Carbonation
Term from the Brauwerkstatt brewing glossary, category “Packaging, storage and serving”.
Explanation
CO₂ in the finished beer. In bottle conditioning the yeast produces it from a little sugar added at bottling.
Work it out yourself
Priming sugar calculator – How much sugar goes into each bottle? The calculator tells you – to suit the style, the amount of beer and the temperature.
Test your knowledge
How does carbonation form in a bottle-conditioned beer?
- By injecting CO₂ at the brewery
- By shaking the bottle
- Through a secondary fermentation with a little sugar in the sealed bottle
Show answer
Correct: Through a secondary fermentation with a little sugar in the sealed bottle. The yeast ferments the added sugar. Since the CO₂ cannot escape, it dissolves in the beer.
What is priming sugar?
- Food served with beer
- Fresh yeast
- Sugar or wort added at bottling for the secondary fermentation
Show answer
Correct: Sugar or wort added at bottling for the secondary fermentation. How much you need depends on the desired carbonation and the temperature – the carbonation calculator helps.
What does spunding mean?
- Filtering the beer
- Holding pressure towards the end of fermentation so the beer carbonates itself
- Rinsing the keg
Show answer
Correct: Holding pressure towards the end of fermentation so the beer carbonates itself. A spunding valve only releases excess pressure, so the carbonation forms completely naturally.
Frequently asked questions
How much sugar goes into a bottle?
It depends on the target CO₂ and the beer temperature after fermentation. For example, a Kölsch at 5.5 g/l and 18 °C (64 °F) needs about 3.6 g (0.13 oz) of table sugar per 0.5 L (about 16.9 fl oz) bottle. The carbonation calculator works it out exactly.
Typical in these countries
Related terms
All terms in “Packaging, storage and serving” · Brewing glossary