Priming Kegs With Sugar?

[chiller]

Is anyone on list doing keg priming by bulk sugar additions?

If so would you share your method and results.


Thanks


Steve.

 

[dicko]

Hi Chiller,

I have primed kegs with sugar in the past.

What I have done is to rack beer from cc cube/ fermenter to keg on top of a sugar solution exactly the same as if you are bulk priming.

When the keg is full I apply CO2 at about 40 psi to the beer after purging the air.
The pressure is to seal the keg o'ring so that the beer can carbonate and to remove any air on top of the beer.

Leave the keg as you would a bottle, for a few weeks, then put the keg in the fridge, get it cold and apply serving pressure and there you have it.

When I was doing it I found that you tend to get sediment in the bottom of the keg and to stop this coming out when serving I fitted a piece of plastic hose to the end of the dip tube to stop drawing it.

Also it is important that the keg must seal and have no leaks.

If I was going to use this method permanently I woud make a metal "U" shaped piece for the tube or I would cut a bit off the end.

It works quite well and you really can't tell the difference when you are drinking it.

It does save a little CO2 and if you can overcome the sediment and put up with the waiting for it to self carbonate then it is a good way to go.

Like a lot of things in brewing, the choice is yours!

Cheers

 

[chiller]

Thanks Dicko,

Good detailed information.

I have amputated about 2 cms. off each of the dip tubes in the kegs I have so that should help.

With the latest increase in gas bottle rental my 1.5kg bottle from Goliath will be used for serving if I go the self carbonation road and I will dispense with the larger more expensive alternative..

Steve

 

[Kai]

Not that it would be an issue for some of you mob, but do you reckon natural keg carbonation would allow the beer to keep longer?

 

[dicko]

but do you reckon natural keg carbonation would allow the beer to keep longer?

Kai,
I dont think it would make any difference.
Staling of beer is usually caused by HSA, contact with the air ( oxygen ), or similar, and after all CO2 is CO2, it wouldn't matter what method you used to carbonate the beer.
Just my observation,
Cheers,

 

[Kai]

Well what I was thinking, dicko, was how beers like Coopers bottle-conditioned ales last longer than their filtered & carbonated counterparts. I wasn't sure if that could be applied to a kegging system, though.

 

[glolite]

from my understanding the filtered and carbonated beers may also be pasterusied hence may last longer, but if you are talking about beers that are only filtered and carbonated then i will step back!

 

[dicko]

My apologies Kai,
I was only thinking along the lines of craft/home brewed beer.
I wouldn't like even to guess what the commercial guys do to the beer in there kegs to ensure preservation.
Cheers

 

[Linz]

why is this in meetings???

 

[chiller]

Because it would appear I posted to the incorrect area.

Steve

 

[Jovial_Monk]

Hmmmmm Skotrat primes his kegs and says it gives a fine carbonation, but the "first glass or two" are muddy with yeast.

Dicko, if you are priming your beer in keg why use CO2 to dispense? Seems to be defeating the purpose of doing the priming. Also, CO2 is toxic to yeast.

I don't bother, cold condition w or w/o dryhopping in a cube, then rack to keg and force carbonate. But then my real pride and joys, my big beers, are bottled and selfprimed


Jovial Monk

 

[Jazman]

Hey chiller why dont see if u can find a place that sells decent fire extingers then see it your regs will fit then buy from them and get them to fill it with c02 be cheaper than hire and u could get a bigger bottle as a few brewrs on here do it like linz and justin from tassie

 

[dicko]

Hi Jovial,
I only stated that I had tried it a few times, not that I prime kegs now by that method.
IMO it does seem to carbonate with smaller bubbles and a "tighter" head.
It would save a little bit of gas when you carbonate by priming with sugar and the little bit that you need for dispensing would make a gas bottle last quite a long time, however I cant be bothered waiting for the keg to naturally prime so I just gas 'em up the normal way.
I have a gas bottle last about twelve months and I am happy with that considering that us fellas in the country dont enjoy the luxury of just going down the road and getting another bottle.
I dont think Chiller drinks as many kegs as I do per month and as such, keg priming may just suit him and he says he has cut the dip tubes so sediment may not be a problem.
As I said in my first post "the choice is yours"

Cheers

 

[dr_fuct]

Why cut the dip tube

I gas at 44 psi for 2 days, back the reg off put a small bucket under the tap and still at 44 psi, open the tap & pull off about 1 to 1 1/2 pints which pulls most of the sediment (nearly all) off the bottom of the keg

But i rack to my kegs using the dip tube :unsure:

 

[PostModern]

why is this in meetings???

Coz I've been too busy at work to move stuff around in here like I used to be able to

 

[Murray]

I recall reading blind studies where experienced brewers couldn't pick the difference between natural carbonated (keg) beer and force-carbonated beer. I'd be interested in seeing a chemical reason why the dissolution of CO2 from solution would occur differently if carbonated to the same dissolved CO2 concentration by both methods.

I'm not doubting people's word on it, I'd just like to know how it could happen.

 

[Hoops]

<_< maybe it has more to do with armoa? Aroma plays a huge role in flavour and how we taste things. Maybe the yeast adds a slight aroma or taste that is missing in force carbonated beer??

 

[dicko]

Murray,

Your observations are probably correct.
I recon that the "head" on all my beers gets a lot better if I leave it under a small amount of gas for a long period and I guess this is the same as carbonating by priming and leaving the beer to naturally carbonate.
In time I'm sure that Chiller will evaluate the pro's and con's of each method, including head condition and report to us all.

Cheers

 

[Temple of Seth]

I've sugar-primed kegs several times back home. No worries. The first serving is cloudy, but this just gives you the chance to 'take one for the team' before the party starts (and save yourself the aftereffects of binging the next morning). I understand that bottle/keg conditioning can add some extra flavor stability, though I couldn't tell you why. It's possible that the yeast remove some bad chemicals or that the hulls absorb them before they make it to your tongue.

 

[warrenlw63]

I've sugar-primed kegs several times back home. No worries. The first serving is cloudy, but this just gives you the chance to 'take one for the team' before the party starts (and save yourself the aftereffects of binging the next morning). I understand that bottle/keg conditioning can add some extra flavor stability, though I couldn't tell you why. It's possible that the yeast remove some bad chemicals or that the hulls absorb them before they make it to your tongue.

I've done both. Tend to sugar prime English Ales for no other reason than the fact that it seems traditional. Either that or if my serving fridges are too full for keg storage this allows me some way of storing them.

Purely my own observations (or vivid imagination :blink: ) but I think that the sugar primed kegs seem to throw a creamier head on the beer (if conditioned for a sufficient amount of time).

Seth you are right that the first pint or two is a bit cloudy usually knock these off before a big session. You never know the execess yeast and vitamin B might help counteract any effects of hangover. :lol:


I usually let me Cocker Spaniels share half a pint of the cloudy stuff between them as well. I know beer isn't exactly great for a dog's diet however they really love the stuff.

Warren -