Force Carbing High ABV Beers - slower than than others?

Blackmuse

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Hi folks! Sorry I haven't been around much - I have been brewing though! Light American Lager, Maple brown ale, my "Victory for Munich" which proved that 15% Victory malt isn't "too much" (though I plan to knock it back to 10! lol) and a pilot beer with Irish Ale malt (with a touch of carared) that I called Irish Gold and kicked hella quick! Further more, I have three slightly different oktoberfest recipes I plan to make. First one starts today. :)

And then there is the beer that brings up my current question - Recently, I made a Baltic Porter for my father which finished out just over 8.5%... I force carbed it for 4 or 5 days per normal - 30 psi start to seal keg and begin carbing (24 hours) and then 12 psi for the remainder.... It wasn't "fully carbed like my other beers though when I brought it to his house yesterday. I mean, it was carbonted - but not like the light american lager or any other standard beer on tap. - I feel like this happened with a bock I made last year too - it just took longer to carb.

Set aside ideas about leaks - I'm just curious if this is a 'thing" - I don't make many 8%+ beers so I don't have a ton of experience. If no one else here has experienced this or can explain it then I will assume it was some sort of leak I didn't catch despite my time searching....

Thanks! - and Cheers!

I hope you all have been well! I think I'll try and put some other posts up soon - time permitting - with what I've been up to.... Logos and beer glasses! Planning a 10 gallon set-up and bottling!
 
Yes. High gravity beers can be a PITA to carbonate, especially if the finish gravity is high. I carbonated and bottled a RIS for a buddy. He didn't have a kegging system and the bottled conditioning failed because the yeast gave up with the high ABV. I believe it finished north of 1.020-25. I put it in a keg, hit it with 30 PSI and shook the crap out of it. Left it at 30 PSI for nearly a week. The beer was carbonated, but a fairly low level. It worked out and it was a wonderful beer, but I would've thought it would have been over carb'd under those conditions. Not so.

High finish gravity prevents co2 from going into solution.
 
I find dark beers seem to carbonate less than "light" beers and I have no explanation for it. I'm sure there is one, but I don't know what it is.
 

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