Force Carb and Bottling

Though I think I already know the answer to this question I will ask it anyways. Ive got the equipment for kegging other than a refridgerator to utilize it for. So right now I have a batch fermenting in a cornie, what I'd like to do is put the co2 on it and bottle from there with my bottling gun. Question is do I still prime with the priming sugar ? Im assuming not but want to make sure as it is my first time going down this road, better safe than sorry !!!!

No need to prime the bottles if you are force carbing the keg with your CO2 canister.

Have you already racked off your yeast cake? I would assume your dip tube would be hopelessly buried under sludge if you're using the same vessel for primary and carbonation.

Did you primary in the corny or rack to it after fermentation was finished?

IF you don't have a yeast cake in there, you could carbonate with CO2 (use this chart to figure out the pressure at temperature) and then fill bottles with the bottling/beer gun.

I keg all my brew these days. I do bottle some of what's on tap via either a beer gun, or other fitting. Since I transfer off the yeast cake into serving kegs, this presents no issue. IF you actually fermented (fully) in the corny keg, then you'll either need to transfer to a fresh keg, or cut your dip tube down so that you don't get a bottle full of yeast/sediment/trub.

manoaction said:

Have you already racked off your yeast cake? I would assume your dip tube would be hopelessly buried under sludge if you're using the same vessel for primary and carbonation.

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Yes I did rack off the yeast cake.

Golddiggie said:

Did you primary in the corny or rack to it after fermentation was finished?

IF you don't have a yeast cake in there, you could carbonate with CO2 (use this chart to figure out the pressure at temperature) and then fill bottles with the bottling/beer gun.

I keg all my brew these days. I do bottle some of what's on tap via either a beer gun, or other fitting. Since I transfer off the yeast cake into serving kegs, this presents no issue. IF you actually fermented (fully) in the corny keg, then you'll either need to transfer to a fresh keg, or cut your dip tube down so that you don't get a bottle full of yeast/sediment/trub.

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I racked off of yeast into corny.

manoaction said:

Have you already racked off your yeast cake? I would assume your dip tube would be hopelessly buried under sludge if you're using the same vessel for primary and carbonation.

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Yes I racked off of the yeast cake.

upperNY01brewer said:

I racked off of yeast into corny.

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Then just carbonate it via CO2 and bottle it up when it's ready.

Bottling warm carbonated beer is all but impossible though- it foams like a SOB.

Bottling warm carbonated beer is all but impossible though- it foams like a SOB.

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As usual, she's right. I forgot about that part.

You're only 50 bucks and a few cubic feet away from salvation on this point. A fridge or a keezer is just more or less necessary for the kegging setup.

You are going to have a hard time even getting it force carbonated at room temp. Not low enough temps for the beer to absorb the CO2.

TopherM said:

You are going to have a hard time even getting it force carbonated at room temp. Not low enough temps for the beer to absorb the CO2.

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Depends on what 'room temp' actually is... It's going to be easier in a basement, where it's in the mid to upper 50's compared with kitchen temp that could be in the 70s. I also think it's not going to be more difficult, really, you'll just need to use a higher pressure to get the carbonation to happen. As mentioned, foaming bottles could be an issue, as could getting tons of foam due to the amount of CO2 pressure remains in the brew.

Personally, I would only partially carbonate a batch that's not at serving temperature. Then finish it in the brew fridge/keezer/kegorator and then bottle it as desired (following proper methods for that).

Dumb question....

I have a keg that is carb'd but at the moment its sharing the fermenting fridge so its at about 18degC.

When Ive bottled my beer lately and then put the bottles in the fridge they go flat.

Is there less CO2 at 18degC in solution so therefore when I chill the bottles down they go flat in the bottle (perhaps the head pressure is at fault?)

sorry let me clarify.....


I carb'd the corny originally at 2degC and got it to 2.3volumes, however my fridge that houses my cornys is also my fermenting fridge so whenever I do a batch I have to raise the fridge temp to fermenting temps (I live in a tiny apartment so i cant afford the real estate for a fermenting fridge and a kegerator)

But I do bottle batches from the keg to get me thru the "ferment period".... its just that recently Ive been doing it at ferment temps rather than at near 0 temps...... is this the reason they are gg flat in the bottle?

Depends on what 'room temp' actually is...

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LOL...I'm in central Florida, where room temp is always in the mid 70s. Sometimes when I'm in the pool getting a tan (a.k.a., burn) in October, I forget that it's about to snow up north.