Possible to carbonate in carboy with priming sugar?

[vamo]

This is a very strange question I know. I am comtemplating making a high abv ice beer. I do not have a keg or any type of forced carbonation system. This being my first attempt at the style I really don't want to spend the money to buy one when I am not even sure how good the end product will be. I do want to avoid a completely flat product so my idea is add priming sugar to a dark ale batch (haven't decided on the exact style just yet) while in secondary and using a regular lid with no airlock on the bucket. Another option that might also work is priming and then letting it carb in the containers (2L soft drink bottles/ 1 gal water jugs) I intend to freeze the beer in for a couple of weeks prior to the freezing process.

I realize this probably won't carbonate as well as my normal bottle priming process, as I will certainly lose a lot of CO2 in the freezing and pouring cycle. but I am thinking with the high abv low levels of carbonation will suffice.

I know all of this is not ideal and the best solution would be for me to just buy a keg, but this is an experimental batch and I am not ready to make the leap just yet.

 

[bad67z]

If you try to carb in a glass carboy, with the number of flaws (bubbles and microcracks) I would think you chances of a catastrophic failure of the carboy are rather high. The bucket would most likely blow the lid off if it were "air" tight. I think the 2L bottles are your best option.

 

[ncbrewer]

The carboy isn't a pressure vessel - don't try to use it as one if you value your life. Hate to be the heavy, but it would be really dangerous.

 

[vamo]

Good points I thought since I was adding a small known amount of sugar I might be able to get away with it, but seems like plastic soda bottles are definitely the way to go.

 

[vamo]

The original point of this post was to ask if precarbonating before multiple freezings and pourings would likely result in a carbonated final product. Like I stated above given the high abv I believe light carbonation would be sufficient and even if it isn't light carb is better than no carb.

 

[KeyWestBrewing]

The original point of this post was to ask if precarbonating before multiple freezings and pourings would likely result in a carbonated final product. Like I stated above given the high abv I believe light carbonation would be sufficient and even if it isn't light carb is better than no carb.

Test it out with some soda maybe?

I think your chances of having some carbonation are higher if everything's still as cold as possible. This way the CO2 is in solution. Kinda shooting from the hip here though so the logic could be off.

 

[bad67z]

Do you know anyone with a Sodastream machine?

EDIT: Or you could carb in your soda bottle with dry ice. Here is HBT's Yuri_Rage demonstrating the process.

 

[rawlus]

Not sure I read your process correctly, but priming in the bottle won't carb if your plan is to freeze the bottles at the same time, yeast won't produce co2 at freezing temps... Definitely can't carb in glass safely.