spliting a batch

So just got my first corni keg in the mail. It is only a 2.5 gal. I want to try it out on my next batch. It is going to be a copper ale by midwest. From all the reading i have been doing on this web pages, and other books it seem i do not need priming sugar for kegging if i force carb.

So would I fill my keg first and then half my priming sugar for the rest I plan on bottling?
Or is force carbing a bad idea for my first kegging? should i let it sit and carb naturally? There seems to be such a difference in kegging while bottling is so clear cut for beginner.
ipe:

I like to naturally carb my kegs in most cases. I do still sometimes force keg them up to where I want them, as I almost always use less sugar then I think I'll need, as I don't really care to have to "decarb" (that's a word, right...?) my beer.

Why do I do it like that? The beer usually tastes better after a week or so anyways, and that gives me a reason to let it sit and not just chill it and drink it. Plus, I don't like heavily carbonated drinks so doing it that way lets me fine tune the carb level right where I want it.

Short version: just prime it normally and naturally carb. Your patience will be rewarded.

ETA - if you do want to force carb do it when you're not having to split everything up. Too much work for no real gain. Not trying to sway you from purely force carbing, rather I don't see the sense in it when you have to prime half the batch for bottles anyways. Might as well just do it all.

kegging is the way to go IMO... Correct - no priming sugar in keg

proceed as normal wait for Final Gravity to stabilize and give an additional 3 to 5 days rest... then rack (siphon over) your 2.5 gallons of beer into a cleaned & sanitized corny. then seal and purge the air by releasing the pressure valve 4-6 times as you apply C02...

your be is now ready to be force carbed... there is much debate as to the preferred method of force carbonation - whether to shake @ 30 psi or wait 1-2weeks @ serving pressure... You'll have to decide what you like...

and yes you can then mix up a properly portioned sugar/wort mixture and bottle the rest as normal...

IMO kegging is actually easier once you get a method down -- bottling will seem like a hassle once you get it !

If you do decide to naturally carb it, remember that you'll need less sugar for the keg portion than for the bottle portion. I think I've seen the number 50% normal priming sugar thrown around, but not sure how accurate that is. It has something to do with the differences in head-space and surface area between one keg and all those bottles. So you'll have to add the smaller portion to the whole batch, transfer half to the keg, then add the rest of the portion to the bottled batch to get them to come out the same carb level. Not saying not to naturally carb, just warning you so your keg doesn't overcarb or bottles undercarb.

Also, naturally carbing will give you slightly more sediment than force carbing, but in both cases after the beer is carbed and cooled you'll want to pull a pint or so off first and toss it, since most of the sediment comes out in that pint. After that, so long as you aren't jostling the keg around, it should pour clear.

On the other hand, if you decide to force carb the keg, you can't go wrong with setting at serving pressure and letting it sit. Use this chart to figure out how carbed you want it to be and set your pressure depending on the kegerator temp. Hook the keg up and let it sit cold for 2-3 weeks, and it will be ready to go. That extra time also makes sure everything settles to the bottom of the keg, and gives it a chance to cold-age for a bit before serving.

thanks, guys. each is interesting. should help out a lot,.