Priming a Keg for carbing

[user 22118]

I don't have a CO2 tank yet and was wondering if to prime a keg I use the same amount of sugar that I would for bottles? Also will it stay carbed until empty? I have a party pump but was under the impression that it puts air in the beer, hence good for party, bad for long term.

I plan to drink my cornie within a month of tapping.

 

[Yooper]

You can prime a keg by using approximately 1/2 the normal amount of corn sugar. It will stay carbonated just fine- but you'll need something to dispense it with (besides a pump). What kind of keg do you have? I assume it's a sanke keg, if you have the party pump with it. That party pump will keep the beer dispensing, but the flavor will only be good about one day due to the oxygenation.

If you have a corny keg, you can get a little co2 charger to push the carbonated beer. It's more expensive to do it that way (in the long run) but it'll save you the expense of buying a co2 tank just for dispensing at parties.

 

[Steel-Reserve]

I have a question! Say you do prime it with sugar then all of a sudden u get a C02 tank and decide u want it right now and then force card like the next day or so.. will that mess it up the beer flavor or anything like that? or will it just have a little more sugar than usual??

 

[GearBeer]

You'll probably end up with a super-carbonated beer. I don't think the additional pressure would kill off the yeasties. Once you put that ball in motion it's gonna ferment till it's dead.

 

[Yooper]

It won't be supercarbed or anything like that- you can just pull the pressure relief to de-carb the beer so overcarbanation isn't an issue.

But, you do have about 2.5 ounces of priming sugar added to a keg- so it may be a little bit sweeter than you planned if you don't let it ferment out. I don't know how detectable that would be, though- that's a pretty tiny amount of sugar in 5 gallons of beer. If you stick it in the fridge after you prime it, the yeast will go dorman and not ferment that sugar. I'd let it sit at least 5 days to ferment out before sticking it in the fridge, even if I suddenly got a co2 tank. I mean, it's only a few days, no need to rush it.

 

[david_42]

To dispense without the beer going flat, you have to keep adding CO2 (or air). No way around that.

 

[user 22118]

I used 6 oz when I did the bottles, you are saying about 2.5-3 for a corny? The problem is that I have nitrogen, not CO2 and I don't want flat tasting beer. I could push it with the nitrogen if the keg will remain naturally carbed for the life of it (roughly a month, maybe 3 weeks).

If I do this and dispense with NO2, what pressure would I look at? 10psi?

Any reason not to do it this way?

 

[user 22118]

Has anyone every primed a keg, then bottled from the keg in order to get pre-carbed bottles (all using sugar, not a CO2 tank)?

 

[Arneba28]

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/showthread.php?t=24678. Yes

 

[rdude6]

I am about ready to keg my first batch and want to prime without force carbonating. Does the yeast that settles out get pushed through the dispensing line into any part of the beer?

 

[BuzzCraft]

The yeast around the diptube will be pushed out into you first couple of pints. After that, it should be clear as long as you don't disturb the keg. There's a layer of yeast over the entire keg bottom that will just stay there as long as you don't disturb it.

 

[cheezydemon3]

Why not prime the keg if you plan to let the beer condition in the keg?

That way, It would be carbed and you could just hook it up and dispense.

I know force carbing is faster from the starting line, but what if the keg will sit for 2 months anyways? Why not?

 

[cabal09]

I keg all of my beers, and tried all of the methods of carbing them. The best method that works for me is the set it and forget it method. It does require the CO2 tank but you will get consistent results. I set the reg to about 12 psi and put it in my kegorater. I let it sit for a week, and it comes out perfect (I do have to say that I have a double draft tower). Also to get cleare beer cut about an inch off of the pickup tube. I hope this helps.

 

[cheezydemon3]

Good man Cabal!

 

[VictimKBrew]

I just finished an IPA that turned out to be 4 gallons instead of 5. I used the entire 5oz pack of sugar to prime in the keg. Its been sitting for a week. I plan on hooking it up to the kegerator, purging a bit, then tasting to see if it needs to de-carb more or not. I did this on advice from my LHBS. Hopefully I get the right level after playing with it for a few days.

 

[tasq]

I keg all of my beers, and tried all of the methods of carbing them. The best method that works for me is the set it and forget it method. It does require the CO2 tank but you will get consistent results. I set the reg to about 12 psi and put it in my kegorater. I let it sit for a week, and it comes out perfect (I do have to say that I have a double draft tower). Also to get cleare beer cut about an inch off of the pickup tube. I hope this helps.

Most people I know who have cut their dip tubes end up regretting it. As others have said, it will be fine after the first pint if you don't disturb it.

