Kegging 1/2, bottling 1/2

[SalmonJefe]

So I'm about to bottle my first batch ever, and I'd like to bottle half, and keg half of five gallons. No reason for this other than education, and if it sucks, I won't have spent a lot time bottling.

What would be the best way to do this? I have a five gallon keg available, as well as a co2 system. Would having 2.5 gallons of headspace be a problem? And would I be better carbonating all of it with sugar or only the portion going into the bottles? I'm not opposed to buying a smaller keg, as it will better fit in the fridge.

Thanks for any help,
Jeff

 

[bleme]

If you add priming sugar to all of it, then keg half, you are going to have to let that keg sit out (70Fish) for a couple of weeks to get rid of the sugars. With that much head space, it might not carbonate right at that, so I would only prime what you bottle.

As far as that headspace goes... buying a mini-keg would be easy but those suckers are more expensive than 5G kegs! The next best choice would be to fill the keg with StarSan, push out with CO2, then push your beer in through the out. If you can't push in through the out, the next best would be to StarSan/push out, then fill through the lid, trying to disturb the CO2 as little as possible. If you can't do that for some reason, just fill it, carb it, and drink it fast.

You could also bottle just a gallon. Either way, I am sure you will agree with everyone else that bottling sucks.

 

[freisste]

You can bottle half and keg half, no problem. I would prime it all, bottle what you want, and rack the rest to the keg. Purge with CO2, then seal and pressurize to a low pressure (enough to seal the keg and not much more). Then let it sit at 70deg for a couple weeks, then cool and pressurize to serving pressure.

 

[charliehorse]

I'm not sure what blem is talking about... most HBS's carry soda kegs. The tops come off easily. You can force carb or naturally carb. If you're bottling anyway, go ahead and carb naturally but before you add the beer, flood the keg CO2 so you don't have Oxygen in the keg.

 

[WesM63]

I do this quite frequently. I wouldn't mess with trying to naturally carb the keg.

I just calculate the required priming sugar for 2.5gallons, then transfer half from the carboy to my (sanitized) bottling bucket ontop of said priming sugar. Stop, slide (sanitized) keg over, then transfer the remaining half to the keg. (or vice versa)

I've never had issues with headspace of force carbing only 2.5gallons.

 

[GPP33]

Or just force carb it all then transfer from the keg to a bottle at very low pressure (think filling a growler). I just use the rigid plastic tube that's part of a bottle filler (toss the spring loaded valve at the end). It fits snug into a picnic faucet so you can fill from the bottom. Works splendidly and you can call it quits when you get sick of bottling. The down side is that you do loose some beer in the form of foam, but not too much.

 

[55x11]

Or just force carb it all then transfer from the keg to a bottle at very low pressure (think filling a growler). I just use the rigid plastic tube that's part of a bottle filler (toss the spring loaded valve at the end). It fits snug into a picnic faucet so you can fill from the bottom. Works splendidly and you can call it quits when you get sick of bottling. The down side is that you do loose some beer in the form of foam, but not too much.

^^ This.

Depends on what you want to do for "education".

But if you purge your kegs properly (fill with starsan to the top, then push it out with CO2) and do close transfer from fermenter to the keg, the beer will be prevented from oxygen - headspace is not an issue in this scenario. If you fill an open, empty keg with 2.5G of beer, and remaining 2.5G of air, that's a problem - you can purge but it will take a lot of purges and beer may still get a great deal of oxygen dissolved.

The beauty of filling from the keg - no sediment at the bottom of the bottle, and you can dial your carbonation level. The cons - you need to lower the pressure and use beer gun or counter-pressure filler, or see a sticky up in kegging forum about homemade solutions.

But if you flush the bottles with CO2, you will get oxygen-free beer in the bottles.

In my opinion, any other form of bottling will result in exposing the beer to significant amount of oxygen - significant enough to start showing up in taste profile after a month or two of aging.

Again, if your experiment is about exploring the wonders of sediment and oxidation, bottling from a bucket is your best bet.

Also keep in mind that unless you keep bottles at <50F, and keep them at room temperature, they will "condition" faster - usually kegs are kept at 40F or so for serving, so that will be another crucial difference. All chemical reactions will happen much faster at, say 70F compared to 40F. Unless it's a style that improves with age (dark, >10% ABV - like imperial stout - with little late hops or other subtle and fleeting character - most spices, coffee, fruit, wheat), I would drink it from a keg. Bottle aging at room temperatures will destroy anything light, wheat-based, hoppy, spicy very quickly.

 

[ChelisHubby]

The easy way to bottle is to buy the carbonation tablets and follow the directions. It might not be perfect amount for the style but it will be more than close enough for your first beers. this way you can bottle and let them carb up and keg and let it carb up cold in your fridge or what ever. if you force carb you can be drinking your beer in 2 days. Guys with all due respect you are right about the way to purge the kegs and such but it is his first beers my bet is that they are enjoyed rather quickly before they can oxidize. I feel your making this more complicated than what he needs, at this time in his brewing career. Kegging is great and fast and you will find yourself doing it more than half the time. Bottling is great for transport and sharing. Please enjoy your brew!

 

[bleme]

I'm not sure what blem is talking about... most HBS's carry soda kegs. The tops come off easily. You can force carb or naturally carb. If you're bottling anyway, go ahead and carb naturally but before you add the beer, flood the keg CO2 so you don't have Oxygen in the keg.

He already has soda kegs. He is talking about buying one of those custom mini-kegs, which start at $80, much more than the $50 you get 5G soda kegs for.

Also, "flooding the keg with CO2" doesn't work. It is a myth that the CO2 will sink to the bottom. That would take days or a whole tank of CO2. Pushing out a liquid is far more effective.

If you try to naturally carb in the keg with that much head space, you would have to pre-pressurize the tank with CO2 and who knows how much pressure that should be. Otherwise, all the carbonation is just going to escape into the headspace. It's a whole other headache nobody needs.

 

[55x11]

If you try to naturally carb in the keg with that much head space, you would have to pre-pressurize the tank with CO2 and who knows how much pressure that should be. Otherwise, all the carbonation is just going to escape into the headspace. It's a whole other headache nobody needs.

I would be more worried about air in the headspace.
To keg naturally with that much space - make sure you apply appropriate CO2 pressure for the volume you are carbing for. So if you want say 2.5 volumes and it calls for 10psi at your serving temperature, put the sugar you need for 2.5 volumes for amount of beer you have, then burst the keg with 10 psi, then disconnect and leave it carbing. In equilibrium, if your sugar amount is right, you will have 10 psi in the headspace and 2.5 volumes of CO2 in the beer - at serving temperature.

 

[pshankstar]

I would look into a beer gun so you can bottle from the keg. I keg my 5 gallon batches and get the carbonation where I want it from the CO2 tank. Then I use the "Last Straw" from Northern Brewer to bottle some of the beer. I am not using priming sugar and what not and its one less thing to deal with. I do this often so I can take some brews to my brew club meeting, share some beers with friends, etc...

Or as others have said, look into getting a mini-keg. Then if you want to deal with the priming sugar and what not, you're better off. I wouldn't want to deal with filling a 5G keg half way and try to force carb it. Just my two cents. Good luck!

 

[SalmonJefe]

Thanks everyone, for all the suggestions. I've got a lot to think about now! My learning curve is near vertical, so this is good. I hadn't thought about bottling from the keg, that may work. But I still don't have room in the fridge for a 5 gallon corny, choices, choices.

 

[ChelisHubby]

I would just bottle till I had a fridge that I could put a keg in. It will be simpler and that is better.