Carbonation

carbonation. (kar'-buh-nei'-shen)

    The process of injecting or dissolving carbon dioxide gas in a liquid to create an effervescence of pleasant taste and texture. In beermaking, one of three methods is used: (1) injecting the finished beer with the carbon dioxid collected for this purpose during primary fermentation; (2) kraeusening, or adding young fermenting beer to induce a renewed fermentation; or (3) especially in homebrewing, priming (adding sugar) to fermented wort prior to capping to create a secondary fermentation within the bottle. Fermentation in a sealed bottle or container creates carbon dioxide gas that dissolves in the beer. The adjective carbonated usually refers to beers artificially injected with carbon dioxide; when caused by priming, the expression “bottle-conditioned” is more common. Beers intended to be consumed at low temperatures are highly carbonated to compensate for the low temperature, and vice versa for beers to be drunk at high temperatures. Bottled beer is always carbonated; U.S. draft beers are usually carbonated, and British draft ales are for the most part cask-conditioned. Syn: saturation. See also: conditioning.