pryornfld
Active Member
I've decided to carbonate my keg beer with priming sugar. It has been sitting in keg at room temperature. What should my next steps be to use in kegerator?
Priming Sugar in Keg
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After it is carbonated to level you want, put keg in kegorator. Run it nice and cold, this will cause the yeast to drop out of brew. Enjoy right away if you want, but will likely improve with a little time crashed cold.
pryornfld
Active Member
How do I determine level of carbonation if using priming sugar? I added sugar to same amount as if I were bottling. Was this a mistake?
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It should be fine in any case.
(1) If it is under carbed, you can do a partial force carbination with CO2 tank.
If it is over carbed, let off some pressure, or have some very foamy beers until it evens out. If you're going this rout best to use a big picture and have some patience, but have faith, there is beer in that there foam.
(2) Or you could use the clever de carbing method that has been posted on this forum.
Info on how to do what is in line 1 and 2 (above) in "sticky" for Bottling and Kegging section, I believe.
(1) If it is under carbed, you can do a partial force carbination with CO2 tank.
If it is over carbed, let off some pressure, or have some very foamy beers until it evens out. If you're going this rout best to use a big picture and have some patience, but have faith, there is beer in that there foam.
(2) Or you could use the clever de carbing method that has been posted on this forum.
Info on how to do what is in line 1 and 2 (above) in "sticky" for Bottling and Kegging section, I believe.
pryornfld
Active Member
How do I navigate to Bottling kegging section?
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When I did this I used a healthy 3/4 cup of corn sugar in bottom of keg, transferred beer on top, sealed keg and purged air space. I let the keg sit for 2 weeks at room temp then put in Keezer and hooked up CO2 line at 12 psi. Waited 2 more days for it to chill then started drinking. Worked out great.
You have it right. I usually use about 4-4.3 oz corn sugar or around 3/4 cup per keg. I set the keg on the floor to carbonate in a cooler area. Should be ready in about 2-3 weeks.
pryornfld
Active Member
Thanks..was worried a littele that I may have messed up
pryornfld
Active Member
Right on!! Put it in kegerator now for a couple weeks. Do I put co2 on now or only when ready to use?
pryornfld
Active Member
Right! Sounds like what I did so far. Put it in kegerator but when I add co2 it keeps rising. I set it to 12psi but in about 30 mins Im up to 14psi. Took co2 off until I can figure this out
I just primed a keg for purging with fermentation gases. I used an ounce/gallon, which comes out just a little over ¾ cup for 5 gallons.
Is it possible that the pressure in the keg is already above 12psi and is flowing back to your gauge? If this is the case, pull the relief valve on the keg to vent, then turn your CO₂ back on.
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Let it carbonate at room temperature for the 2-3 weeks. You can put it in your kegerator and hook up lines later on. Don't worry about it being 12 psi in the keg now, the CO2 gas will infuse into the beer.
Just let it set and leave it alone. Come back in 3 weeks. Get your mind off it. Go brew another batch for now, get your pipeline going.
schmurf
Well-Known Member
I'm not sure why but the brewing software app brewfather suggest using less sugar for carbonation in keg than if it's bottles. Quite a big difference, like half the amount.
I’m not commenting on that again; got smacked down last time.
There is quite a bit of that on the intrawebs. Not sure I understand why it should be any different. It's just a bigger, stronger bottle after all. But there's lots of stuff that I don't know.I’m not commenting on that again; got smacked down last time.
pryornfld
Active Member
I tried using the app but didn't get it to work!! So I can't comment either way. Gonna stick it out and see how it goes
You should be fine. When I bottled, I was using ½ tsp/bottle which works out to ½ cup. I have also seen a guide of 1 oz (by weight)/gallon, which will get you around ¾ cup. You will get carbonation, and the beauty of kegging is that with bottled CO₂ you can always adjust upwards, and with a keg vent and a little shaking action, you can always adjust downwards.
For me, not having to worry about the carbonation is the second best thing about kegging; next to not having to deal with washing, sanitizing, and storing bottles. Don’t sweat it; you’ll have a good carbonated beer in no time!
This is very common misinformation that has been widely distributed. As @mac_1103 said, a keg is just a bigger bottle (even the headspace volume to liquid volume ratio is almost identical.) The chemistry and physics of carbonation are the same in a bottle or a keg. The amount of CO2 you get from an ounce of sugar is the same no matter what container the beer is in.
In other threads, I have challenged those who believe kegs take proportionately less sugar to carbonate than bottles to explain how this can be. No one has been able to support the "less sugar for kegs" scientifically.
Brew on
jerrylotto
Well-Known Member
The best way I found to sugar prime a keg is to dissolve it (1/2 - 3/4 cup dextrose) in a cup of RO water by boiling the mixture for a couple of minutes and then charging that solution to the (cleaned and sanitized) keg. I put a bubbler on the gas post and push CO2 in through the liquid post from the fermentation or a tank. After the beer is done fermenting, I do a closed gravity transfer into the keg (liquid in the out post and CO2 back to the fermenter), then put a spunding valve on the gas post set to a high pressure (>40 psi). I hold it at fermentation temp until the pressure is stable (it rises slowly at first as generated CO2 dissolves, but it will eventually start to rise) - then I lower the temp a couple of degrees / day down to 34F and lager for at least a week - even ales.
Hey, thanks for this. I have been a little concerned about just dumping the sugar into the keg; didn’t have the sense to think of boiling it. Everything else is the same here except adding the spunding valve to monitor the pressure. I don’t have one of those, but it is going on the shopping list.
Anyone with a recommendation on a decent brand of spunding valve?
jerrylotto
Well-Known Member
I bought one like this Amazon.com: Beer Brew Adjustable Pressure Relief Valve, 0-15psi CO2 Regulator Ball Lock Connector with Gauge for Home Brewing Beer : Home & Kitchen but I hated the regulation and then changed out the pressure adjuster to something like this https://a.co/d/3H7AwJd
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