Bulk Priming In A 19 Litre Keg

[Benbrewer]

Hoping someone can point me in the right direction. I want to try to bulk prime a 19 litre keg. I 'm happy with the amount of sugar, however how long should I keep it out of the fridge? I have bulk primed bottles before and would generally leave them for about 2 months before sampling, but with the keg not so sure. I would think about 2 weeks. Also I was intending burping the keg to get rid of the air and replace with C02, which of course isn't done with bottles. Have seen guys say they bulk prime to save gas so any info would be good. Basically don't want to waste time and end up with a flat beer because I good gas this one up if I want to, just want to test it out.
Thanks in advance

 

[Kleiny]

Around 2 weeks with warmer weather is fine i do this regularly and always push the O2 out with CO2 everytime i keg. I use my CO2 line to push the O2 out.

Priming the keg also leaves you with the first few glasses being cloudy but it will clear up.

Kleiny

 

[buttersd70]

AS kleiny said, about 2 weeks, having purged the headspace with co2 first.

Just remember the prime rate is half that you would use for bottles. Then after you have chilled it fully, put on the gas, and what you should find is that it has the right pressure straight away without taking up any gas.

 

[reviled]

Just remember the prime rate is half that you would use for bottles.

Why is this?? :unsure: Doesnt make sense to me...

 

[Benbrewer]

Why is this?? :unsure: Doesnt make sense to me...

Yep, me too? Why half? :huh:

 

[buttersd70]

There is a lot of information around that indicates a half rate for kegs, but very little explaination as to why. Coopers FAQ, for example, advises 8g/L for bottles or 4g/L for kegs (yes I know, thats a hell of a lot. Just illustrating the example, not advocating that rate). Beersmith, also, in its priming information in the recipe view has the option of priming or keg priming; keg priming gives half the rate of bottle priming. I know from experience of doing it, that it is correct....but I don't have a definitive answer for you as to why.

What I do know is, that when I have primed at 1/2 the amount that I would for bottles, I end up with the same pressure in the keg, once carbonated and cold, as I would have had I gas carbonated it to the same volume of CO2. If someone can give me the technical reason as to why this is so, that would be great.

 

[Benbrewer]

There is a lot of information around that indicates a half rate for kegs, but very little explaination as to why. Coopers FAQ, for example, advises 8g/L for bottles or 4g/L for kegs (yes I know, thats a hell of a lot. Just illustrating the example, not advocating that rate). Beersmith, also, in its priming information in the recipe view has the option of priming or keg priming; keg priming gives half the rate of bottle priming. I know from experience of doing it, that it is correct....but I don't have a definitive answer for you as to why.

What I do know is, that when I have primed at 1/2 the amount that I would for bottles, I end up with the same pressure in the keg, once carbonated and cold, as I would have had I gas carbonated it to the same volume of CO2. If someone can give me the technical reason as to why this is so, that would be great.

Thanks,

I guess that if half works out for your keg, then I should be safe. I would expect if it doesn't work, then I can always use C02 to carbonate. Did you use 4g per litre?

 

[buttersd70]

Thanks,

I guess that if half works out for your keg, then I should be safe. I would expect if it doesn't work, then I can always use C02 to carbonate. Did you use 4g per litre?

Better undercarbed than overcarbed....a couple of days on the gas will fix undercarbing issues. Overcarbing is a pita. (although, I've never had one come in under on a sugar prime).

And no, I don't use 4g/L. Nowhere near it....I use a priming calculator (such as the one in the article in my sig) and then halve it....I think my last one I did was about 2.5g/L for 2.1vol CO2. 4g/L in a keg would give you around 2.9vol CO2, which is way too much for me. Thats similar kind of level to using carb drops. Uuugh. The actual carb level depends on the beer you're making.

 

[Adamt]

I'd say it's due to:

-Better under-carbed than over-carbed.
-Incomplete priming fermentation due to leaving it for minimal conditioning time.
-Use of tank CO2 for maintaining/topping up pressure.

 

[Frank]

You would also end up with less yeast sediment in your keg (therefore wastage). All points combined makes sense though.

 

[QldKev]

Also the total head space of 30 x bottles vs the smaller overall volume of the keg head space.


QldKev

 

[buttersd70]

Also the total head space of 30 x bottles vs the smaller overall volume of the keg head space.


QldKev

I'd considered that this may well play a role...

 

[sav]

From butters,(And no, I don't use 4g/L. Nowhere near it....I use a priming calculator (such as the one in the article in my sig) and then halve it....I think my last one I did was about 2.5g/L for 2.1vol CO2.

Just wondering is it 19lts at the welded line on our corny kegs as I have never measured.

 

[jeddog]

I have a legal 60lt keg that will hold a Robust Porter which is in the fermenter at the moment.
Any ideas on how much dextrose to add for priming the 60lts?
and
how long should i leave the keg before trying the beer?


jeddog

 

[Cocko]

I have a legal 60lt keg that will hold a Robust Porter which is in the fermenter at the moment.
Any ideas on how much dextrose to add for priming the 60lts?
and
how long should i leave the keg before trying the beer?


jeddog

Could you not slow card it with the C02 bottle hooked up at serving pressure for a week or so?

 

[jeddog]

Could you not slow card it with the C02 bottle hooked up at serving pressure for a week or so?

I have been a kegger for some three year now and have just recently started bottling. I have
noticed the bottles seem to have a more complex flavour. Maybe to the longest conditioning? And also no room for the 60lt in my beer fridge.

I'm looking at the carbination calulating tool in Beersmith. Does anyone know if the beers temperature is the serving temp or storage temp

cheers

 

[Cocko]

I have been a kegger for some three year now and have just recently started bottling. I have
noticed the bottles seem to have a more complex flavour. Maybe to the longest conditioning? And also no room for the 60lt in my beer fridge.

I'm looking at the carbination calulating tool in Beersmith. Does anyone know if the beers temperature is the serving temp or storage temp

cheers

You can carb at room temp with c02, just takes a little more - time and gas...

But agreed - sugar primed does have a different/better character to the flavour! IMO 2.

Don't use BS so can't help there, I hope you get it worked it out!

:icon_cheers:

 

[Rodolphe01]

I don't use beersmith, but I think that temperature would be the maximum it hit during fermentation, i.e. the hotter it got the less CO2 would be in solution from the actual ferment.

 

[np1962]

As Rudi said, the max temp during active fermentation is the temp you should use.
Cheers
Nige

 

[kook]

You can carb at room temp with c02, just takes a little more - time and gas...

I can understand temperature or pressure, but why does it take more gas? :huh: