Clever priming sugar required

[MashBag]

I want to half fill 2 cornies and fully prime them.

But how much?

23l batch. 11.5l per corny.
Which is closer to 23 bottles
23 teaspoons = 115g sugar
Basic maths does seem a lot, but I have a big empty space to pressurise?

 

[Larse]

I want to half fill 2 cornies and fully prime them.

But how much?

23l batch. 11.5l per corny.
Which is closer to 23 bottles
23 teaspoons = 115g sugar
Basic maths does seem a lot, but I have a big empty space to pressurise?

Do what I do and fill one corny and bottle the rest. 8 pints that you can hide away and discover months/years down the road.

I recently found 4 pint bottles of an unknown lager I'd made around 1997 in my shed. Were in a crate that was mostly empties.
Two were flat and went down the drain. One of the remaining two was still sealed and I tasted it. Not much flavour, but was definitely beer. The other one was similar but a bit less carbonated.

 

[Sadfield]

It doesn't have to be clever. You can aim to over prime a corny and then use the PRV to vent of some CO2 to the right level. As they do with venting cask.

 

[MashBag]

It doesn't have to be clever. You can aim to over prime a corny and then use the PRV to vent of some CO2 to the right level. As they do with venting cask.

Yes, I thought about that. I have got both gauges high and low just wondered if I can be a bit more accurate to start with?

 

[peebee]

As you've asked me specifically in another thread:

Prime at what level?

Well, I think I know you were asking for "cask" levels? About 0.5g per litre, gives about 1.2-1.3 volumes (presuming you ferment beer out before casking?). So, for headspace in half full cask, add another "volume" ... that's about 0.5+0.4g per litre of sugar. Say, 9g sugar in a 19-20L Corny with 10L beer.

BUT!

Get it a bit wrong (or drink about 1/3 without priming again) and you are using some form of manual (hand) pump, (and presuming this is your "no gas cylinder" caper) and the priming sugar gas runs out (it will, leaving atmospheric pressure in the cask), the pump will pull air in past the Corny keg lid seal! And the beer goes off a few days later.

You could add x2 the headspace sugar, but the beer will be (initially at least) very fizzy.


KEG
The usual (per litre) plus same again for headspace. No pump problem ... no gas, no beer comes out tap! Add same again of sugar (x3 what normally added) to ensure right gas at end (but fizzy to start).

Don't use any form of electric pump for dispense.


Have I made you think again? I hope so.

 

[MashBag]

Thank you. I was thinking no hand pump just a party tap, for initial trial.

Don't mind a bit of fizz to start.
I do have gas to hand, so no beer will be harmed in the making of this fiasco.

Was planning to set 50psi on the spundy, and then drop to 5 on the low range gauge for dispense. This is ale not lager.

Wanted to get a better understanding before I buy anything... Beer engine or pluto gun.

Should we try different things of each corny?

 

[Buffers brewery]

What do you plan to do with the 9-10 litres of air in the head space? If left over your beer while it ferments (to produce your gas pressure) is it likely to cause oxidation? Asking for a friend

 

[MashBag]

I am not expecting oxidation, this will be live active beer day 6. Will be fine. Could vent a bit once it gets going.

 

[peebee]

I'll repeat @Buffers brewery's post: "What do you plan to do with the 9-10 litres of air in the head space?".

Unless this is a "proof of concept" of eventually being rid of a CO2 cylinder (which is what I'd thought it was) you are taking a risk with "oxidation" ... Story time! Although it's one I think I've used before ... hey, I'm an old geezer now and repeating me self is just one of those "things":

I was testing my "field hand-pump" setup. A 2L SS "growler" as beer container. The "gas in" disconnect (it had Corny Keg style disconnects and posts) was crammed with cotton wool to be my "soft spile". Drank half than disconnects removed and growler put back in car for 20 mile trip home. Reconnected in evening ... the beer was undrinkable.


Any headspace should be purged (with CO2) before sealing the keg and while serving. If not moved the beer tolerates a couple of days with the air allowed in, but not much longer.

There's no headspace in a cask when it leaves the brewery. the casks aren't moved once being served in a pub.


==========

An' the question you asked of me earlier:

If you're resigned to using gas, get an LPG regulator. A Clesse 50-150mbar (set at "5" for starters, about 100mbar). Your existing regulator is retained as the Primary set at 2-4 Bar. The Primary can't maintain 7PSI never mind 5PSI. You can set it, but it'll drift off within an hour or so. There's no way ... dropping about 850+PSI to 5PSI, the Primary regulator's hardware is just way too crude. Some people do claim they can do it ... (geesh; and it's me who supposedly has the broken brain ... ? Don't be one of them!).

 

[Davegase]

Thank you. I was thinking no hand pump just a party tap, for initial trial.

Don't mind a bit of fizz to start.
I do have gas to hand, so no beer will be harmed in the making of this fiasco.

Was planning to set 50psi on the spundy, and then drop to 5 on the low range gauge for dispense. This is ale not lager.

Wanted to get a better understanding before I buy anything... Beer engine or pluto gun.

Should we try different things of each corny?

If you are going to use a spunding valve and priming sugar.
I would over prime and set your spunding valve relative to the temperature and your required CO2 volume. Using one of these calculators.

https://www.hopsteiner.com/uk/psi-calculator/

https://drhansbrewery.com/beercarbonationcalculator/