Bottling/kegging in a hurry.

Heya guys, I've got an Oatmeal Stout that's been sitting in the primary for about 4 or 5 weeks (geez I'm lazy) and I was wondering if it would be proper to bottle it straight from the primary. I can rack it into a secondary for a day or two, if that is neccesary. (I hope keeping it in the primary didn't mess it up)

I would like for it to be ready in about 9 days from now, for an event. Do you think that is workable?

I also just got a bunch of kegs and an empty co2 tank, but I have no knowledge yet of kegging, nor the proper tubing, taps or etc.
I could possibly order the keg parts, but that would take about a week to get them. I am unaware as to how long it takes to force-carbonate a keg.

So, I ask you, the experts: what is my best course of action?
Thanks for your help! :rockin: (and sorry about the n00bishness)

no chance on bottling, you could keg for sure though. I'd rack to secondary if you want a couple days for the beer to clear some more. I can't remember the thread but there are a couple on here for force carbing. Plug in force carbing in the search and make a decision based on your timeline. Surely you can source what you need locally for a 1 time deal, might cost you a couple extra bucks but there's no way the bottles will be ready in 9 days. Good luck!!

Tubing and a picnic tap, (the plastic type tap you remember from college), and quick disconnects for the keg aren't too expensive. Biggest things are:

do you have room in a fridge for the keg? (you want to force carb when it's COLD, as it carbonates much faster that way)....

Do you have a regulator, (only big $$ item that you didn't mention)?

If you have a reg and a fridge, then sanitize that keg, purge with CO2, rack directly from your primary, purge with CO2 again, put it on the C02 at a high pressure for a few days then drop pressure to 12 psi or thereabouts, (see the search for force carbing to see people's opinions on shocking with high pressure first....)..

Don't bother with secondary before the keg....just keg the sucker....it will clear in the keg just as well as in a secondary, and you'll blast all the sediment out the tap with the first 1 or 2 pints you pull...

I'm no expert by any means but this is my advice in case you don't have the keg parts or can't get them in time. Skip the secondary, I have never used one yet and you don't really need to clear up a stout do you? If you can get your hands on some muntons carb tabs, they say that carbonation can be achieved in one week. I know that the others on here have said that bottling is out of the question, and I can't vouch for the carb tabs yet, but I just bottled a blonde ale yesterday using these carb tabs and the package said it would only take a week to carbonate. Good luck to you in whatever you choose.

Just out of curiosity and I know it would take some testing, but what would happen if you fill your bottle to the desired level, then drop a set amount of dry ice into the bottle then cap it? I could see very bad things happening if you use the wrong amount but the same thing happens if you use too much sugar.

jesutton3 said:

Just out of curiosity and I know it would take some testing, but what would happen if you fill your bottle to the desired level, then drop a set amount of dry ice into the bottle then cap it? I could see very bad things happening if you use the wrong amount but the same thing happens if you use too much sugar.

Click to expand...

That's a cool idea.

Assuming you want 2.4 volumes in a 355 mL, (and if I remember right, one "volume" is an equivilant volume of CO2 at STP). 2.4 volumes * 355 mL gives [ame="http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&client=firefox-a&rls=org.mozilla%3Aen-US%3Aofficial&hs=TN2&q=(101.325+kPa+*+852+mL)%2F(8.3143+J%2FK%2Fmol+*288.15+K)&aq=f&oq=&aqi="]0.036 moles[/ame]. 0.036 moles at 44 grams per mole is [ame="http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&client=firefox-a&rls=org.mozilla%3Aen-US%3Aofficial&hs=yO2&q=(101.325+kPa+*+852+mL)%2F(8.3143+J%2FK%2Fmol+*288.15+K)*44+g%2Fmol&aq=f&oq=&aqi="]1.59 grams[/ame]. With a solid phase density of [ame="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carbon_dioxide"]1.562 g/mL[/ame], you will need just about exactly [ame="http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&client=firefox-a&rls=org.mozilla%3Aen-US%3Aofficial&hs=Vnh&q=(101.325+kPa+*+852+mL)%2F(8.3143+J%2FK%2Fmol+*288.15+K)*44+g%2Fmol+%2F1.562+g%2FmL+in+cubic+centimeters&aq=f&oq=&aqi="]1 cubic centimeter[/ame] of dry ice per bottle.

Should be doable...

I have no reg or fittings or anything like that, but I will see if I can get my hands on them.
What all do I need as far as fittings and tubing?
I'm looking at kegconnections, but I have no clue what I need, and their sets come with the keg and tank (which I already have).
Other than the reg, what else do I need from them to make this possible?

I will make some room for it in my fridge, or try at least.
I've looked at the article on force carbing, I'll look over it again, but as I have no experience with kegging, I'm a bit afraid that I will blow myself up on accident.

You need one gas quick disconnect (barbed), and one liquid quick disconnect, (barbed), (they are slightly different sizes, if you have ball lock kegs....do you have ball lock kegs? pin lock kegs have little pins sticking out of the sides of the posts the QDs go onto). Make sure you get pin lock QDs for a pin lock keg and ball lock QDs for a ball lock keg. They will not interchange.

You'll need a few feet of gas line to go from your reg to the gas QD. You'll want 5-6 feet of beverage grade beer line (you need bev grade, it is smoother, doesn't allow for the formation of nasty foam), and a picnic tap, (also called cobra tap...the plastic thing you remember from college).

You need 5-6 feet of bev line, even if you only actually NEED 6 inches, because you need to drop the pressure down from keg pressure, (12 psi) to serving pressure, (ultimately, barely more than 0 psi). 3/16" bev line drops about 2 psi per foot, so 6 feet = 12 psi drop.

Get the barbed QDs because then you can just stick your lines on. You shouldn't need hose clamps if you get the right size barbs and hose.

You will need glasses, and a friend to help you drink the beer.

Ayuh, that should about cover it.

Remember that you need room for the keg AND the CO2 in your fridge, unless you want to drill a hole in it to run the CO2 line...

To force carb patiently, just set your reg at 12 psi and leave it for 7-10 days in the fridge....voila, it will be perfectly carbed. To cut down on that time, jack the reg up to 30 psi for 12-24 hours, (opinions vary), then drop it down to 12 psi for a few days.

Good luck.

shortyjacobs said:

That's a cool idea.

Assuming you want 2.4 volumes in a 355 mL, (and if I remember right, one "volume" is an equivilant volume of CO2 at STP). 2.4 volumes * 355 mL gives 0.036 moles. 0.036 moles at 44 grams per mole is 1.59 grams. With a solid phase density of 1.562 g/mL, you will need just about exactly 1 cubic centimeter of dry ice per bottle.

Should be doable...

Click to expand...

doable but very hard without lab grade scales and fast hands (that ice will be sublimating the whole time between weighing, adding to the bottle and capping).

peope have done this, but report wildly inconsistent carb levels. You'd really want a machine cutting the dry ice exactly...and fast hands/capping.


Honestly, getting a few keg parts will be easier and cheaper, and consistent.

(it would be a fun experiment though!)

malkore said:

doable but very hard without lab grade scales and fast hands (that ice will be sublimating the whole time between weighing, adding to the bottle and capping).

peope have done this, but report wildly inconsistent carb levels. You'd really want a machine cutting the dry ice exactly...and fast hands/capping.


Honestly, getting a few keg parts will be easier and cheaper, and consistent.

(it would be a fun experiment though!)

Click to expand...

Yeah, honestly I just wanted to play around with Google's calculation functions....god I wish I'd had that a few years ago in Chem class...