Force Carbing vs. Priming

[Meatball]

For the first time I kegged one of my batches (so much better than bottling by the way, IMO atleast) and am planning on force carbing it after I let it age.

For all of you experienced keggers are there different Pros and Cons of Force carbing and Priming? And what is your preference?

Thanks for the advice in advance!

 

[TheJadedDog]

I prefer to force carb because I can control the level of carbonation ensuring it is the right amount for the style. Priming can also leave a bunch of trub in the bottom of the keg and personally I don't want that in my glass.

 

[Soulive]

I prefer to force carb because I can control the level of carbonation ensuring it is the right amount for the style. Priming can also leave a bunch of trub in the bottom of the keg and personally I don't want that in my glass.

+1 on all that and I'm not patient enough to wait for priming...

 

[Meatball]

Ok that sounds good. So is there any reason that someone would prefer to Prime over Force Carbing?

 

[Iordz]

I cold crash and cold condition my beers to get them brilliantly clear, so I have to force carb, unless I krausened......

 

[bradsul]

I prime my kegs because my kegerator only holds 2 kegs and I serve from both of them. I also prime because I don't want to buy another CO2 tank and regulator to force carbonate at room temperature. As for the sediment, my first 2 glasses have yeast in them and from that point on the beer is crystal clear.

The wait for priming doesn't bother me since I age my kegs for a month before I even think of tapping them anyway.

 

[Soulive]

Ok that sounds good. So is there any reason that someone would prefer to Prime over Force Carbing?

As bradsul said, I would prime if I had the time to devote to spare kegs. My kegerator also only holds 2 kegs so I will eventually start priming, as well as force carbing. If I have the time and wanna save the co2, I'm ok with it...

 

[Meatball]

As bradsul said, I would prime if I had the time to devote to spare kegs. My kegerator also only holds 2 kegs so I will eventually start priming, as well as force carbing. If I have the time and wanna save the co2, I'm ok with it...

If you Prime your beers, does enough pressure build to dispense the entire volume of the keg, or do you still end up having to hook the kegs up to CO2 when you're ready to drink them?

 

[Yooper]

That's where I am too- I only have two taps. I don't want to have to adjust my co2 on one and try to quick carb one when the other one is perfect. So, I've been priming the last kegs, so that when one on tap blows, I have another one already carbonated and ready to go. If I had more space and more taps, I'd force carb them all. But since I only have the two, I want them primed and ready!

(I've only been kegging a very short time, FWIW, so I am subject to totally change my mind at any given moment. Also, since I'm a woman, I might do that anyway.)

 

[Soulive]

If you Prime your beers, does enough pressure build to dispense the entire volume of the keg, or do you still end up having to hook the kegs up to CO2 when you're ready to drink them?

You'll still need to push the beer with co2. The co2 will also help keep any co2 the priming created from coming out of solution (i.e. flat beer). Co2 is your friend...

 

[Meatball]

Alright awesome, thanks for the insight everyone.

 

[homebrewer_99]

Funny, I prime my Hefe Weizens so they can room condition in the corny first. I figured they're just sitting there anyway they may as well get to work...

I also use gyle on some so it's about the same thing...:rockin:

 

[RichBrewer]

I've always forced carbed my beers but I can see how priming makes sense if you don't have the fridge space.
Some people claim you get better smaller bubbles when you prime. I don't know if this is true or not.

 

[TexLaw]

Some people claim you get better smaller bubbles when you prime. I don't know if this is true or not.

I heard that same thing, and I worried about that a bit. I like a nice, dense head on my beers, and I didn't want to mess that up. I went ahead, took a swing, and force carbonated, anyhow. I saw no difference between the force carbonated beer and bottled stuff that I had brewed before (same recipe, otherwise).


TL

 

[bradsul]

I heard that same thing, and I worried about that a bit. I like a nice, dense head on my beers, and I didn't want to mess that up. I went ahead, took a swing, and force carbonated, anyhow. I saw no difference between the force carbonated beer and bottled stuff that I had brewed before (same recipe, otherwise).

I was curious about that and I tried it before as well. I didn't see any noticeable difference. I also heard similar things about carbonating with DME instead of dextrose and I didn't see any difference there either.

 

[Soulive]

Some people claim you get better smaller bubbles when you prime. I don't know if this is true or not.

I've heard that as well and wrote it off. I mean don't all commercial breweries force carb, unless they're bottle conditioning??