Keg half now, bottle later?

undermind · 11-14-2006, 07:12 PM

I usually keg my beers and force carbonation. With my new batch of porter, I was wanting to keg half, and bottle the other. I wasn't able to get bottles yet, so I was planning on putting half into the keg now, and bottling the rest one week from today.

So here are my overly-cautious newbie questions:

-Is there anything wrong with leaving half the batch sitting in the glass carboy for a week until I bottle it? (age is not an issue, it's supposed to be bottled a week from today)

-I usually force carbonation for 3 days at 30 lbs. Will this be different with a half batch? (I do it in the fridge)

-Just half the amount of priming sugar if I'm bottling half the batch right?

Sorry for the newb questions, I just don't want to screw this one up with some little mistake after 4 weeks of waiting!

uwmgdman · 11-14-2006, 07:36 PM

I don't keg so can't comment on the pressure.

Half the priming sugar will work perfectly.

As far as negative effects leaving a 1/2 batch in the secondary for a week. The only one I can see (assuming you are good and sanitary which I'm sure we all are) is exposing the beer to oxygen. I never have done what you're describing and can't speak from experience, but I would be concerned about oxygen exposure potentially resulting in a beer that won't store as well. But if you drink it within a couple months of bottle I wouldn't expect a problem.

homebrewer_99 · 11-14-2006, 08:18 PM

Rack half to the keg and leave the rest in the carboy.

At bottling time you can prime 1 oz of Corn Sugar per 1 gal of beer.

chillHayze · 11-14-2006, 08:30 PM

I have bottled half and left the other half in carboy for about a week. I couldn't tell the difference by drinking them a few weeks later.