Kegging just for force carbing?

[csantoni]

I hate carbing in bottles. I don't mind bottling but whether it's priming sugar, drops, bottling bucket, whatever I just don't ever feel like I get the results I'm looking for. I'd love to move to kegging but right now I don't have the space or budget for the temp control I'd need in order to serve from kegs.

Here's the question, could I get a keg(kegs), CO2 tank, and regulator just to use for force carbing and then bottle from the keg? I've seen threads with some of this info and it sounds like all the steps are possible.

If it's possible, can I do it without temperature control? I make small batches (2.5 gallon) and ferment in a temp-controlled mini-fridge in my garage where the temps tend to swing a bit, say 65F-80F in the summer and 50F-60F in the winter. This fridge isn't big enough for kegs but holds my 2.5 gallon fermenters just fine.

EDIT: I should add that when I carb in the bottle, the bottles are brought inside and held in a cabinet at ~70F. This wouldn't be an option for a keg as there's not enough space.

 

[Golddiggie]

You sure you can't fit any 2-1/2 gallon kegs in that fridge?? Chances are you could.
I wouldn't want to carbonate in keg at room temp. For one thing you'll use a LOT more CO2 to get your desired carbonation levels. Bottling at higher temperatures, from keg, could also give you a lot more foam due to the amount of CO2 in the keg(s).
Look at the corny keg carbonation lid that's available (MoreBeer has one). I used it in my 3 and 6 gallon kegs with solid results. Gives you good carbonation levels with a shorter time to carbonate (a few days instead of a couple of weeks).

Another option would be to get a fermenter that's pressure rated (at least to 15psi) that you can use a glycol chiller with and simply chill down your finished beer to carbonating temperatures and then using a carbonation stone (there are a few versions out there depending on the fermenter you use) to get your beer carbonated. Again, time to carbonate is a matter of days this way. Yes, it's not the cheapest way, but it does offer more flexibility. Basically, you could eliminate the need to use the mini fridge to ferment in (maybe make it a kegerator?) and will allow you to more easily maintain fermentation temperatures in each batch. You have more than a few options there. From ones you can buy to making your own. I bought one that handles two fermenters at a time, since that's how many I currently have.

 

[csantoni]

I would only be able to fit one keg in the fridge at a time. I guess I could rework my pipeline a bit so I never have two fermenters in there and then do all my fermenting in one keg.

The pressure fermenter/glycol route sounds like it wouldn't be enough of a cost savings over just getting a kegerator and going with full kegging setup.

I had also promised myself I wouldn't buy any more equipment that would only work with small batches, just in case I ever want to step up to 5 gallons. As I expected, the overall answer is, "you can do it, but there are better ways to get where you want to go and those setups are more standard than what you're considering."

 

[Golddiggie]

The Spike CF5 conical is for 2.5-6 gallon batches.
I went with the BrewBuilt IceMaster Max2 chiller. I have a pair of CF10's connected to it right now. I went with the CF10 model because I brew both 6 and 9 gallon batches. Current batches in fermenters will get 3 gallons put into keg (I have mostly 3 gallon kegs, but also some 2.5 gallon, 5 gallon and 6 gallon corny kegs) and the balance will go directly into cans. It would be easy enough to put that into bottles if I was setup for using bottles.
I also have a keezer setup with 6 taps in the collar (in the dining area). There's enough room that I can also have cans of beer stored in there (using milk crates plus the hump for the cans). Currently only three taps are serving. I built the keezer with the maximum I could see having for batches on tap at any given time. With three ale and three stout faucets.

My current brew system is good for 15 gallon batches in the boil (20 gallon kettle) matched to 15 gallon MT and HLT. With a double sparge, I could do 15 gallon batches. Even though that won't fit into the CF10s. We did a 12 gallon batch a few brews ago, fermenting in a 1/2 barrel kegmenter. Before I do that batch size again, I'd end up getting a CF15 fermenter.

I like not having the fermentation chamber anymore. With the glycol chiller I have more flexibility for what temperatures the batches are at. Either for fermentation or cold crash and carbonate. Since Sunday, one batch has been at carbonating temperature while the other is at fermenting temperature. Easily done with the chiller.

