Mini Keg Help !

[CrazyC]

I just got a Philtap mini keg system. I would like to know how to prime the kegs ? I was told not to use as much sugar as if I was going to bottle.

 

[david_42]

Use 1/3 to 1/2 as much primer.

 

[CrazyC]

What if I wanted to bottle a few out of the same batch ? Would they carbonate enough in the bottles ?

 

[Baron von BeeGee]

Why not add the measured sugar to the keg, add the beer, and then prime and bottle the rest as usual?

 

[CrazyC]

Should I not boil it with a little water first ? or can I just put sugar only into the keg ? It will foam up real bad right if I do that

 

[Baron von BeeGee]

I would boil it with a little water for both addition to the keg and addition to the bottling bucket. With a little math you could even boil it all at once and just pour based on volume. It is also possible to just add the dry sugar to the keg although it's better to sanitize it...many beginner kits suggest adding 1/2tsp of sugar to each bottle individually, alhtough I don't know what the point of that is.

Beer + priming sugar doesn't foam at all in my experience.

 

[CrazyC]

OK ! I found out to add 1 1/2 tablespoons of cornsugar to each keg for priming. So could I multiply that by 4 and add all to the five gallons of beer ?
And could I then bottle a few and it be enough to carbonate the bottles ?

 

[Baron von BeeGee]

CrazyC, how many of the kegs do you have?

 

[homebrewer_99]

Here you go:

Mini Keg Filling and Using Guidelines

Always Rinse well the keg after use. Fill the keg with a mild soap solution and let soak for a few minutes. Rinse well with warm water and Flush the valve well.

Remove all water with a few pieces of paper towel and let the keg completely air dry.

Sanitize the keg directly before use. Sanitize the two piece bung also.

When filling the 5 liter mini keg, leave a 1" space at the top for Co2 space.

Prime with Only 'One level Table Spoon Only' Dextrose (corn sugar) Per each 5 liter keg. (I use 2 sometimes).

Prime kegs individually, priming mini kegs and bottles is not the same volume of primer used for a enter 5 gallon batch.

Always sanitize both pieces of the bung before inserting it into the keg.

A small layer of food grade lubricate like 'Keg Lube' will help when inserting the bung into the top of the mini keg. (I use water).

Let your mini keg condition at the same temperature that your beer fermented for the first 10-14 days. This will let the beer carbonate, before cooling beer for dispensing.

Use the natural Co2 pressure to dispense the first couple of glasses before adding the Co2 from the taper.

Filling the Mini Keg with finished beer.

If you would like to fill the mini keg with a finished beer from a larger keg. Follow these steps.

1) Pre-chill the mini keg to the same or colder temperature than the beer temperature.

2) Raise the Co2 volume of the beer being transferred. If the beer is in a five gallon keg, raise the Pressure by 10 psi. and shake the keg three to four times for 24 hours to introduce a higher C02 volume.

3) After the beer has acquired a higher volume of Co2. lower the pressure to 2 psi. Transfer the beer into the mini keg by filling the pre-chilled keg from the bottom up. Insert the bung and refrigerate.

By over carbonating the beer before it goes into the mini keg you compensate for the lose during the filling. With the mini keg cold the beer retains more of the Co2 by not getting hot and evaporation the Co2.

The WeekEnd Brewer Home Brew Supply - 4205 West Hundred Road-Chester, Va. 23831

www.weekendbrewer.com

 

[CrazyC]

CrazyC, how many of the kegs do you have?

I only have four right now. But I dont want to keg it all I want to bottle a few also. The reason is when I got the system the brew store only had 2 bungs that the tap fit so I can only fill 2 kegs

 

[Baron von BeeGee]

I only have four right now. But I dont want to keg it all I want to bottle a few also. The reason is when I got the system the brew store only had 2 bungs that the tap fit so I can only fill 2 kegs

1. Sanitize your measuring spoons.
2. Place 1.5 Tbsp of sugar in each of the two kegs.
3. Fill kegs, seal them, agitate them.
4. Assuming you in fact had 5 gallons, or 19 liters, or beer, and that you filled each 5 liter keg full, you now have 9 liters of beer in your bucket. Place 1/3 cup of corn sugar in 1c of water and boil it for 5-10 minutes.
5. Cool the sugar solution and pour it into your bottling bucket.
6. Bottle the rest of the batch.
7. Profit.

 

[CrazyC]

1. Sanitize your measuring spoons.
2. Place 1.5 Tbsp of sugar in each of the two kegs.
3. Fill kegs, seal them, agitate them.
4. Assuming you in fact had 5 gallons, or 19 liters, or beer, and that you filled each 5 liter keg full, you now have 9 liters of beer in your bucket. Place 1/3 cup of corn sugar in 1c of water and boil it for 5-10 minutes.
5. Cool the sugar solution and pour it into your bottling bucket.
6. Bottle the rest of the batch.
7. Profit.

Sounds good to me I dont know why I didnt think to do that. But hey thanx for the help

 

[jstraight]

Here you go:

Mini Keg Filling and Using Guidelines

Always Rinse well the keg after use. Fill the keg with a mild soap solution and let soak for a few minutes. Rinse well with warm water and Flush the valve well.

Remove all water with a few pieces of paper towel and let the keg completely air dry.

Sanitize the keg directly before use. Sanitize the two piece bung also.

When filling the 5 liter mini keg, leave a 1" space at the top for Co2 space.

Prime with Only 'One level Table Spoon Only' Dextrose (corn sugar) Per each 5 liter keg. (I use 2 sometimes).

Prime kegs individually, priming mini kegs and bottles is not the same volume of primer used for a enter 5 gallon batch.

Always sanitize both pieces of the bung before inserting it into the keg.

A small layer of food grade lubricate like 'Keg Lube' will help when inserting the bung into the top of the mini keg. (I use water).

Let your mini keg condition at the same temperature that your beer fermented for the first 10-14 days. This will let the beer carbonate, before cooling beer for dispensing.

Use the natural Co2 pressure to dispense the first couple of glasses before adding the Co2 from the taper.

Filling the Mini Keg with finished beer.

If you would like to fill the mini keg with a finished beer from a larger keg. Follow these steps.

1) Pre-chill the mini keg to the same or colder temperature than the beer temperature.

2) Raise the Co2 volume of the beer being transferred. If the beer is in a five gallon keg, raise the Pressure by 10 psi. and shake the keg three to four times for 24 hours to introduce a higher C02 volume.

3) After the beer has acquired a higher volume of Co2. lower the pressure to 2 psi. Transfer the beer into the mini keg by filling the pre-chilled keg from the bottom up. Insert the bung and refrigerate.

By over carbonating the beer before it goes into the mini keg you compensate for the lose during the filling. With the mini keg cold the beer retains more of the Co2 by not getting hot and evaporation the Co2.

The WeekEnd Brewer Home Brew Supply - 4205 West Hundred Road-Chester, Va. 23831

www.weekendbrewer.com

If you use less sugar, will the beer end up with the normal carbonation levels? :