Advice for pressure barrel priming

[BrewerRS]

Hi all, I've got a tom caxton real ale in fv and I'm wondering how to get my desired amount of carbonation. I like my ale on the flatter side. Not totally flat as a witches... but like cask ale. I don't like the carbonation levels of a lot of bottled supermarket ales as they seem too fizzy.

The instructions say no more than 85g sugar per pb. I'm wondering if this is high or about right? Also, in case I do bottle, what would be the right about of priming sugar? I prefer to rack to bottling bucket.

I've made this to 20L with 1kg of light dme.

Many thanks.

 

[mgreenough]

85g is a good amount as that is what i use on my pressure barrels. It gives a nice head and has just the right carbonation. Certainly not flat and not too fizzy either. I know what you mean about bottles being over carbed as i find that now since using a pb, i prefer my own now.

 

[terrym]

I and others use this
http://www.brewersfriend.com/beer-priming-calculator/
It will be more accurate than a 'rule of thumb' of 85g.
That said I use 85g max but I don't use additional gas and need to get as much out of the barrel before I have to reprime. So at the start the carbonation can be quite high, which I don't mind.
Therefore to produce a 'flatter ale' and based on my experience, I would go for 70-75g of sugar initially and accept that you will have to top up with gas or reprime more.

 

[bardude]

I did this kit and did 85g for a 23l brew and it was fine.

 

[jam]

I and others use this
http://www.brewersfriend.com/beer-priming-calculator/
It will be more accurate than a 'rule of thumb' of 85g.
That said I use 85g max but I don't use additional gas and need to get as much out of the barrel before I have to reprime. So at the start the carbonation can be quite high, which I don't mind.
Therefore to produce a 'flatter ale' and based on my experience, I would go for 70-75g of sugar initially and accept that you will have to top up with gas or reprime more.

Sorry to but in on this guy's. If you prime with the sugar will that be enough to drink the full pb. Or with you need to introduce gas later on?

 

[wfr42]

Having the gas to introduce later isn't a bad option.

I had to reprime my pressure barrel (over tightened the lid ) and instill have very good carbonation with about a gallon left.

 

[Godsdog]

Sorry to but in on this guy's. If you prime with the sugar will that be enough to drink the full pb. Or with you need to introduce gas later on?

IMO no not with 85 G of sugar I have always primed my KK with 4 ounces it may be a bit livelier but will dispense most of the beer,never bothered with the science of it as you can tell

 

[terrym]

I think 85g sugar is just under the quantity for a full 23 litres from a PB without gas or a reprime. If you draw off steadily over a period of a few days/weeks then you might just about do it, but if you take a lot out quickly at the end you won't do it, because you are not giving the CO2 enough chance to come out of solution imo, and dissolved CO2 levels are lower anyway. That said I have managed 19 litres of stout with 85g sugar.
However if my PB runs out of puff I just reprime with a reduced amount of sugar roughly pro rated to the beer left plus a bit more, and its usually back up to pressure within a few days.