All comes down to how much $$ are you comfortable spending to get things setup. I see what I spent over the past few months as a more long term investment in my brewing.

 

[Beholder]

Just a short comment on carbonating at higher temperatures, you don’t use more CO2. Because of the higher temperature, it requires higher pressure to reach equilibrium of the desired volume. If you disconnected it and cooled it later for served, you would observe the pressure drop while the overall amount of CO2 would remain the same at the desired volumes in the beer. The point about time is accurate though, that you will have to wait for the beer to settle to equilibrium after coming to temperature to avoid foaming.

 

[Rippchen]

Before I got my keezer I carbonated in kegs with prime sugar and then transferred to bottles with a counter pressure filler.

Everything at room temp of my basement which is usually about 16-18°C. Of course you will have higher pressures for this than when colled, but it worked pretty fine without extensive foaming or anything else.

 

[dtashmore547]

I deal with my kegs via a under counter chiller, made it myself for very little works a treat and eliminates the need to chill all my kegs in the keggerator, I can switch over to a different keg as I wish, these are quite expensive to buy but would probably be worth it for you.

 

[csantoni]

Just saw a for sale listing for a kegerator, two 5-gal kegs, and misc brewing equipment for $350. Too bad it's 120 miles away...

 

[WesBrew]

Here's the question, could I get a keg(kegs), CO2 tank, and regulator just to use for force carbing and then bottle from the keg? I've seen threads with some of this info and it sounds like all the steps are possible.
If it's possible, can I do it without temperature control? I make small batches (2.5 gallon) and ferment in a temp-controlled mini-fridge in my garage where the temps tend to swing a bit, say 65F-80F in the summer and 50F-60F in the winter. This fridge isn't big enough for kegs but holds my 2.5 gallon fermenters just fine.

Sure. you could get a 2.5 or even a 5g keg, co2 bottle and reg and use it to force carb and fill bottles from. i bought a lid that has a separate gas post with a carbing stone attached. works fantastic. As said above its better to have it cold. if you can't cold crash it in the kegerator with your other fermentor going you can always drop the fermenter into a tub of ice water. or you could transfer to a keg, drop the keg in the ice water-& use a floating pick up tube to draw from for bottle filling off the top of the keg.

 

[Bobby_M]

Just keep in mind that the beer needs to be ice cold in the keg for the bottling process.

 

[day_trippr]

^I was gonna say^ on balance I've read of far more problems bottling from carbonated kegs than just doing the conventional primed bottle carbonation route...

Cheers!

 

[csantoni]

Yeah, my general conclusion is to wait until I have the right gear for kegging. Wife says i should do the 250 mile round trip but I’m not sure I want to do it.

 

[csantoni]

Another option would be to get a fermenter that's pressure rated (at least to 15psi) that you can use a glycol chiller with and simply chill down your finished beer to carbonating temperatures and then using a carbonation stone (there are a few versions out there depending on the fermenter you use) to get your beer carbonated.

Found a used Spike Flex+ that fit my budget so I'm going with the "carb in the fermenter" route. Now to resist the urge to brew before I have all my tubing and fittings and whatnot.

 

[Golddiggie]

I pulled the CO2 feed off of the first batch in one of my CF10's last night. Letting things calm down (still at 35F) until tomorrow. Then I put 3 gallons into a keg and can the rest. I left the CO2 attached for about four days. They say it should be fully carbonated in 1-2 days. I like to give it a bit longer just to be sure. Since the pressure gauge on the gas manifold read the expected internal pressure (after the 'wetting' pressure) for at least a full day, I'm fairly certain it's all set.

The second CF10 will start chilling tomorrow. First to the temperature where I'll pull the yeast out. Then to carbonating temperature.

I have added some 1/4" thick neoprene foam on the lid (including the chill coil top) to help maintain the temperature for the second fermenter. Plan to make another like it for the first one. This should help to maintain the temperature inside of the fermenter. I've also sent off a message to Spike suggesting they offer such an item for all their fermenters. Since they offer the jacket, but no hat. Everyone knows you lose a lot of heat without a hat on.