Keg as a Bottling Bucket?

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Phunhog

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I have a barleywine that has been bulk conditioning for a few months in a keg. I was just going to force carb and bottle but...I always end up losing some to foam. It got me thinking about just priming with some sugar in the keg, rolling gently to mix it up, and then fill bottles through a sanitized BMBF. I would keep the keg charged with 5 psi during the mixing phase so no worries with oxidation. It would make filling bottles a piece of cake!! Do any of you do this?
I was also wondering if I need to add fresh yeast? It is only a 9.1% BW but it has been sitting for a few months in the keg. I was thinking of essentially making my priming solution just like a small starter. Pitching a small amount of dried yeast (05?) if needed. Any advice?
 
+1 I do pretty much the same thing. I have a short line with a picnic tap that my bottling wand fits in. I prime it in the keg, purge with CO2 and put a little pressure on it and bottle a 12 pack or so from there. Then just leave the keg to condition for a couple of weeks to carb up naturally and hook it up to serve.
 
I just tried this for the first time and liked it. From your experience, how do you guys handle the mixture of the priming sugar? I dumped the priming solution into the keg and then racked the beer onto it through the beer dip tube. I didn't stir or shake to mix the sugar and now I am concerned that I didn't get it mixed-in/distributed well enough.
 
jamest22 I think you'll be fine. That is exactly how I used to prime using a bottling bucket, and have never had a problem with inconsistent carbonation. :)
 
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