Partial Kegging

[croc4]

I will be ready to keg for the first time and was wanting to also bottle a few (6-10 or so) so that will make the keg less than 5 gal. is there a problem with this? or do I end up using a bit more co2 to fill the empty space?
(I am going to naturally carbonate for fear of further chastizment ;-).)

My motive behind this is wanting to have a few bottles I could sample to see how the beer was progresing without having to touch the keg.

thoughts?
________
Ana_Sofia (http://www.girlcamfriend.com/cam/Ana_Sofia/)

[toneyc]

Nah, that'll be fine.

:)
Toney.

[Payson]

I don't want to get the ball rolling again but fear not the force carbonation!!

[Fast_Eddy]

For everyone that has seen the movie "Water Boy" -

Force carbonation is the devil :rolleyes:

[S.F.B.]

...you can bottle from the keg once it has carbonated.

I agree with Payson. Nuttin' wrong with forced carbonation.

You will use just a wee bit more cO2 if you bottle a few before kegging.

[croc4]

thanks
________
The Peak Towers Condo (http://pattayaluxurycondos.com)

[Richard English]

If the beer has fermented right out then you will need to add some priming sugar to the bottles to engender a secondary fermentation, otherwise it will be flat.

Of course, you can always bottle before the fermentation has finished but this is far less precise and is one reason why the protagonists for artificial carbonation recommend it.

My own preference is to follow this simple procedure:

1. Allow the wort to ferment to completion.

2. Agitate the wort so as to ensure that there is yeast throughout.

3. Allow it to settle but not to clear completely (so that there's a minimal amount of yeast throughout (this method saves having to add yeast to allow a secondary fermentation).

4. Siphon into bottles (Imperial pints for preference) adding approximately a half teaspoonful of sugar to each pint.

5. Secure the stoppers and leave the bottles upright in a warmish area for about a fortnight.

6. Remove the bottles to the cellar or other storage area.

7. Start to drink and enjoy them, remembering always to pour carefully if you want a clear pint (or just glug it in if you don't care)

8. Repeat the process with your next batch.

With any luck this will ensure a constant supply of good, honest ale without the necessity for kegs, gas cylinders or pressure guages.

[Payson]

Good Lord....Richard, I thought a purist such as yourself would prime with DME!! The horror....the horror! :eek:

[ray m]

Originally posted by Richard English:
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Of course, you can always bottle before the fermentation has finished but this is far less precise and is one reason why the protagonists for artificial carbonation recommend it.
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BIIIIIGGGGG negative!!! If one bottles while fermentation is still "active", to whatever degree, then there is the danger of too much pressure developing in the closed bottle, hence the term "bottle bombs". Besides that, how does a homebrewer know when that just right eensie-weensie bit of fermentation remains, so the right amount of natural bottle carbonation is achieved---without adding any priming sugar?? A homebrewer doesn't know, and that is why every homebrewing author since Abraham says to ensure fermentation is complete (no change in hydrometer reading for a couple days) before bottling. Then priming sugar is added, etc., etc.
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2. Agitate the wort so as to ensure that there is yeast throughout.
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This is unnecessary. Plenty of yeast still remains in solution after settling, whether after a primary or secondary fermentation, prior to bottling to achieve natural carbonation after priming it. I sure as hell am not going to agitate my beer to any degree just before bottling after I've patiently waited for it to settle for X amount of days, specifically for the purpose of giving the beer time to clear. Granted, the amount of yeast still in suspension varies from strain to strain & brew to brew, and natural carbonation times will vary to a slight degree because of this. Other variables, like temperature, also play a role here

[Richard English]

I think it's a matter of degree. If you assume that the fermentation has finished once the hydrometer reading has remained steady for just a couple of days I would think that there could still be some activity, even slight, at that time. Certainly there would still be some yeast in suspension.

To my mind a fermentation has finished only when there has been no change for some days and the beer has fallen completely bright.

The brewing books suggest that there will be enough yeast left in suspension but, as I said, I prefer to be sure.

I did not recommend bottling before completion of fermentation, I said it can be done but it is imprecise and there is, indeed, a risk of over-pressurisation. I see that my pronoun "it" in the phrase "...one reason why the protagonists for artificial carbonation recommend it..." was ambiguous and it could have been assumed to have referred to pre-completion bottling. That is certainly not what I meant. The pronoun refers to artificial carbonation.

Ah, the perils of the English language!