kegging bottling a few

I usually just keg my brew, but I would like to bottle a six pack to keep for down the road. So my question is, what is the best way to get these boys carbonated? Some small recipe of priming sugar, or are priming tablets better off, and do they work well?

adamber said:

I usually just keg my brew, but I would like to bottle a six pack to keep for down the road. So my question is, what is the best way to get these boys carbonated? Some small recipe of priming sugar, or are priming tablets better off, and do they work well?

Click to expand...

neither.



works like a charm.

brewski08 said:

neither.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CwIbFQcHYyo

works like a charm.

Click to expand...

+1. What he does.

Most brews I do are 10gal and keg five and bottle 5. I had to bottle last night went through 180. It isn't fun but when I go somewhere can't always take kegs.

While I agree with previous posters that you should bottle off the keg post-carbonation (also ensures you don't have sediment/etc), if you persist on just bottling a sixer and naturally carbonating it, I recommend the carb tabs or drops. When carbonating small numbers of bottles, it's just so much easier than worrying about measuring and mixing priming sugar for a mere 6 bottles.

bwarbiany said:

While I agree with previous posters that you should bottle off the keg post-carbonation (also ensures you don't have sediment/etc), if you persist on just bottling a sixer and naturally carbonating it, I recommend the carb tabs or drops. When carbonating small numbers of bottles, it's just so much easier than worrying about measuring and mixing priming sugar for a mere 6 bottles.

Click to expand...

Yep, I agree. I usually keg, and bottle from the keg to have sediment free beer to bring to others, but those carb tabs work pretty well and are super easy to use. Just bottle 6, drop in a carb tab (or two, or three, depending on the size of the bottles) and keg the rest.

Yooper said:

Yep, I agree. I usually keg, and bottle from the keg to have sediment free beer to bring to others, but those carb tabs work pretty well and are super easy to use. Just bottle 6, drop in a carb tab (or two, or three, depending on the size of the bottles) and keg the rest.

Click to expand...

I have never messed with carb drops or tabs. Side by side is one method taste and present better then the other? Bottling of keg post carb vs natural with tabs.

garbageman said:

I have never messed with carb drops or tabs. Side by side is one method taste and present better then the other? Bottling of keg post carb vs natural with tabs.

Click to expand...

with carb drops, you are going to produce yeast sediment in the bottom of your bottle. this sedimentation does not occur when bottling from a keg if done properly.

I have had good success by carbonating in the keg at about 30 psi at a temp of about 1C (33-34F). I turn the refrigerator down low and put a thermometer inside to verify. Then I freeze the sanitized bottles in the freezer. I depressurize the keg until it is about 4 to 8 psi and dispense the super cold beer slowly into the super cold bottles. This gets the bottle about 3/4 full before foam reaches the top. I put a plastic temporary cap on the bottle and put it in the fridge. About 10 to 20 minutes later the foam is gone and I top the bottle up and crown cap it. This works really well for small amounts like six to twelve bottles I want to keep. I've done this with good results if there's a kegged beer I think has turned out nice enough to enter in a competition too.

couldn't I hook some tube up to my tap and run it to a bottle filler.

adamber said:

couldn't I hook some tube up to my tap and run it to a bottle filler.

Click to expand...

yes, you could.

the difficulty that comes with filling bottles from a keg is the foam that comes with it. if you would simply take your picnic tap and fill up a bottle, foam would compose a large majority of your filled bottle, and you would also increase oxidation.

the key to bottle filling is thus preventing oxidation and controlling foam. chances of oxidation are decreased by lowering your bottle filler to the bottom of the bottle. foam is decreases by maintaining pressure as you fill the bottle. this pressure maintenance is accomplished using the rubber bung shown in the video.

brewski08 said:

with carb drops, you are going to produce yeast sediment in the bottom of your bottle. this sedimentation does not occur when bottling from a keg if done properly.

Click to expand...

Has anyone ever compared taste between the two methods. Natural versus forced carb?