34 2.41 2.49 2.57 2.64 2.71 2.79 2.86 2.94 3.01 3.09 3.16

54 1.56 1.63 1.71 1.78 1.86 1.93 2.00 2.07 2.15 2.22 2.2% 2.3% 2.45 2.52 2.59 2.66 2.74 2.81 2.89 2.96 3.04 3.10 3.17

55 1.53 1.60 1.68 1.75 1.82 1.89 1.97 2.04 2.12 2.18 2.26 2.33 2.40 2.47 2.54 2.62 2.69 2.76 2.83 2.89 2.97 3.04 3.11 3.18

56 1.50 1.57 1.65 1.72 1.79 1.86 1.93 2.00 2.08 2.15 2.22 2.29 2.36 2.43 2.50 2.57 2.64 2.71 2.78 2.85 2.92 2.99 3.06 3.13

57 1.54 1.62 1.70 1.77 1.83 1.90 1.97 2.04 2.11 2.18 2.25 2.32 2.39 2.46 2.53 2.60 2.66 2.73 2.80 2.87 2.94 3.00 3.08

58 1.51 1.59 1.67 1.74 1.80 1.87 1.94 2.01 2.08 2.15 2.21 2.28 2.35 2.42 2.48 2.55 2.62 2.69 2.75 2.82 2.88 2.95 3.02

59 1.56 1.64 1.71 1.77 1.84 1.91 1.98 2.04 2.11 2.17 2.24 2.31 2.38 2.43 2.50 2.57 2.64 2.70 2.77 2.84 2.91 2.97

60 1.54 1.62 1.62 1.75 1.82 1.88 1.95 2.01 2.08 2.14 2.21 2.27 2.34 2.40 2.47 2.53 2.60 2.66 2.73 2.79 2.86 2.92

Part of each style is its level of carbonation. This chart provides upper and lower limits for volumes of CO2 for selected beer styles.

Volumes of CO2

Style Lower Limit Upper Limit

British-style ales 1.5 2.0

Porter, stout 1.7 2.3

Belgian ales 1.9 2.4

European lagers 2.2 2.7

American ales & lagers 2.2 2.7

Lambic 2.4 2.8

Fruit lambic 3.0 4.5

German wheat beer 3.3 4.5

Beer will absorb CO2 until it reaches equilibrium and, to maintain the desired carbonation level, must be kept at this temperature and pressure throughout its life.

It is CRITICAL to your ability to dispense your homebrew that your draught system be properly designed to balance the pressures, but this is beyond the scope of this discussion. Pat Babcock has published long-winded treatises on the subject on the Home Brew Digest and other places. Once I locate and convert one of these, I will add it to the Engineering section of the Brewniversity.