1st Kegging...How Much Sugar???

[IrlandeseBrewing]

Hi All,

Got a nice Brown Ale fermenting with plans to be the first batch that my bro and I are going to keg. We have all the right stuff but my main concern is how much corn sugar to use prior to kegging. I have heard use the same amount as before for a 5 gallon batch as you would for bottles. But other sources have said that you will have too much carbing in a keg and use about 1/3 cup of corn sugar. What is the best way to go about doing this!?!?!? Thanks for the input ahead of time!

 

[st0neski]

you actually don't need to put sugar in at all, unless you are set on natural carbing.

You can just transfer your beer into the keg, set the co2 psi at serving temp and let it sit for a few weeks and it will carb correctly.

 

[splendidus]

you actually don't need to put sugar in at all, unless you are set on natural carbing.

You can just transfer your beer into the keg, set the co2 psi at serving temp and let it sit for a few weeks and it will carb correctly.

Is there an advantage to natural carbing? I understand that allowing the beer to age more can help its flavor, but you can do that regardless of whether or not you are naturally carbing a beer. Or is it important that you reactivate some of the yeast during natural carbing?

 

[Walker]

Is there an advantage to natural carbing?

The only advantage that I see is that you don't have to take up a spot on your CO2 tank to carb a new batch. I have never carbed a keg with sugar, but I am considering it because of this fact.

I have a kegerator that holds two kegs. I want to be able to carb up a fresh batch while still serving two other batches, so I either need a second CO2 tank or will need o carb with sugar.

Or is it important that you reactivate some of the yeast during natural carbing?

Yes, you need active yeast for natural carbing. You don't need yeast at all to force carb with a CO2 tank.

 

[Scimmia]

Is there an advantage to natural carbing?

There are a few advantages, but none of them are very important. I only prime bigger beers that I'm going to age for a while, this lets me just set them aside while keeping plenty of pressure in the keg to keep the lid sealed. It will also scavenge any O2 that made it into your beer during transfers.

For a normal beer, it does let you have one ready to go without having it hooked up to the gas. It also makes your CO2 bottle go further.

 

[DNW]

I haven't heard a reason for it, but Beersmith tells you need less sugar for kegging than bottling... ??

 

[waldoar15]

I naturally carb about every 3rd keg, just because I can only have two on the gas at any one time. 1/2 of the amount of sugar that the priming tables suggest for bottle priming seems to work for me. YMMV.