Essentially, you can separate beer carbonation into the two systems: natural and mechanical. Companies using mechanical methods can introduce carbonation to their brews in one of several ways. The major techniques of accomplishing this are brite/bright tanks, in-bottle centrifugal and inline carbonation. The latter, using an inline beer carbonator has become popular in the brewing industry.
What Is Inline Beer Carbonation?
Inline beer carbonation is a mechanical form of the practice. The equipment, known as beer carbonators are essential tools in the current craft of producing beer. Inline beer carbonation differs from other methods. While all techniques serve one purpose: to introduce carbonation to the brew, inline techniques inject the CO2 (or nitrogen) into the beer at the specified time inline and not in a tank.
Advantages of Inline Beer Carbonation
Brewers who utilize an inline beer carbonation system find it advantageous in any number of ways. They commonly cite the following as the reasons why they prefer this form of mechanical carbonization.
1. Precise: The carbonation system is very accurate in the precise amount of CO2 it injects into the brew and the time in which it gives it
2. Proficient: The system operates with both proficiency and efficiency. It does not waste time, energy or effort
3. Speed: The carbonization system is accomplished sometimes as much as five times faster than other methods
4. CO2 and Water: You can save on the amount of CO2 and water you use when employing more standard methods e.g. brite tanks
5. Consistent/Homogenous: This carbonation system is very consistent in the amount of CO2 it injects. There is no batch variation. As a result every brew features the same level of carbonization as every batch prior and successive
6. Space: An inline beer carbonator requires substantially less space than other methods e.g. brite tanks. This makes setting up a brewery in a confined quarters easier to accomplish
The overall result of an inline system of carbonation is a consistently high quality and extremely exact injection of carbonation into the brew time after time.
Beer Carbonator
Beer and mechanical carbonization go hand in hand. A craft brewer needs to understand what system will best serve the purpose of the brewery. When it comes time to choose the method of carbonization, do spend time and research the various methods. Look at their advantages and disadvantages as they pertain to your own facility. In the end, you may find that an online beer carbonator is the method of carbonization best suited to your present and future needs.
