Do I need to read the FAQ again?

Poindexter · 12-08-2007, 11:49 PM

What if I don't like force carbed beer and want to prime with corn sugar after all? Can I put the beer back under an airlock to go flat and then prime, or will I have to suck down five gallons?

Professor Frink · 12-09-2007, 12:21 AM

I'm assuming it is already in a keg. You can let the CO2 come out of solution then add priming sugar (about 1/2 cup for bulk priming I believe) and let it naturally carbonate. You don't really need an airlock, just vent the keg every once in a while until it's flat.

malkore · 12-09-2007, 12:25 AM

just remember that even if you prime a keg using sugar, you still have to use CO2 to dispense the beer, or it gets a little flatter after each pint.

Drunkensatyr · 12-09-2007, 12:26 AM

What did you find wrong with it?
Did you let it age still? green beer is green beer.

Poindexter · 12-09-2007, 01:01 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Drunkensatyr

What did you find wrong with it?
Did you let it age still? green beer is green beer.

No, no, not like that. I just got my kegs last night, got new O-rings at the LHBS today, I have had a pale ale sitting in secondary for three weeks after one in primary... racked today.

I decided I am going to try force carbonating this one. Hopefully I will like it. Seems like ~most~ people like force carbing good enough but ~a few~ posters here still prime with sugar and use CO2 just to dispense.

Can't start force carbing until I get a wrench big enough to tighten the regulator gently to the CO2 tank, but I am on my way.

FlyGuy · 12-09-2007, 05:02 AM

Personally, I think the force carb vs. natural carb taste difference is a pure myth. If you want to be purist, you can prime with sugar and serve from a siphon. But there aren't many other reasons to prime a keg.

Some downsides:
- extra yeast in the keg to deal with
- may take longer (depending on how much viable yeast is left in your beer)
- you have less control than force carbing (with a CO2 tank, you can purposefully undershoot your target carb volume, and then slowly increase it until it is jjjuuusssstttt right -- impractical to do this with priming sugar)
- doesn't taste any better than force carbing

**Orfy** · 12-09-2007, 05:56 AM

Listen to:

12-06-07 Basic Brewing Radio - Cask Conditioning

That should help.

malkore · 12-09-2007, 03:23 PM

the only time force carbing will affect flavor, is if you rapid force carb....i.e. 30psi and shaking the crap out of the keg.
that leaves behind a lot of carbonic acid, which leaves a 'bite' in the flavor. it WILL fade over the course of a few days.

if you just carb by setting at serving psi (assuming your system has tap lines balanced for this) then after about 10-14 days its fully carb'd with no carbonic acid bite.

i see no reason to rapid force carb unless you run out of beer during a party and your second keg isn't carb'd up. otherwise, you didn't rush through primary, or secondary, so why rush the carbing....carbonation doesn't cure green beer

Funkenjaeger · 12-09-2007, 05:12 PM

The vast majority of commercial beer is force carbed - and for that matter, I believe it's very rapidly force carbed by injecting CO2 through a carbonation stone (or similar) in-line while the beer is being transferred - but do you find that you don't like commercial beers because of this?

Personally, I agree with FlyGuy, I think the claims of differences are all a myth - CO2 is CO2! While I do believe that there may be some difference immediately after rapidly force carbing (like malkore suggests), any difference will fade within a matter of a couple of days - and even when you take into account the extra time to let it "smooth out", if you even find it necessary, it'll likely STILL take less time than naturally carbonating.

**bradsul** · 12-09-2007, 06:49 PM

I naturally carbonate my kegs because I don't see it as a major hassle - certainly not one worth spending another $100CAD on a second tank and another $50CAD on another regulator (plus disconnects et al).

I agree there is no taste difference however, I force carbed a couple kegs at room temperature (kegerator only holds 2 and those are both for serving) and as long as you give it time to properly condition it makes no difference.