Bottling 6-pack and kegging the rest

I'd like to bottle a six packs worth of my latest batch and then keg the rest. I figured out a six pack = 1/2 gal. How much priming sugar should i use for the "bottling bucket?" The recipe says 1/2c corn sugar boiled in 2 pints of water. Since that is for 5 gal can i just divide by 5 gal? I think that would equal 1/2c of the boiled sugar water mix for 1/2 gal of beer. I guess I just need confirmation that this will work and that my math is correct.

Thanks!

Why not carb it all in the keg and then bottle a sixer from that? Easy, no measuring and no/little sediment in the bottles.

Personally, I'd think it would be much easier to keg first, force carb, then use the BMBF to fill your 6 pack of bottles.

I've done both- kegged the whole batch, and also primed and bottled a sixer and kegged the rest. The easiest way I've found is to prime the whole batch with the regular amount of priming sugar, and then fill the bottles, then fill the keg. Purge the keg with co2 and let sit for two weeks at room temperature. I know they say to use less priming sugar in the keg, but it's not that big of a deal and maybe you'll be a little overcarbed. So, when you hook up the keg to the co2, pull the pressure relief valve and set at the serving pressure.

If you don't want to prime the whole keg, then I'd do what the others said and force carb the keg and then fill the bottles. OR, use carb tabs. Those are a premeasured "dose" of DME and dextrose that are great for priming one bottle at a time. I wouldn't try to figure out how to only use 1/2 gallon of beer, prime that, and fill. That sounds like it'd be a big PITA.

YooperBrew said:

I've done both- kegged the whole batch, and also primed and bottled a sixer and kegged the rest. The easiest way I've found is to prime the whole batch with the regular amount of priming sugar, and then fill the bottles, then fill the keg. Purge the keg with co2 and let sit for two weeks at room temperature. I know they say to use less priming sugar in the keg, but it's not that big of a deal and maybe you'll be a little overcarbed. So, when you hook up the keg to the co2, pull the pressure relief valve and set at the serving pressure.

If you don't want to prime the whole keg, then I'd do what the others said and force carb the keg and then fill the bottles. OR, use carb tabs. Those are a premeasured "dose" of DME and dextrose that are great for priming one bottle at a time. I wouldn't try to figure out how to only use 1/2 gallon of beer, prime that, and fill. That sounds like it'd be a big PITA.

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That is the way I do it, and haven't had any issues.

Another option from the ones given is to get some priming drops/carb tabs...then you can carb your individual bottles without having to calculate the amount of sugar needed for 6 bottles and still keg the rest....And if you do that for all your batches a pack of priming tabs will go a long way. Just seal them in a ziplock baggie.

These are your brand choices,





I can't recommend either becasue I haven't used them, but a lot of people do. You can read some info about how they are used on the prime-tabs site.

Venezia & Company, LLC

If you have a hops scale (postage, whatever - measures small weights accurately) and some sort of precise liquid dispenser (eyedropper, etc.) for small volumes, just use one of the on-line priming calculators that lets you figure the weight of sugar for any volume you enter, boil that up in a small amount of water, and split the small amount of sugar-water 6 ways into the bottles, then fill with beer.

http://www.tastybrew.com/calculators/priming.html

Or buy carb tabs, carb drops, prime-tabs - different names, same basic idea, costs a bit more, easier.

+1 on the carb tablets.

Thanks for everyone's input. While I like the idea of kegging it all then bottling, it seems like there is more opportunity for something to go wrong, plus I am lazy. I may try the tabs. Has anyone had success with them? I guess they dissolve pretty well? Who knows, maybe I will give the "BMBF" a try.

hopdigity said:

Thanks for everyone's input. While I like the idea of kegging it all then bottling, it seems like there is more opportunity for something to go wrong, plus I am lazy. I may try the tabs. Has anyone had success with them? I guess they dissolve pretty well? Who knows, maybe I will give the "BMBF" a try.

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You never know until you try. I think the carb tabs are a pretty solid product. They've been on the market for quite a while.

I have a Blichmann beer gun and I love it, but the miermuncher thing looks like it'd work too.