Keg half bottle half?

[Schultzey24]

This question has been asked before but i couldn't find a specific answer to my idea. The kits that i use from my local brew store include the priming sugar to bottle a 5 gallon batch. Since i told the brew store i would be force carbing with my keg, they suggested that i just add the priming sugar at the very end of my boil, resulting in a higher ABV and not having to waste the sugar, or have a bunch of bags that i never will use. I have brewed batches with and without the priming sugar being added and have not noticed any off flavors but higher ABV in the beers with the sugar.

The batch i have in secondary right now does not have the priming sugar in it. I plan to put it in my bottling bucket add the priming sugar per the instructions, bottle one case and put the rest into my keg and force carb that.

My two concerns are will the keg have enough head space for the priming sugar to add more carbonation to an already carbed beer via the priming sugar? Will it even add more carbonation since the solution is already saturated? I like heavily carbed beers so this isn't a big deal as long as my keg doesn't explode, which i highly doubt.

I will assume the bottled beer will taste great because it will have been finished according to the directions, what about the kegged beer? Since the priming sugar has not been processed by the yeast is it going to taste sweeter or develop an off flavor?

 

[LovesIPA]

You won't be able to naturally carbonate in a keg if the keg isn't full. You're right on about the excessive headspace being the culprit. You will have to force carb it.

If you use the priming sugar in the kegged beer, the yeast will wake up and process the sugar, just like they do in the bottles. The beer won't come out any different but it won't naturally carbonate.

 

[Schultzey24]

so as long as i force carb both the bottled and keg beers should be fine? and taste about the same?

 

[LovesIPA]

How are you going to force carb the bottles?

Some people claim there is a slightly different flavor between force carbed and naturally carbed beers but if you can even perceive it, it will be VERY slight.

 

[phyllobeddo]

FWIW....I plan on brewing a five gallon milk stout soon, and my plan after fermentation is complete is to rack off three gallons into either my 3 or 5 gallon keg (whichever is available), and then bottle two gallons (or whatever amount remains in the carboy). After the keg is full, I will either measure out enough corn sugar for the two gallons or buy some carb tabs and drop them in the bottles. I haven't decided on which at this point.

 

[peterj]

You'll need to leave the keg at room temperature to let the yeast process the priming sugar you added. If you put it in the fridge straight away the yeast will go dormant and won't ferment the added sugar. I would try to force carb it at room temp (I think you need around 30 psi for that) then the yeast can be eating the sugar and producing CO2 at the same time you're force carbing. And I would say there's no risk of the keg exploding.

 

[SuliBrew]

I've naturally carbed partial batches in a keg without issues. I typically add the priming sugar to the entire batch in the bottling bucket, Bottle my case or whatever I want to bottle then drain the rest into a 5 gallon keg, purge oxygen, put a layer of C02 to seal the lid and let it go for 10 to 14 days. At that point the carbonation is just right and it comes out just fine, but that has been my experience.