Didnot boil DME before adding to keg for carbonation

[shoestealer17]

My beer has already gone through the primary and secondary and I just put it into the keg to age and carbonate. I added 1/4 cup DME to the keg to produce the carbonation, but I did not boil the DME before I added it! I was just very busy when I was doing this and totally forgot.
What is the best course of action to take? Will the beer be ok, or should I try to get the DME out, which has probably turned into chunks, or what?

 

[Teacher]

Too late...it's already in there. It's also almost assuredly dissolved by now, since DME is mostly sugar. I wouldn't be worried about contamination from the DME itself, but there is always the possibility of contamination from any vessel(s) used to put it there. If they were properly sanitized and handled, then all should be good. If not, then it's a crap shoot, and only time will tell. In the meantime, relax and brew up some more delicious beer!

 

[Yooper]

1/4 cup DME doesn't seem to be enough DME to carbonate a whole keg. I think you need closer to 3/4 cup or so for a keg. You need quite a bit more DME than corn sugar, because some of the DME is unfermentable. I don't think the DME you added will carbonate your keg.

I'd stick it in the kegerator and force carb it. That would keep any "bugs" from growing that might have been on the DME, too.

 

[shoestealer17]

I have about 4 gal in the keg, I added the 1/4 cup DME then hooked it up to the CO2 and turned it up to 20 lbs, purged it a few times, shook it to mix in the DME, and then disconnected it and set it in a closet. (With 20 lbs pressure still in the keg)
The turning up to 20 lbs and the 1/4 cup DME steps came from the guy that owns the local homebrew shop, maybe the extra CO2 pressure at the beginning accounts for the lesser amount of DME? He said if I used as much DME as the recipies say for bottleing it would blow the keg.
What do y'all think?

 

[shoestealer17]

I would like to age the beer in the keg, but I would also like the beer to not get affected, and I would not like for there to be abunch of dissolved DME in my beer to make it taste sweet. What should I do??

 

[XDeus]

Why would you add priming sugar and force carbonate on top of that?

 

[Yooper]

I would like to age the beer in the keg, but I would also like the beer to not get affected, and I would not like for there to be abunch of dissolved DME in my beer to make it taste sweet. What should I do??

Purge the o2 out of the keg by giving it a few blasts of co2, purging, and doing it again. Then shake up the keg- that will dissolve the DME pretty well. The yeast will ferment the DME, so don't worry.

It won't carb up with only 1/4 cup DME, though. That's not enough. But it shouldn't hurt the beer. Boiling it is a safer way to do it, but it's too late now. Just assume the measuring cup was fairly sanitary and try not to worry!

 

[Yooper]

Why would you add priming sugar and force carbonate on top of that?

1/4 cup DME isn't enough. I'd either add priming sugar, or force carbonate.

Actually, at this point, I'd stick it in the kegerator just in case the DME wasn't completely sanitary and cold temperatures would slow down any stray bacteria/yeast and I'd force carb.

 

[cheezydemon3]

I bet there is a DME "berg" floating in there.

I too wished to save CO2.....NOT WORTH IT.

I now pressurize my kegs to about 60 lbs and disconnect them. 3-4 days later bleed any excess and pressurize to 12 lbs or less (serving) and enjoy.

Very little wasted co2, no DME floaties, no shaking or rolling.

 

[shoestealer17]

I would stick the beer in the kegerator now but I'd like some of that DME to get eaten up so it's not pure sugar in my beer. What would be the correct amount of DME to add to carbonate a 5 gal keg?

 

[Yooper]

I would stick the beer in the kegerator now but I'd like some of that DME to get eaten up so it's not pure sugar in my beer. What would be the correct amount of DME to add to carbonate a 5 gal keg?

About 3/4 cup. You can use a "priming calculator" to get the exact amount, or to measure it by weight.

I don't think 1/4 cup will give you any discernable sweetness, though, if you want to put it in the kegerator now. That's not much at all in 5 gallons of beer!

 

[cheezydemon3]

It will still ferment, that is how it gets carbonation.
You will get NO measureable sweetness unless it was amber DME.

Your beer may, however, be "green" for a little while.

UNLESS: it is too cold for the yeast to ferment. In which case WTF were you thinking?

I wouldn't do this in any form ever again.

The only time to do this, is if you plan to condition, warm, in the keg for 2 months or more.

 

[shoestealer17]

I planned to condition for about a month in the keg in a closet. What do most people do? Primary for like a week, secondary for a week or two, then carb for a couple days and drink?

 

[shoestealer17]

And thanks for the advice about the 3/4 cup yooper, but cheezy why wouldn't you do this In any form ever again? I've herd about many people doing if this way and having better results than force carbing

 

[Yooper]

I planned to condition for about a month in the keg in a closet. What do most people do? Primary for like a week, secondary for a week or two, then carb for a couple days and drink?

I primary for 3 weeks or so, keg, condition, and carb up. If the beer is good at 3 weeks (many IPAs and APAs are), then I just keg and stick in the kegerator for a week and then drink. If it's a beer that needs some time, I'll store it at room temperature until it's ready. Beer conditions faster at room temperature, while it clears faster at fridge temperatures. Some beers need more time to really be great- like a stout sometimes needs a couple of weeks for the roastiness and the other flavors to meld. Usually, though, I do a 3 week primary then keg.

Priming with DME is fine. So is force carbing, and priming with corn sugar. If you're letting the keg sit at room temperature for a month, you might as well prime it and let it carb up while it's sitting.

I've never noticed a bit of difference in the final product whether the beer is force carbed or primed with DME or corn sugar. Carbonation is carbonation.

 

[cheezydemon3]

And thanks for the advice about the 3/4 cup yooper, but cheezy why wouldn't you do this In any form ever again? I've herd about many people doing if this way and having better results than force carbing

Force carbing uses almost no Co2. Extra DME or sugar or whatever is altering the original recipe, and introducing potential for infection.

How could DME get better results than force carbing?

 

[shoestealer17]

Force carbing uses almost no Co2. Extra DME or sugar or whatever is altering the original recipe, and introducing potential for infection.

How could DME get better results than force carbing?

If the DME is boiled there is little chance of introducing infection, and many recipies call for a priming DME or Sugar so its not altering the origional recipe. I dont follow recipies exactly anyway, I just use recipies for a base idea, so that is not a concern.
Many people have said, and I have read on here, that DME carbing and force carbing are almost identicle, although DME carbing has the potential for better head retention. <That is a topic of heated debate though from what I have seen.

 

[cheezydemon3]

Interesting point SS.

I think hop content and not shaking or rolling are bigger factors for me, I don't shake rattle or roll mine. My head retention has been fantastic.

I bet that is the KEY. Don't shake it, you use up the head magic. Natural carbers wouldn't be shaking.

 

[shoestealer17]

I would have to agree with you there cheezy, I have never thought shaking or rolling sounded like a good idea. Many people who force carbonate shake it from what ive read, and that could lead to less head retention.
I have had a kegerator for years before I started brewing and the thing to do there is to make sure not to shake up the keg at all, and let it sit and settle after moving it any.