 

[natefrog255]

You can prime a keg by using approximately 1/2 the normal amount of corn sugar. It will stay carbonated just fine- but you'll need something to dispense it with (besides a pump). What kind of keg do you have? I assume it's a sanke keg, if you have the party pump with it. That party pump will keep the beer dispensing, but the flavor will only be good about one day due to the oxygenation.

If you have a corny keg, you can get a little co2 charger to push the carbonated beer. It's more expensive to do it that way (in the long run) but it'll save you the expense of buying a co2 tank just for dispensing at parties.

Okay, so I need to bottle or keg tomorrow night and don't have a free CO2 tank. So if I want to keg, I would just need to make a priming solution like normal, add to keg, and let sit for however many weeks I would if I bottled. At that time I could tap and serve with CO2 in my kegerator.

I kind of want to keg over bottle this time around.

Sorry for the old thread but was relevant to my situation.

 

[cluckk]

I do this with everything that I age in kegs--which is several big beers. I put the beer in the keg and calculate with BrewSmith how much priming solution to add. Once sealed up it carbs nicely while aging. When I am ready to drink it, I chill it then put it into the kegerater and dispense with regular co2. I've never had one lose carbonation and never needed to try to pull some off--but I don't get that anal about my carbonation levels anyways. As for stuff in the bottom, I've never shortened a dip tube. Usually I let it settle for a few days before dispensing and then expect the first pint or two to be cloudy. The rest are nice and clear.

 

[natefrog255]

Thanks for the information! So I should just have to sanitize everything and make sure everything is tight, and should be good to go.

 

[natefrog255]

I guess I'm reading about having to seal up the keg with Co2 though? So basically I hook up my gas line and put the gas at 30-40psi (how long?), turn off co2, pull relief valve on keg until just a little gas left. Then can let sit for weeks.

Does this seem accurate?

 

[lpdjshaw]

I prime all my kegged beers. I use around 75% of the amount of corn sugar that's calculated for bottling, put 25-30 psi in the keg to seal it up nice and leave it 'till one in the fridge kicks it and it can take its place.

 

[cluckk]

I guess I'm reading about having to seal up the keg with Co2 though? So basically I hook up my gas line and put the gas at 30-40psi (how long?), turn off co2, pull relief valve on keg until just a little gas left. Then can let sit for weeks.

Does this seem accurate?

I've never put that much, but usually just purge O2, or put enough that I can't easily push down the lid. I've also done it without purging with things that were only going to be sitting long enough to carb up.

 

[kcbeersnob]

Those of you who prime in the keg, how long do you find it normally takes before it's safe to put the keg into the keezer/kegerator?

I normally force carbonate, but I decided to prime a keg of wit since I wanted to add some more orange flavor using priming solution as the carrier. My primary concern is ensuring the sugar is fully consumed before putting the keg in the keezer.

 

[lpdjshaw]

Those of you who prime in the keg, how long do you find it normally takes before it's safe to put the keg into the keezer/kegerator?

Same as bottling - around two weeks, three to be safe.

 

[cluckk]

Depends on what I'm doing. If it is only to carb then I do three weeks. If it is to age I simply let it ride however long it is to age for. I have a Wee Heavy that has aged three months in keg so far and I plan to leave in there until September.

 

[RJ1]

My 2 cents worth on this... I just kegged (last week) 2 5 gallon kegs from my conical. Since it's a big beer well over 6.5% ABV I added fresh yeast to both as the residual yeast is pretty well spent. Keg 1: dry hopped immediately without priming sugar (the fresh yeast will help finish fermenting the rest of the residual sugar) as it will be chilled, filtered, force-carbonated and served within a week of kegging. This is my New Age keg. Keg 2: 5 Oz priming sugar added at kegging. It will be dry hopped and fined with Isinglass (no filtering) about a week before serving (2-3 weeks in the keg). This is my Traditional keg. I use a spunding valve so as to never over-carbonate. And I connect Co2 after filling the kegs and purge the oxygen with 5 PSI Co2. After 2 days, keg 2 (primed) was up to full carbonation PSI! And keg 1, after 4 days in the keg and relying just on residual sugar, was up to 92% of full carbonation PSI. But keg conditioning isn't just about carbonation... This is my first side-by-side comparison, so we will see...

 

[KiwiBruce]

There was a little booklet written by a homebrewerat Anderson, in the late 1990's called "Using your Cornelius keg system" I tried to find a copy on-line and couldn't find one. He had a chapters on Counterpressure bottling, Forced Carbonation and dispensing from a Corny system. Good little book if you can find a copy. Kiwi