Priming in a keg

[kanemcg]

Hey again folks.

I am about to enter the world of kegging and I am just wondering how priming sugar is added.

Is it best to boil the sugar with a bit of water first, or can I just dump the sugar into the keg and transfer the beer on top of it?

Cheers!

 

[mstrelan]

You don't need priming sugar, you can carb it with CO2.

 

[technobabble66]

Fwiw, I bulk prime for bottling by dumping the Dex into the priming vessel, then pouring ~250ml of boiled (hot) water from the kettle onto it and give it a good swish. Dex dissolves in a minute. Works well for me.

 

[kanemcg]

I understand that they can be force carbed with CO2 but I can't invest in a cylinder right now.

technobabble sounds good, I'll give it a shot.

 

[technobabble66]

Beware of adjusting your Dex levels for kegs, cf bottles.
Kegs need half ( to 2/3rds) the amount of Dex, from what I've heard.
... plus my one experience of keg priming. Massive overcarb with ~2/3rds my normal amount.

 

[Grott]

Even easier, use the sugar drops, you need half you would for bottling - 19 litres = 25 x 750ml bottles therefore you need 25 drops not 50 if you had bottled
Cheers

 

[kanemcg]

Yeah I have read that in a bunch of places. Duly noted.

 

[BradG]

Why half?

 

[kanemcg]

Grott would you dissolve the drops in some water first, or just transfer the beer straight onto them in the keg?

 

[Grott]

Fill your keg and just drop them in, seal up and leave out of fridge about 2 weeks at 18 degrees plus. Longer left the better.

 

[Benn]

I understand that they can be force carbed with CO2 but I can't invest in a cylinder right now.

Wouldn't a Co2 cylinder & Reg be required to dispense once the initial pressure from natural carbing has dropped to ambient after a few pours?

 

[yum beer]

You will need some way to get pressure in the kegs. I primed my first keg not long ago, had it connected to gas to serve.
Poured 4-5 glasses all good then nothing, turns out gas was not connected, so no pressure no beer.
I still use sugar to prime and use gas to dispense only.

 

[motman]

Why bother with priming, just out of curiosity?

 

[kanemcg]

I should have mention to start with that I only have a party tap and mini 16g gas cartridge regulator... Not quite big enough to carb with lol

 

[Rocker1986]

Sucks you can't get a proper cylinder yet mate. I'm glad I don't have to worry about priming anymore, except for surplus bottles. I make either 21 or 25 litre batches, the 21s are keg only and reserved for ales at this time of year because from past experience bottles don't carbonate properly as they get too cold overnight and never warm up again. Lagers are fine though and I use the 25L size for them all year round.

 

[kanemcg]

I really do want to invest in a cylinder, trying to save all our spare cash to move interstate so I can't bring myself to fork out that much money for one and a regulator, for the moment at least.

Thanks for the info anyway folks, much appreciated.