forced carbonation vs priming sugar

This is my first post and I'm a beginner in homebrewing and drinking beer! However, I brewed a few time already using beer kits (aka Cooper,...) and then bottling using the priming sugar method. Strangely, I prefer the cheap commercial kind of beer compared to mine. Which, on one hand, encourage me to use extract kit instead. But on the other hand, maybe I first need to improve my bottling process.

So here's my question, does force carbonation improve the taste of the beer (vs priming sugar)?

Edit: errr.. seems like this is not my first post after all..

By force carbonation, do you mean kegging and using CO2 vs using priming sugar?

??? Shouldn't make a big difference ???

I don't think you can differentiate between the two methods by taste alone. However if you somehow screw up the priming sugar method there is no real way to fix it 3 weeks down the road when you realize your brew is under/over carbed.

Force carbing by kegging under CO2 pressure gives you the advantage of being able to adjust the pressure, which will decrease/increase your carbonation. I think priming sugar is pretty simple to do, but force carbing is nice too.

When you add priming sugar to your beer the yeast will eat it and produce two things, alcohol, and CO2. Since there is already alcohol in your beer and the amount produced is so minimal, the only new ingredient you are adding to your beer is CO2. Same as with force carbing.

yes, sorry for the misunderstanding, by force carbonation, I meant pressurizing using pure co2.

I was asking this question because by using CO2 and then refrigerating, you stop the fermenting process very early. While with priming sugar, it will ferment for many more weeks.

I thought this could have an effect on the taste...

The beer doesn't really continue to ferment in any sense that matters to us. The yeast metabolize the small amount of sugar added back in, but only enough to produce C02. I doubt you would notice a difference in quality between a bottle conditioned beer and a force carbed beer. Even in kegged beer, there is a good bit of yeas left. By doing things like crash cooling, you can reduce the amount of yeast that end up in the bottle also.

The biggest advantage kegging has is flexibility. Once my beer has gone through its 3-4 week fermentation/clean up period, I have several choices. I can

1. Rack to a keg, seal and leave at room temp to bulk age
2. Rack to a keg, prime with sugar, seal and leave at room temp to naturally carbonate.
3. Crash cool fermenter, rack to keg fast force carb and drink within 2 days of kegging.
4. Rack to a keg, hook it up to 10-20 psi (depending on style) and let carb/age for 1-2 weeks.
5. Rack to a keg, carb, then bottle.

I'm not specifically trying to make a case FOR kegging. I'm trying to point out some reasons why kegging might have the connotation of being "better" than bottle conditioning. Its not really. IF DONE CORRECTLY, both methods produce great beer.

Never knew one could do that:

'2. Rack to a keg, prime with sugar, seal and leave at room temp to naturally carbonate.'

So you could add sugar, add to a cornelius keg, allow to carbonate, then say in 3 weeks refrigerate?

Then add enough co to 'push' beer out I assume.

dmako said:

Never knew one could do that:

'2. Rack to a keg, prime with sugar, seal and leave at room temp to naturally carbonate.'

So you could add sugar, add to a cornelius keg, allow to carbonate, then say in 3 weeks refrigerate?

Then add enough co to 'push' beer out I assume.

Click to expand...

That's my process, appx. 2/3 cup of dextrose, depending on how full the keg, works great if you don't have a 20lb co2 tank. Saves alot of co2.

I do both. I prime my kegs more than force carb. I did force carb my last IPA to test the hypothesis that the extra yeast from a natural carb. leads to a faster loss of aroma. So far, it is looking like this might be true. I've had this beer on tap now for about 2 months and the aroma is still very good. I'm nursing this particular keg as my next IPA is still in primary. I'm going to try and nurse this keg for another month and then I'll be more sure.

For beers that don't have a big fresh aroma (lagers, stouts, etc) I naturally carb