3gallon keg 5 gallon batch

[Beerzilla81]

Hey all! So I got a 3 gallon keg for an early birthday gift but, I only do 5 gallon batches. My question is, how would I go about priming between the keg and bottles? Thanks

 

[billslaw1024]

Force carb the keg. Then find a calculator online to see how much sugar you need for the remaining 2 gallons. Give this one a try
http://tastybrew.mobify.me/calculators/priming.html

 

[jabba11]

alterantively use the same calculator to calculate three gallons kegged and two gallons bottled and make two batches of priming sugar, pour the first in the keg and siphon from your fermenter to the keg siphon the rest to your bottling bucket and put the other batch of priming sugar in there.

 

[milldoggy]

Or trade me your 3 gallon for a 5 gallon

 

[ChelisHubby]

I am a sorta simple but why can't he prime the whole 5 gallons and bottle what he wants. I can't see the priming sugar hurting his keg if it is sanitary. But I am just a beginner so set me straight if I am wrong.

 

[northcal]

1. keg 2.5 gallons, and keep the remainder in the fermenter.

2. Drink kegged beer.

3. keg rest of beer.

 

[milldoggy]

I am a sorta simple but why can't he prime the whole 5 gallons and bottle what he wants. I can't see the priming sugar hurting his keg if it is sanitary. But I am just a beginner so set me straight if I am wrong.

This would work. I always force carb my kegs, but I recalled amount of sugar was slightly dif for kegs.

 

[govner1]

alterantively use the same calculator to calculate three gallons kegged and two gallons bottled and make two batches of priming sugar, pour the first in the keg and siphon from your fermenter to the keg siphon the rest to your bottling bucket and put the other batch of priming sugar in there.

^^^^This is the way to go. I keg condition all my beers. You don't need as much priming malt/sugar in the keg. I typically use .75 oz per gal.


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[Beerzilla81]

alterantively use the same calculator to calculate three gallons kegged and two gallons bottled and make two batches of priming sugar, pour the first in the keg and siphon from your fermenter to the keg siphon the rest to your bottling bucket and put the other batch of priming sugar in there.

I'll try it this way first. Would I still use two cups of water to mix with the priming sugar

 

[sumbrewindude]

Transfer to the keg as normal until full. Force carb or add half the sugar required for a 3 gal batch and let it naturally carb.

For the rest, put a Domino sugar cube into each 12oz bottle, or two for a bomber, and use a bottling wand to transfer to bottles until done.

Love the sugarcube trick for quick, accurate, and consistent carbing with small batches.

 

[jabba11]

I'll try it this way first. Would I still use two cups of water to mix with the priming sugar

it does reccomend a different amount for kegs than bottles at least my software does. I typically use 2 cups per keg it wont hurt anythig. I boil the water and sugar in the microwave in a pyrex measruing cup I cover with saran wrap. Then I cool it in an ice water bath remove the saranwrap and pour. I usually pour half in at the begining and half in half way through and then very gently stir it with a big stainless steel sanitized spoon I use in the bottling bucket. I dont usually stir the keg it will get sloshed around moving it to storage etc and I dont think it would really matter anyway. Froce carbing is probably the way to go but I just prefer to let it do it on its own. SOmetimes I use DME too especially in my hefes (i dont know why it just feels more Rhein eits gabot)

 

[Stealthcruiser]

It's one word, me thinks.......


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reinheitsgebot

 

[strambo]

I like the smaller kegs because I like to make experimental or high grav or ciders and like the half batch option for those. 3/4s of my brews are 5 gal but I always have a half batch of something.

Another thing to do is after primary, you split the batch and bottle/keg half, rack the other half into secondary on fruit, oak, whatever and get 2 versions of the same beer from 1 5 gal batch.


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[Weezy]

I've kegged and carbed what fit in the keg,

I left the leftovers in the primary, and purged as best I could with co2,

Then bottled from the keg, and put the last of the beer in the now empty keg.

 

[Beerzilla81]

Ok, so let me see if I've got this right. I can siphon 3 gallons into my keg. Choose to whether force carb or not. If I do force carb, I have to keep the keg cold and at a certain pressure for a few days. If not, I add priming sugar to the keg and let it condition on its own, for the next 2 weeks at room temp.

 

[northcal]

Yep!

Force carb and don't look back.

Ok, so let me see if I've got this right. I can siphon 3 gallons into my keg. Choose to whether force carb or not. If I do force carb, I have to keep the keg cold and at a certain pressure for a few days. If not, I add priming sugar to the keg and let it condition on its own, for the next 2 weeks at room temp.

 

[Beerzilla81]

Hey guys quick update. So I siphoned 3 gal. To the keg and bottled the rest. I primed with two different solutions. My new question is, should I have used C02 at any point? Ive been reading around and some threads mention purging and sealing with C02. All I did was siphone and seal. Did I F*up somewhere?

 

[jekeane]

you do want to clear the headspace with co2 after filling many people also like to lay a blanket of co2 in the keg first.

 

[Beerzilla81]

you do want to clear the headspace with co2 after filling many people also like to lay a blanket of co2 in the keg first.

So does that mean I ruined my beer because I didn't use C02??

 

[milldoggy]

No, drink on

 

[Beerzilla81]

Ok then, so if I kegged Wednesday 7/2 would it be ready to drink by this weekend? Or would I have to force carb? I have a birthday party to go to and I wanna bring it along.

 

[milldoggy]

Prob force carb.