Half Bottle and Half Keg

[MrCat]

Hey folks,

I know this has come up a few times but I'm unable so far to find my answer.

I was wondering on the best way to half bottle and half keg. Normally I'd fill a keg up and just use the tap to bottle the whole brew, but I wondered if it would be ok to fill the keg full and then tighten the lid and use CO2 bulbs to add pressure so I could bottle half of it and not have a large oxygenated headspace left in the keg?

I can't see anything wrong with the theory but thought I'd ask, I'm not sure how many CO2 bulbs I'd get through having never tried it yet.

I've read a bit on 'burping' and purging your keg but it seems like they require a bunch of kit that I don't have. I'm not quite sure what 'burping' is. I've just got my CO2 injector cap for the keg, and a few bulbs.

 

[phishheadmi]

You don't need a lot of expensive equipment, just a co2 tank and regulator. If you're using bulbs now, I would think the savings would pay for the tank/regulator pretty quickly. With a tank/reg you'll be able to force carb, transfer to/from a keg using co2, purge your vessels of o2 as well as maintain a constant co2 pressure on your kegs.

 

[murphyslaw]

If you use the tap to fill, why would o2 be introduced?

I'd fill the keg, carb it up, then dispense half the keg into bottles using a beer gun or the biermuncher method.

 

[MrCat]

If you use the tap to fill, why would o2 be introduced?

Well O2 wouldn't be introduced but the flow from the tap would slow to a painful trickle if I didn't add the CO2 bulbs at the top.

Cheers for the tips folks, I reckon I'll just give it a go

 

[murphyslaw]

Oh i see. I assumed that the keg was connceted to a co2 tank. Are you carbing naturally (with sugar) or forced (co2)?

If you have a co2 tank connected to the keg yoy just turn the pressure down so the beer flows very slowly.

 

[max384]

Hey folks,

I know this has come up a few times but I'm unable so far to find my answer.

I was wondering on the best way to half bottle and half keg. Normally I'd fill a keg up and just use the tap to bottle the whole brew, but I wondered if it would be ok to fill the keg full and then tighten the lid and use CO2 bulbs to add pressure so I could bottle half of it and not have a large oxygenated headspace left in the keg?

I can't see anything wrong with the theory but thought I'd ask, I'm not sure how many CO2 bulbs I'd get through having never tried it yet.

I've read a bit on 'burping' and purging your keg but it seems like they require a bunch of kit that I don't have. I'm not quite sure what 'burping' is. I've just got my CO2 injector cap for the keg, and a few bulbs.

First off, what type of keg are you using?

Secondly, dispensing with CO2 bulbs is one thing, but carbonation is a different thing entirely. I think I remember reading on here that it takes about 15 bulbs to carb five gallons. In addition, the bulbs are imprecise and you run the risk of under or over carbonation. If I were you, I'd either spring for a tank and regulator or add priming sugar and naturally carbonate in the keg.