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**Wreck99** · 02-18-2012, 05:38 AM

Is there any issues or considerations when splitting your 5 gallon batch at bottling/kegging time? I'd like to get started kegging soon, but would like to still bottle a few to pass out to friends, etc. Maybe dozen in bottles, rest in keg. Any considerations doing this?

**BBL_Brewer** · 02-18-2012, 05:52 AM

Just bottle from the keg when you need to.

**Wreck99** · 02-18-2012, 06:07 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BBL_Brewer

Just bottle from the keg when you need to.

Didn't think of that. So how does that work? I'm guessing at a low psi and add a bit of priming sugar to each bottle? Or does the carbonation stay in tact and it doesn't need to condition any in the bottle. Sorry, still new to all of this.

Balto · 02-18-2012, 06:10 AM

Hey wreck99 check this out!

http://www.homebrewtalk.com/f35/we-no-need-no-stinking-beer-gun-24678/

**Wreck99** · 02-18-2012, 07:19 AM

Thanks Balto for sharing! This will be good for bottling "mid-keg". I think I'm going to buy one! Hopefully it will work with whatever kegerator I pick up. Planning to buy the kegerator and a couple corny kegs in the next week or so.

However, it still seems simpler to me (if you know you're going to want a few bottles to every batch right off the bat) to siphon over a few bottles while filling the keg. Am I missing something? I was figuring you'd siphon out a few bottles, maybe drop in a couple priming tabs to each bottle, then keg the rest.

Balto · 02-18-2012, 09:17 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Wreck99

Thanks Balto for sharing! This will be good for bottling "mid-keg". I think I'm going to buy one! Hopefully it will work with whatever kegerator I pick up. Planning to buy the kegerator and a couple corny kegs in the next week or so.

However, it still seems simpler to me (if you know you're going to want a few bottles to every batch right off the bat) to siphon over a few bottles while filling the keg. Am I missing something? I was figuring you'd siphon out a few bottles, maybe drop in a couple priming tabs to each bottle, then keg the rest.

I have 4 kegs now and just ordered 4 more. I'm coverting a refer now to put my kegs in. I'm going to try both ways. I'm not going to use priming sugar as I'm going to go from primary to keg. Looks like the carbonation drops are the way to go.

**Wreck99** · 02-18-2012, 09:31 AM

Thanks man, appreciate the help!

**BBL_Brewer** · 02-18-2012, 04:38 PM

The only downside to pulling off some beer for bottles is that you will have more headspace in the keg that will need to be purged. Which in turn will waste CO2. It's kind of expensive to fill tanks around here so I pinch out every penny I can. I even use empty kegs to purge fresh ones.

**helibrewer** · 02-18-2012, 05:08 PM

I carb everything in the keg. When I want to bottle some, I purge the keg, dial the pressure down to 1-2 psi, push my bottling cane (without the spring tip) up into the plastic faucet and bottle away...it works great, no counter-pressure contraption required. Just don't open the faucet part way, it will foam too much...full open or full closed.

watergod · 02-19-2012, 04:14 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by helibrewer

I carb everything in the keg. When I want to bottle some, I purge the keg, dial the pressure down to 1-2 psi, push my bottling cane (without the spring tip) up into the plastic faucet and bottle away...it works great, no counter-pressure contraption required. Just don't open the faucet part way, it will foam too much...full open or full closed.

Here here! That's what I do.