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Priming kegs inconsistency

Kegging
#1

I think I have kicked this topic around before but… For the most part I prime kegs to carbonate. Our host has a very helpful calculator for priming that I use for the amount and my go to is table sugar AKA sucrose. It’s cheap, affective and obviously readily available. I do either boil or microwave the water/sugar to dissolve it now. Priming also does not require the keg to be cold.

So for those of you that prime kegs, is your carbonation consistent? The Saison I have on draft is carbonated enough but closer to fizzy than foamy if that makes any sense. The head quickly drops but the beer still bubbly like soda. I have had others that start out as a gusher from the tap but after letting off some pressure with a spunding valve turn out OK.

Should I be going back to corn sugar or DME? I can force carb but it takes up a lot of fridge space and I can only carb one, maybe two at a time.

#2

From my point of view, I don’t believe it’s type of sugar… try turn yer spunding up…. Allow more pressure to build…
Sneezles61

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#3

Since I switched to tracking the highest fermentation temperature reached and use that for my priming temperature I have had very constant results. Before switching I used the beer temperature at the time of priming and had mixed results.

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#4

I mostly only use the spunding valve to “fix” over carbed beers. Sound like a good idea to attach it while its carbing though. What do you set yours at?

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#5

That would mean I would have to monitor it and once its in the fermenter I usually just ignore it for a few weeks :wink:

Seriously, do you weigh out the sugar or use a volume amount? I could try to track the highest fermentation temp and have a scale that should be pretty close. I also would need to more closely read the volume of beer in the keg. If it’s a little short of 5 gal. I just purge the O2 and let it rip.

#6

Ive only done a couple fermentation under high pressuure but I think throwing some sugar in the keg is just a secondary fermentation. so put the spunding valve on set at 15 psi and let it go. great option for lazy people you wont need to be exact with the sugar or monitor fermentation temperature.

#7

That would be me. Well not exactly lazy but I don’t get too concerned about little details sometimes. It always comes out beer.

Next batch I will have to try some options. Usually end up with four 5 gal. kegs or two 5 and one 10. My only 10 is full now so it depends on usage.

#8

I do not use a spunding valve… although I have 2 of them…
Sneezles61

#9

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I let this beer prime itself by fermenting with pressure. I pressurized some empty kegs with the excess CO2 blow-off that i can use to repressurize the serving vessel. I do have a kegging system but just playing around to see what can be done with recycling gas

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#10

Amber stout? :joy:…
Sneezles61

#11

Nothing to do with priming but last night I went to pull a pint from my draft system and nothing. After being on draft for a couple of weeks I got a leak somewhere and a 5lb OC2 tank emptied. Swell :rage:

#12

Sounds to me like a fermentation temperature issue, i.e., fusel alcohols killing your head retention. Contrary to popular belief, saisons do NOT need to be fermented hot. The first and second place winners in my local club competition for saison were fermented at room temperature only.

I don’t keg much, but when I have, I tried priming. After the first 8-10 days, I popped the vent valve for a split-second. If it seems explosive, it’s overpressured and I vent a little more to let some of that excess out. If not relatively explosive, I leave it alone. Not very scientific, but I think it helps.

#13

I fermented at room temps. Hot temps, even though that seems to be the thing with Saisons, didn’t sound good.

#14

This is difficult. The only beer (usually) is hefeweizen. I’ve never had a problem priming them though.

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