Combo Bottling and Kegging

[auhoppymatt]

I have a SS brew bucket. I typically keg, because I loathe bottling, but would like to have a few to share and for competition. Considering upping to just over 6 gallons since I have the fermenter space, and I could keg the first five, then do about 12 traditional bottles. The other option would be to bottle off the keg. I have a last straw filler. Of course, that would be 5 gallons less bottling rather than 6 packaged between the keg and bottles. Anybody do the 6 splitting the keg fill with the bottle fill? Any tips or things I may not have considered?

TIA

 

[RPh_Guy]

Don't forget priming sugar if bottling from the fermenter.

 

[MGamber]

I hear ya! I don't think I'd be brewing anymore if I hadn't gone to kegs. I never split a batch between bottles and a keg but I did bottle from a keg for a competition and won overall, so I have to think that's a perfectly viable option. I wasn't even cute about it...I literally held the bottles under the tap until there was foam at the top and then capped it.

 

[Oldskewl]

I usually brew 5.5 - 6.0 gal. I keg the first 5 and bottle what’s left out of my SS Brewtech Bucket. I use Domino dots sugar cubes(1 in each bottle). Just be careful of the trub in the bottom. I have accidentally filled a few bottles with trub in the bottom of them. They are usually gushers.

 

[brewer2]

I usually brew 5.5 - 6.0 gal. I keg the first 5 and bottle what’s left out of my SS Brewtech Bucket. I use Domino dots sugar cubes(1 in each bottle). Just be careful of the trub in the bottom. I have accidentally filled a few bottles with trub in the bottom of them. They are usually gushers.

I have been doing this, except with 10 gal, so I brew 11 or 12 and bottle the rest after filling 2 kegs. I have had mixed results with the sugar cubes, and Id like to be able to fill 12 oz, 510ml, 22 oz without mixed results, so I am currently in the process of setting up a bottling bucket with graduations so I can measure how much beer I have to bottle then mix in the appropriate amount of sugar. Id love to be able to bottle from my conicals but I dont have a way of knowing exactly how much beer is in there after I fill the kegs.

 

[RPh_Guy]

What do you mean by mixed results with sugar cubes?

You could pretty easily make a 50% w/v sugar solution and then add a measured amount to each bottle with a syringe -- about 4.5mL for a 12 ounce.

 

[brewer2]

I have experienced lightly carbed and some that are VERY carbed.

 

[RPh_Guy]

Same number of cubes carbed differently? That's bizarre.

 

[brewer2]

ya I only do 12oz now and 1 drop per. Its not all of them, but sometimes I get gushers and sometimes I get almost flat beers, so Id like to step my bottle game up for consistency. I keg all my batches but it is nice to be able to give beers out or trade the neighbors.