Mini kegs priming

[Welsh123]

Hi I am new to brewing and have only done 4 kits so far.
I have been using 500ml PETA bottles and priming them as per the intructions.
I have just bought 4 x 5ltr mini kegs with a CO2 system with a Tap.
My question is should I still prime the keg or is the CO2 enough ?
Thanks Dave

 

[Dutto]

I usually prime with 3g per litre of brewing sugar, carbonate and condition as per normal and then use CO2 when the MK loses its natural pressure.

Enjoy! :thumb:

 

[MickDundee]

I usually prime with 3g per litre of brewing sugar, carbonate and condition as per normal and then use CO2 when the MK loses its natural pressure.

Enjoy! :thumb:

This.

My rule of thumb is 10g for stouts, 15g for English ales and 20g for American Ales, but I sometimes find with 20g you get loads of foam so I try to serve it quite cold.

 

[Dutto]

This.

My rule of thumb is 10g for stouts, 15g for English ales and 20g for American Ales, but I sometimes find with 20g you get loads of foam so I try to serve it quite cold.

I reckon with 100g of priming sugar in a 5 litre MK full of American Ale they wouldn't have to paint the walls of their beer cave! :lol: :lol:

EDIT

Just reread your Post. I presume that this is "Per Mini-Keg" and not "Per Litre". :thumb:

I blame Old Age!

 

[MickDundee]

I reckon with 100g of priming sugar in a 5 litre MK full of American Ale they wouldn't have to paint the walls of their beer cave! :lol: :lol:

EDIT

Just reread your Post. I presume that this is "Per Mini-Keg" and not "Per Litre". :thumb:

I blame Old Age!

Haha, yeah I meant per keg!

 

[Welsh123]

Thanks for the advise , the MK¨s I bought have a bung but no pressure safety value so I will just put 15g of priming sugar per 5 L keg and then the CO2 when I go to drink it. CORRECT LOL ?

 

[Welsh123]

Thanks for the advise , the MK¨s I bought have a bung but no pressure safety value so I will just put 15g of priming sugar per 5 L keg and then the CO2 when I go to drink it. CORRECT LOL ?

 

[MickDundee]

Thanks for the advise , the MK¨s I bought have a bung but no pressure safety value so I will just put 15g of priming sugar per 5 L keg and then the CO2 when I go to drink it. CORRECT LOL ?

Pretty much. You’ll only need the CO2 when the pressure in the keg has dropped too much to dispense the beer. I also give t a quick blast of CO2 when I’m finished with it for the day.

You’ll find a 16g CO2 cartridge will probably last a keg and a half.

 

[Welsh123]

Thanks again.

 

[Dutto]

I've given up on the CO2 Tap because A) Capsules cost money. B) It has to be fitted and then cleaned. C) I don't like gassy beer. D) Once opened, the MK only lasts a couple of days.

Instead, I use one of the Red&Black stoppers as indicated below ...

https://www.brewuk.co.uk/easy-keg-bung.html

... and open it when the natural CO2 is exhausted.

They were used on all MK's bought in a shop until recently.

I don't use a CO2 system on these 10 litre kegs and the beer in them has never spoiled either ...

http://www.brewstore.co.uk/10-litre-economy-barrel

As an added bonus, I took them over to France full of beer and returned with them both full of Merlot Red Wine at €2.10 per litre.

Win-win? :thumb:

 

[MickDundee]

I've given up on the CO2 Tap because A) Capsules cost money. B) It has to be fitted and then cleaned. C) I don't like gassy beer. D) Once opened, the MK only lasts a couple of days.

I use CO2 taps and my beer stays fresh for weeks. I usually drink it over 2 weekends but I’ve had kegs kept fresh for 3 and 4 weeks before. My current keg of Christmas brown ale has been in my dispenser for 3 weeks. The PartyStar tap claims to keep beer fresh for up to 3 months.

I also don’t get the “gassy beer” comment. I find beer from minikegs to be much lower carbed than from bottles.

 

[Dutto]

I use CO2 taps and my beer stays fresh for weeks. I usually drink it over 2 weekends but I’ve had kegs kept fresh for 3 and 4 weeks before. My current keg of Christmas brown ale has been in my dispenser for 3 weeks. The PartyStar tap claims to keep beer fresh for up to 3 months.

I also don’t get the “gassy beer” comment. I find beer from minikegs to be much lower carbed than from bottles.

1) Nowhere do I say that using a CO2 Tap will in any way reduce the life of the beer in a mini-keg.

2) I have never had an opened mini-keg last more than a few days. I drink the contents!

3) I have no doubt that a Party Star Tap will keep beer fresh in line with their claims.. I refer you to 1) and 2) above.

A better phrase may have been "I don't mind my beers being carbonated at a much lower level than some others." It comes to the same thing.

In a pub situation, I usually buy two beers at the start of the session.

Whilst drinking one, I let the other one go "flat" and also warm up a bit so that I can smell and taste it. When I buy my third pint I will start drinking the second one ... etc until it's time to go home!

Here at home, I regularly fill a one litre jug from kegs or bottles and then pour drinks from the jug. Back in the day, buying a jug of beer in a pub and then sharing it with a mate or drinking it from a half-pint glass was not unusual.

As a matter of interest, how "gassy" do you think an old wooden barrel of beer would be by the time the landlord was pulling the last few pints?

 

[MickDundee]

1) Nowhere do I say that using a CO2 Tap will in any way reduce the life of the beer in a mini-keg.

2) I have never had an opened mini-keg last more than a few days. I drink the contents!

3) I have no doubt that a Party Star Tap will keep beer fresh in line with their claims.. I refer you to 1) and 2) above.

Apologies if I’ve picked you up wrong, but your post definitely reads as if your reasons for no longer using minikegs with CO2 tap included it making the beer too gassy and that the beer goes off a couple of days after opening. I only replied because I didn’t want the OP to be put off getting minikegs for those reasons.