Sabco Dirty Gauge

Description

Here is a summary from the inventor, Steve Acord:

I cold crash the beer first and sometimes transfer it to a clean fermenter which now becomes a bright tank. Within 24 hours the beer reaches 37° using either a cooler or ice bath. By adding CO₂ to the tank slowly, just a couple pounds at a time you allow for a quicker and more efficient absorption of CO₂.

Here’s a trick I learned from Rande Reed, head brewer for Snoqualmie Falls Brewing. Most small brewers don’t have access to a Zahm meter or a good way to test the CO₂ volume. By slowly bringing the pressure to 15 lbs on the tank and holding it there, I am able to achieve 2.5 volumes of CO₂ very consistently. 15 psi was the number that was determined after testing using Rande’s method on his 7 bbl bright tanks and applying it to the 1/2 bbl Sabco vessels.

Introduce the CO₂ slowly, reaching 15 psi and then slowly purging CO₂ from the top as it is entering the bottom, I am able to precisely carbonate 7 bbl of beer in a few hours. When taking this to a 1/2 bbl level, keep the CO₂ pressure at 5 psi rather than allowing the top to bleed it all out.

All beer can be carbonated correctly and ready to keg within 24 hours.

Cheers,

Steve