Dry Ice

Mashing, fly sparging, batch sparging, dry hopping, late additions. Have an idea you want to bounce or stop by and share your experiences here.

Moderator: Post Moderators

Post Reply
User avatar
jward
Posts: 2103
Joined: Mon Feb 21, 2005 10:22 pm
Location: Irvine, CA
Contact:

Dry Ice

Post by jward »

Anyone use dry ice/frozen CO2 for chilling or carbonation? I have read soda recipes that called for adding some dry ice to chill and carbonate the beverage. Is dry ice cold enough to be sanitary? The stuff at the super market claims to be food grade.
Image
User avatar
maltbarley
Posts: 2408
Joined: Thu Dec 08, 2005 9:31 am
Location: Orange, CA

Re: Dry Ice

Post by maltbarley »

$25? That's only at those exclusive Brea supermarkets. I think dry ice at most places is less than $1.50/lb which is cheaper than a refill on the tank. I agree on all other points.

But, think of the coolness factor if you are having a party. :happybeer:
User avatar
brahn
Site Admin
Posts: 1799
Joined: Wed May 31, 2006 5:12 pm
Location: Tustin, CA
Contact:

Re: Dry Ice

Post by brahn »

I've seen videos online of people carbonating stuff with dry ice. You need to be really careful not to build up too much pressure though. If I were going to try it I think I'd try it in PET first, at least the shards would be a lot less dangerous than glass or stainless steel if you estimated wrong. Oh, and shake like crazy. :)
User avatar
backyard brewer
Posts: 3774
Joined: Fri Feb 18, 2005 5:38 pm
Location: Orange County, CA
Contact:

Re: Dry Ice

Post by backyard brewer »

We used to make dry ice "D-80's" when I was younger. Several slivers of dry ice in a 2L bottle with a little water, cap that sucker, throw it and wait..........for.........it...............

BOOM!!!!!!!
User avatar
maltbarley
Posts: 2408
Joined: Thu Dec 08, 2005 9:31 am
Location: Orange, CA

Re: Dry Ice

Post by maltbarley »

brahn wrote:I've seen videos online of people carbonating stuff with dry ice. You need to be really careful not to build up too much pressure though. If I were going to try it I think I'd try it in PET first, at least the shards would be a lot less dangerous than glass or stainless steel if you estimated wrong. Oh, and shake like crazy. :)
You don't trust the pressure release on the top of your kegs?
User avatar
brahn
Site Admin
Posts: 1799
Joined: Wed May 31, 2006 5:12 pm
Location: Tustin, CA
Contact:

Re: Dry Ice

Post by brahn »

Good point. Maybe the keg would be the safest option.
User avatar
jward
Posts: 2103
Joined: Mon Feb 21, 2005 10:22 pm
Location: Irvine, CA
Contact:

Re: Dry Ice

Post by jward »

Found google-ing: 1 pound of dry ice, when it sublimates (turns to gas) will produce 250 liters of gas at atmospheric pressure.

4.5g of beer at 4 volumes is only about 68L of CO2 gas to absorb. Which means that a quarter pound would do if it all absorbed. I would expect the dry ice to sublimate and bubble to top creating pressure in the head space much quicker then it will go into solution. Which means boom! or loss of CO2 out the pressure relief valve and more dry ice required. The dry ice will freeze water/beer/soda around it which will slow the sublimation, but how much? This is kinda stuff why I was hoping one of our intrepid members had done this.

I don't know that I would do this for beer, but it would be way cool to drop a block of dry ice in a keg of root beer or apple juice, watch the top of the keg fog for a while and then close the lid and have a drinkable fizzy beverage shortly there after.
Image
Post Reply