Priming sugar or Forced Carbonation

[Wino24]

Hi all...was wondering what most of you guys(gals) are doing to carbonate your beers....using priming sugar or forced carbonation?

Question on priming sugar: is there a calculator on-line somewhere that I could use to determine the amount of primimg sugar to add to a certain size batch...say a 2 or 3 gallon batch
Thanks

 

[1000ml]

I mostly keg/force carbonate.

When I bottle, I generally use BeerSmith for carbonation calculations. You could use the free, online tastybrew calculator.

http://www.tastybrew.com/calculators/priming.html

 

[Hammy71]

I use both force and natural carbonation. I've found that many post on here recommend using 1/2 to 2/3 priming sugar to what you would use for bottling, isn't enough. I use the exact amount that is recommended for bottling. I have a pretty extensive pipe line built up. If the beer in the keg isn't going to see the keggerator in a while, I'll naturally carb. If the beer in the keg will be drank relatively soon....I'll force carb. Of course, having an extra CO2 tank available to force carb before even touching the keggerator really helps. Tasty brew is a really good site for priming sugar calculations.

 

[josiahcox]

I do niether. Set and forget has always been my friend. But you have to have patience for that.
That being said I would rather naturally carb then force but that just personal preference.

 

[CarsonCE]

I do niether. Set and forget has always been my friend. But you have to have patience for that.
That being said I would rather naturally carb then force but that just personal preference.

Isn't the "Set and Forget" method a method of force carbing?

 

[Hammy71]

Yes............

 

[waldoar15]

I prime and naturally carb about every third keg. I have a small kegerator and can only have two on the gas.

 

[Baldy_Beer_Brewery]

I force carb by setting and forgetting. A week at serving pressure does just fine without over carbonating.

 

[david_42]

If it's my own recipe, I force carbonate. If it's a clone kit and there's priming sugar, I use that.

Both work fine. If you shake to carbonate, there will be a little edge to the brew the first couple days. After that, no difference.

 

[C2H5OH]

No reason you couldn't use both methods on the same keg.©®

...save on CO2.

Just turn on your CO2 after a week or two of natural carbonation. (Time is dictated by temperature and style of beer)

 

[SevenFields]

I set it and forget it

 

[Stuntman]

If pipe line allows. CO2 what I need fast, natural carb the rest. I do ten gallon batches, so why rush what I got on tap? Try to bottle when there is a low keg, that way I can have something other than the two. NEED MORE FAUCETS!

 

[NewBrewB]

Do you naturally carbonate refrigerated (in kegs) or leave it at room temp?

I tried using CO2 to carbonate my first keg at about 9-10psi for a week or so and it is pushing beer but doesn't seem very carbonated. I'm afraid to crank it up because I've read about the kegs full of foam.

I have a Pale Ale that I either have to place inside my keezer while carbonating or add priming sugar when it goes in the keg--not sure what to do with it after that.

New to brewing AND new to kegging! Help!

 

[hopdawg]

I've shaken often and sometimes miss the mark and over carb, PITA! I've found that 20psi for 3 days in the fridge works well.
You'll need to naturally carb at room temp.

 

[Stuntman]

I've shaken often and sometimes miss the mark and over carb, PITA! I've found that 20psi for 3 days in the fridge works well.
You'll need to naturally carb at room temp.

+1 Room temp natural carb

Forced carb has to be refrigerated.

I shake rarely, I found out that 30 psi for little over 24 hours does the job fine, then set it to 8psi for serving. It gets perfect around day 4. Remember, before pulling on that faucet, relieve pressure of keg to serving pressure!

 

[NewBrewB]

Yeah, I figured out why I was having problems---had a leak. I guess he was right to be paranoid. 0 psi in the tank.

 

[Stuntman]

Yeah, I figured out why I was having problems---had a leak. I guess he was right to be paranoid. 0 psi in the tank.

I hate those 30 buck mistakes, but hey...the beer is fine. Fill that CO2 back up and you are in business.:rockin:

 

[NewBrewB]

Yeah, I figured out why I was having problems---had a leak. I guess he was right to be paranoid. 0 psi in the tank.

Yeah.... so I went and got a tank refill (Y2,050 - about $20) and brought it home. Attached everything and this-time, I cranked stuff down with wrenches, etc... I wasn't sure how to put "soapy water" on it without making a rediculous mess so I got everything as tight as it would go and then put a piece of tape on the gauge to record where the arrow was pointing.

This morning, I found out I had lost about 1/3 of a tank. Ouch. I set the tank/reg in the sink and put soapy water all over it - couldn't see anything more than just the bubbled up soap I had applied, so I filled the sink in water and submerged the end with the reg, hoping to see a line of bubbles. I had bubbles alright--because the gauges aren't airtight. The plastic caps just pop on/off. Anyway, I cleaned up the mess and then used a flathead to check the metal clamps that hold the gas tubes in-place. The one attached to the regulator felt pretty loose.

Now, I'm hoping I can make the rest of the tank last long enough that the wife doesn't think it's strange I'm refilling "already"

 

[GilaMinumBeer]

Both.

I force it when I want it faster and prime it when it can wait.

 

[Scimmia]

This morning, I found out I had lost about 1/3 of a tank. Ouch.

I'm guessing you stuck the tank in the refrigerator? The tank pressure will not start dropping until it's virtually empty, but sticking it in the refrigerator will lower it. There's been a number of threads about this recently.