Force carbonating with 16g co2 bulbs?

[ags1983]

For 2.3 volumes and a beer that was kegged at 20c you need 54g for carbing then another 86 for serving - so around 3 of those bulbs to force carb.

You'll lose some beer to gunk if you prime with sugar. I've no idea how much those bulbs are so you'll have to work out if losing beer and adding extra conditioning time is worth it.


I wrote one in Excel. If you want I'll tidy it up and put it in its own sheet and put it on google docs. It even tells you how much sugar to use if you want to force carb using a 'sugar engine' which is basically a pop bottle linked via a hose to the keg.

You get to force carb with sugar and not lose any of the beer to sediment and it works very, very well.

I was actually thinking if this was possible! Do you just mix a sugar and yeast solution in a plastic coke bottle and have a carbonation cap linked to the keg via disconnects and hosing?

 

[Drunkula]

I was actually thinking if this was possible! Do you just mix a sugar and yeast solution in a plastic coke bottle and have a carbonation cap linked to the keg via disconnects and hosing?

Yep - and I have nutient.

 

[ags1983]

Ace, what amounts of sugar, water and yeast do you use? Yeah, nutrient would help the yeast
it it just adding some dried yeast to the sugar/water mix and letting it do its thing?

I'm used to force carbing, and have to say after about 22 brews I've only ever carbonated in the keg and never naturally carbonated with sugar, so kinda in the dark with naturally carbonating. But if it's possible without creating excess sediment in the bottom of the keg, I may go that route and just save my co2 for dispensing.

 

[Drunkula]

what amounts of sugar, water and yeast do you use?

For a beer brewed at 20c, 19 litres in a 19 litre corny, 2 litre pop bottle and wanting 2.3 vols of carbonation use 127.7g of sugar and the water in the bottle will get to 3.76% alcohol. I just use a spoon of bread yeast and a half spoon of nutrient. Throw in a load of trub instead if you like.

If it's cost you're thinking of then that's really not the point of doing it. The sugar will cost 8.3p let's say with the yeast and nutrient 15p total. To force carb with a pub gas bottle you'd use 54g of gas - about 16p.

 

[ags1983]

For a beer brewed at 20c, 19 litres in a 19 litre corny, 2 litre pop bottle and wanting 2.3 vols of carbonation use 127.7g of sugar and the water in the bottle will get to 3.76% alcohol. I just use a spoon of bread yeast and a half spoon of nutrient. Throw in a load of trub instead if you like.

If it's cost you're thinking of then that's really not the point of doing it. The sugar will cost 8.3p let's say with the yeast and nutrient 15p total. To force carb with a pub gas bottle you'd use 54g of gas - about 16p.

Nice one, cheers for that.
It's not for costs, it's mainly so I can shift some kegs to the basement while aging stouts and things. While carbing them, and leave my main co2 tank in my kitchen with my kegerator.

 

[Martin O]

Why does carbing with sugar in a keg create extra sediment?

 

[kelper]

Why does carbing with sugar in a keg create extra sediment?

It doesn't.