Corny carbonate then bottle?

[Sog097]

I am due to rack my first and second batches, 19 litres/5 gallons will go in a cornie the remaining gallon I was intending to bottle or mini keg as gifts each time.

So is it better to bottle the odd amount from the start of carbonate it then bottle.

On a similar note, if bottling from the keg, do you still need to add priming for co2 retention?

 

[Bobby_M]

If you want the bottled beer to stay fresh for more than a few days, the only practical way to bottle carbonated beer from the keg is the Blichmann beer gun. It's cheaper to bottle condition in your case.

 

[Sog097]

If you want the bottled beer to stay fresh for more than a few days, the only practical way to bottle carbonated beer from the keg is the Blichmann beer gun. It's cheaper to bottle condition in your case.

Thanks, you have answered another question in the back of my mind as well, I think going forward at some point I will alter recipies to fit my keging requirements and aim for 20L batches instead of what the kits offer in 23L commonly.

 

[Beer Viking]

I could be wrong here, but I think the easyist thing to do would be to prime each bottle with 1 tsp sugar to make sure when you open one up it will have a good head. You would have to wait a couple weeks after bottling though. I hope this helps!

 

[bracconiere]

I could be wrong here, but I think the easyist thing to do would be to prime each bottle with 1 tsp sugar to make sure when you open one up it will have a good head. You would have to wait a couple weeks after bottling though. I hope this helps!

i'd imagine if it was allready carbed in the keg, that would make bottle bombs?

 

[Beer Viking]

i'd imagine if it was allready carbed in the keg, that would make bottle bombs?

Defiantly don't want to do that, I was unaware that the carbonation wouldn't disappear when bottling. Do you think just bottling from a keg would give a good enough head?

 

[bracconiere]

Defiantly don't want to do that, I was unaware that the carbonation wouldn't disappear when bottling. Do you think just bottling from a keg would give a good enough head?

i've done it many times, just need to fill the bottles slowly with counter pressure. the problem some people would have is O2. when i bottle it was always for a quick road trip. i'd just use a length of 1/4" tubing stick one end in my picnic tap, and the other goes through a rubber stopper, then just put the rubber stopper over the top of the bottle, fill till it stops flowing, let the rubber stopper breath a bit slowly, then repeat till the bottle is full.

 

[Beer Viking]

i've done it many times, just need to fill the bottles slowly with counter pressure. the problem some people would have is O2. when i bottle it was always for a quick road trip. i'd just use a length of 1/4" tubing stick one end in my picnic tap, and the other goes through a rubber stopper, then just put the rubber stopper over the top of the bottle, fill till it stops flowing, let the rubber stopper breath a bit slowly, then repeat till the bottle is full.

That's great information man. I didn't think that that was even possible, thanks for sharing!

 

[Qhrumphf]

tl;dr version of below: bottle conditioning the remainder, don't bottle off the keg

Bottle conditioning with sugar is more forgiving than bottling off of a keg. I would say a well constructed (namely purges from the bottom!) counterpressure filler is preferable to the Blichmann beer gun, both for CO2 retention and lower oxygen pickup. But you can get decent shelf-life with the beer gun if you use it right.

If you mess up bottling from a keg you'll have flat or oxidized beer, and often both. You'll get a small measure of oxygen reduction by the yeast (not as significant as some would claim though) through bottle conditioning. Might not get your NEIPA to the best of show table, but until you're really trying to hit the top level it's fine.

 

[bracconiere]

my poor man's counter pressure bottle filler, for visual aid purposes...

 

[RolandD]

If you want the bottled beer to stay fresh for more than a few days, the only practical way to bottle carbonated beer from the keg is the Blichmann beer gun. It's cheaper to bottle condition in your case.

I am loving my Blichmann beer gun. This week I've bottled three kegs of cider to give away sampler six packs for Christmas. My question has to do with how much does a corny keg actually hold? I have three coke kegs converted to ball lock and the fullest one only gave me 44-12oz bottles. I know I had a little overflow, but that's just 4 gallons and a pint. This keg was filled all the way to the gas tube. Even if I had filled it up to the lid, that wouldn't be five gallons. What gives?

 

[bracconiere]

I am loving my Blichmann beer gun. This week I've bottled three kegs of cider to give away sampler six packs for Christmas. My question has to do with how much does a corny keg actually hold? I have three coke kegs converted to ball lock and the fullest one only gave me 44-12oz bottles. I know I had a little overflow, but that's just 4 gallons and a pint. This keg was filled all the way to the gas tube. Even if I had filled it up to the lid, that wouldn't be five gallons. What gives?

you have to count the glasses you pour between filling bottles!

 

[RolandD]

you have to count the glasses you pour between filling bottles!

I was in the back of my mind. Between sampling and overflow, I'd estimate about a pint of loss. That still leaves three quarts unaccounted for.

 

[bracconiere]

I was in the back of my mind. Between sampling and overflow, I'd estimate about a pint of loss. That still leaves three quarts unaccounted for.

being i'm a strict calorie counter, you'd be surprised what you see when you put it on a scale.