Priming sugar in my keg

[VictimKBrew]

I've looked at a few other threads and calculators but still have some confusion. I want to add priming sugar to my beer before kegging. I've brewed an IPA and my kegerator is at about 44 degrees. Its a 5 gallon batch. How much priming sugar do I need to my beer before kegging? I"ve heard half a cup but I want to be sure.

Also - If I use too much, what happens?

Thanks!

 

[Walker]

I would weigh the sugar if you can and use about 3.5oz.

If you use too much, you will have overcarbed beer and will end up needing to vent pressure off of it a few times to get it down to where it should be.

If you use too little, you will have undercarbed beer and can just hook it to the gas and force it to get it where it needs to be.

Just make sure you let it sit at room temp for a couple weeks and then get it cold before you take a sample to check the carb level.

 

[Screw991le]

I am using 4.5oz per 5 gallons. Works well.

 

[VictimKBrew]

my local brew store guy told me to use all 5 oz in the bag, let the keg sit for a week, then bleed the extra CO2 out and do a taste test. i guess i'll try that.

 

[Yooper]

44 degrees is too cold for the priming sugar to work! You have to keep it at room temperature if you're priming the keg. If it's not at room temperature, don't prime the keg.

Since a keg really is just a big bottle, the headspace is smaller relatively speaking than if you had 53 bottles. That's why you use approximately 1/2 of the priming sugar for a keg as you would for bottling the same amount. 2.5 ounces is perfect for a 5 gallon keg.

 

[Yooper]

my local brew store guy told me to use all 5 oz in the bag, let the keg sit for a week, then bleed the extra CO2 out and do a taste test. i guess i'll try that.

It'll be way overcarbed.

 

[Mustangj]

44 degrees is too cold for the priming sugar to work! You have to keep it at room temperature if you're priming the keg. If it's not at room temperature, don't prime the keg.

Since a keg really is just a big bottle, the headspace is smaller relatively speaking than if you had 53 bottles. That's why you use approximately 1/2 of the priming sugar for a keg as you would for bottling the same amount. 2.5 ounces is perfect for a 5 gallon keg.

Thats what I was thinking! +1 Yoop!

 

[WrongCoastBrewery]

The calculator I use says to use 4.3 oz per keg of ale. I still vent it after one week.

 

[Screw991le]

I am going to use 4.5oxz for my first keg on Thursday. We'll see how it goes.

 

[VictimKBrew]

I'm not priming "in" my kegerator. My keg is in my basement where its 65-70 degrees. Once its done priming, I'll stick the keg in the 44 degree kegerator.

 

[Yooper]

I'm not priming "in" my kegerator. My keg is in my basement where its 65-70 degrees. Once its done priming, I'll stick the keg in the 44 degree kegerator.

Ah, sorry I misunderstood.

 

[Jknapp]

Question from a keg noob (me): In what case would a brewer want to prime a keg rather than force carb?

After racking he beer into the keg, wouldn't the person need to seal the lid with CO2 anyway?

If that is the case, why not just force carbonate?

Thanks for the insight as I'm thinking of going to kegging.

 

[Walker]

I have two reasons for priming with sugar.

(1) It takes a lot of your bottled CO2 to force carb a beer compared to just maintaining pressure in the keg to serve it. Your tank will last a lot longer if you are only serving with it.
(2) My kegerator holds only two kegs. Those are the ones I am drinking. I carb up future kegs with priming sugar while drinking the current kegs.

 

[WrongCoastBrewery]

I have two reasons for priming with sugar.

(1) It takes a lot of your bottled CO2 to force carb a beer compared to just maintaining pressure in the keg to serve it. Your tank will last a lot longer if you are only serving with it.
(2) My kegerator holds only two kegs. Those are the ones I am drinking. I carb up future kegs with priming sugar while drinking the current kegs.

+1 as this is the biggest reason most of us use the priming sugar. In my case, I have five kegs and only three of them fit in the keezer. All I do is prime mine with the sugar and set them in my fermentation box. Kind of like RONCO.....set it and forget it. Well, until my other kegs blow foam.