3/8 cup vs. 3/4 cup for kegging?

[ukolowiczd]

Can anyone explain why the rule of thumb for adding corn sugar in kegging is 1/2 of the norm (i.e. 3/8 cup vs. 3/4 cup)? I've just been adding the 3/4 cup in my kegs and am carbing fine. I'm worried that the 3/8 cup would be too little and I'd end up having to force carb a bit.

[mtnrockhopper]

The fermented beer will have some dissolved co2 in it, and maybe some of it is forced out of solution during bottling. A bottling wand is a pretty right constriction. Perhaps combined with a preference for kegged beer to have lower carbonation?

[a10t2]

As far as I know there's no reason to use less. I suspect that people who are making that recommendation are finishing the beer off by force carbonating.

[ukolowiczd]

I added a poll about how people mainly carb their kegs.

[a10t2]

Serving pressure and shaking. No need to wait.

[tygo]

Set at serving pressure and forget.  Unless I'm in a hurry then I'll set it at serving pressure and shake.

[ukolowiczd]

Serving pressure and shaking. No need to wait.

You mean you set it around 12psi and then shake it? For 20 minutes or so?

[ukolowiczd]

Set at serving temp and forget.  Unless I'm in a hurry then I'll set it at serving temp and shake.

Do you mean set at serving psi? Serving temp? I don't understand.

[tygo]

Set at serving temp and forget.  Unless I'm in a hurry then I'll set it at serving temp and shake.

Do you mean set at serving psi? Serving temp? I don't understand.

Yeah, that's a typo.  Fixed.

[euge]

You shouldn't measure but weigh your priming sugar. If you use 3-4 oz per 5 gallons it should prime up perfectly for normal volumes such as 2.2-2.5 depending.

Sometimes I prime my kegs with sugar and push with the tank.

[ukolowiczd]

You shouldn't measure but weigh your priming sugar. If you use 3-4 oz per 5 gallons it should prime up perfectly for normal volumes such as 2.2-2.5 depending.

Sometimes I prime my kegs with sugar and push with the tank.

I do weigh my priming sugar. I was just using the 3/8 and 3/4 as points of reference so as to not confuse and get specific with oz.'s of sugar.

[a10t2]

You mean you set it around 12psi and then shake it? For 20 minutes or so?

More like shake it for a few seconds at a time, every few minutes, for a few hours. The exact pressure depends on the temperature and carbonation level.

[euge]

You shouldn't measure but weigh your priming sugar. If you use 3-4 oz per 5 gallons it should prime up perfectly for normal volumes such as 2.2-2.5 depending.

Sometimes I prime my kegs with sugar and push with the tank.

I do weigh my priming sugar. I was just using the 3/8 and 3/4 as points of reference so as to not confuse and get specific with oz.'s of sugar.

And ended up being more confusing.

[morticaixavier]

I have not primed a keg yet, generally I go with Sean T's method of set to serving and shake. However I always assumed that the reduced amount of priming sugar had to do with the reduced headspace per ounce. The volume of headspace in a 12 oz bottle divided by 12 is greater than that in a keg divided by... 640? But that's just an assumption I came up with to justify what Charlie P says in the book.

[pyrite]

I set the CO2 regulator to 60psi and force carbonate at 33F for 2 days.