Priming Sugar vs Co2

[Adamh91]

Hi There,

I’m new to the forum and relatively new to brewing as a whole (I have 3 brews under my belt at the moment)

I’ve just purchased 2 corny kegs and would like some advice on carbonation if anyone can share there wisdom.
From what I have been looking at so far, carbonating by co2 and priming sugar can be done in the kegs; however I wondered if the co2 method clears up the beer faster?
If I carbonated through co2 alone how long would I expect to wait until the brew is completely ready? Also does it have any negatives on the overall taste?
Any ideas/recommendations would be much appreciated

thanks

Adam

 

[grampamark]

Carbonating with priming sugar in a keg gives you the same results, and takes the same amount of time, as carbonating in bottles with priming sugar. The process is the same; only the container is different.

Carbonating in a keg with compressed C02 can take less time than bottle carbing/conditioning, or about the same time, depending on the chosen method.

Force carbonation involves pressurizing the keg to around 30-40 psi and shaking or rocking the keg rather vigorously for 10-15 minutes. Lather, rinse, repeat several times. Then disconnect the gas and leave it alone for awhile. Advocates of this method claim good carbonation in a matter of hours. The drawback is that the beer can become over carbonated and it’s a lot easier to put C02 into beer than it is to take it out.

Another method is to set the pressure in the keg to the desired chart pressure (see attached carbonation chart below) and leaving it alone for 2 weeks. This will result in clear, well carbonated beer every time. You just have to wait 2 weeks.

A middle ground is to burst carb by setting the pressure to around 30 psi for 24 hours, then turning the gas off for 24 hours to allow the beer to absorb the gas out of the headspace, then setting the pressure to the desired chart pressure. This will provide carbonated beer in a few days and the beer will clear in about a week.

Whether natural carbonation or compressed C02 carbonation creates the best combination of carbonation and flavor is pretty much a matter of personal preference.

 

[bracconiere]

Force carbonation involves pressurizing the keg to around 30-40 psi and shaking or rocking the keg rather vigorously for 10-15 minutes.

if you keg the beer after it's allready cold, i can get a keg to take the 1.2oz's of co2 in a minute...and be on tap in a couple hours.

let me do some math on what would be cheaper. 18lb's co2 costs me $27...and i use about 2.5oz's to purge and carb a keg...4lb bag of sugar is 2.19, and would take 1 oz of sugar....so i guess if you're will to wait, it'd be a cost savings to use sugar. 3 cents vs. 20 cents....(i think??)

 

[grampamark]

I will yield to @bracconiere ‘s experience with force carbing. He does seem to have the process down to a science. I’m not in that much of a hurry; getting beer drinkable in a few days works for me.

That’s the nice thing about a forum such as HBT. Someone can ask a question and get a number of responses, each of which has merit, and that gives the questioner a useful range of options.

 

[bracconiere]

i've only been doing it by weight since sept of last year....but i get perfectly carbed kegs every time with 1.2oz's..2.5 for alco pop...and the shaking is WAY EASIER when i get the fermenter cold before i keg it....damn trying to get a room temp keg to take the co2 is like cardio! i even had to take breaks...yelling come on baby take it, as i watch the scale!

 

[grampamark]

Wait-you have a keg named Dinah Moe Humm?

 

[Nagorg]

I'm lazy and use the "set and forget" method. I put my kegs in the Keezer, hookup CO2 at serving pressure and wait for ~8-10 days. That usually not a big deal as I'm rotating beers when doing this. Even so, its faster than the 3-4 weeks it takes for natural carbonation with priming sugar.

 

[bracconiere]

Wait-you have a keg named Dinah Moe Humm?

only when i fill her with hot liquid, when i give it to her cold as ice, takes it easy! (and that's the first time i ever heard that, but how fitting! )