first keg

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bjdetwiler

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Ok, I just got my corny kegs in and am ready to keg. I will be priming with corn sugar and I have one of the co2 dispensers that take cartridges. Do I just heat the sugar in water and add it all to the keg? Are there specific steps I need to know about? I am not familiar with kegging at all. Thanks in advance.
 
You can boil it briefly in some water, cool, and add it in. I personally just take a third of a cup and sprinkle it on top of a half keg full of beer as I rack into secondary. I never bother to mix it with water, but thats I suppose the "correct" method.
 
Thanks. any tricks with the keg that I need to know? should I use one of the cartridges to add co2 now or wait until I am ready to dispence? Do I have to fill the keg all the way to the top? Sorry I sound so ignorant, I just want to do it right.
 
bjdetwiler said:
Thanks. any tricks with the keg that I need to know? should I use one of the cartridges to add co2 now or wait until I am ready to dispence? Do I have to fill the keg all the way to the top? Sorry I sound so ignorant, I just want to do it right.

After filling, hit the keg with a burst of high pressure in order to seal the lid...it will probably leak until you do so. Filling the keg to the top (just below the gas tube) is also advantageous, as you will want to purge the headspace with Co2. If there is a lot of headspace, you could go through a few cartridges with just these two steps!

Honestly, I'd invest in a 5lb Co2 tank and regulator...it's so much more versatile, and you're going to get real tired of buying those cartridges! And once you've pierced a cartridge, you have to use it or lose it, as the handheld charger won't seal for very long.
 
BlindLemonLars said:
Honestly, I'd invest in a 5lb Co2 tank and regulator...it's so much more versatile, and you're going to get real tired of buying those cartridges! And once you've pierced a cartridge, you have to use it or lose it, as the handheld charger won't seal for very long.

x2 ... save the CO2 chargers for a pinch or a picnic...
 
You'll use 3-5 CO2 bulbs to dispense one keg. avg. of $1 per bulb, after 2 kegs you'd have paid for a 5lb CO2 refill.
yeah the upfront cost kind of sucks, but if you look at the long term, its a lot cheaper.
 
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