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Hmmm...I don't understand some brewers thinking when they prime kegs! Why wait weeks for it to carbonate when you only have to wait days using the gas?
Sure, there's the 'ageing' argument...but I brew beer not wine!
Don't prime kegs!!!! sometimes I had to 'age' kegs when out of room in the fridge. But I just burped those puppys and kept them in the shed.
Having said that, I've gone back to bottles and am about to bulk prime a brew tomorrow. I hope I don't kill it! Wish me luck!

I prime my kegs Shane, but then I have 9 on rotation, so time isn't an issue.

I could understand peeps force carbing if they only have 2 kegs in their system. But in my opinion, naturally carbed kegs, drink better.

Hashie wrote:I prime my kegs Shane, but then I have 9 on rotation, so time isn't an issue.

I could understand peeps force carbing if they only have 2 kegs in their system. But in my opinion, naturally carbed kegs, drink better.

I don't use kegs yet (just 9L bottles). However I completly understand wanting natural carbonation, better beer and, as I understand, it holds it carbonation better when it's natural.

I'm building up to a minimum 3 month rotation so that what I'm drinking is always >= 3months old HB to drink

That's why I have 9 kegs R.P.

Works out that my beer is around 3 months old, on average, when drunk.

So how do you drink from a 9l bottle R.P.?

Do you drink 1 bottle per session, or do you some how re-seal it?

I'm also curious about the 9ltr bottles.
Anybody used wooden casks? Read (somewhere) that a QLD pub's drinkers kicked up a stink that the XXXX sent in "new" steel kegs wasn't as good as the old wooden kegs! They got their way apparently. Interesting one to try, but hestitate due to cost, resealing if not drinking all and how to clean! I've seen 5ltr ones but an expensive experiment.
Bally

the keg worked out ok in the end.. the only significant difference if found was the physical size of the bubbles were larger than gasing.

The taste was pretty good, but then so are all the others.

My opinion is while i use the kegs, i will force gas them.. soooo much easier. Very little difference in my opinion.

two headed brewer wrote:I'm also curious about the 9ltr bottles.
Anybody used wooden casks? Read (somewhere) that a QLD pub's drinkers kicked up a stink that the XXXX sent in "new" steel kegs wasn't as good as the old wooden kegs! They got their way apparently. Interesting one to try, but hestitate due to cost, resealing if not drinking all and how to clean! I've seen 5ltr ones but an expensive experiment.
Bally

I think one of the pubs you refer to is the Breakfast Creek Hotel? I'll have a look to make sure, still pouring beer from wooden kegs...might have to be my next holiday destination What? Yeah I know its XXXX!!!!!

Bulk primed my first brew last time round!!! Couple I opened 'by mistake' a bit early were especially nice and clear (racked too!!!) and only slightly carbonated. Hell, I might just have to chill another one tonight in the name of product monitoring

Breakfast Creek Hotel

Ahhhhh, the old Brekky Creek........ best steaks in Qld IMO (not to mention the icy cold beer on a stinking hot Brisvegas afternoon!!!)

"The Breakfast Creek Hotel is up for sale,
The last square mile of Terra Firma gavelled in the mail"

("Dreamworld" by Midnight Oil)

Breakfast Creek Hotel ! may have to put this on the travel plans. While on pubs, the Pub With No Beer has a brewery attached that has only just started. I come from this part of the world (SWR to be exact) and was wondering if anyone has sampled their offerings? From the website it does seem they are flavour driven so could be worth a visit.

When I next visit home, I'll test the range and post a reply. Could be a new topic - Travels and reviews of boutique breweries.
Bally

I'm gonna try bulk priming for the first time soon and have a couple of questions:

Should I use dextrose or table sugar?

How well do I mix in the sugar/dextrose? If I mix to too hard won't it kick up all the yeasty stuff on the bottom and make the beer really cloudy? If I don't stir it up enough will it not mix in properly and not end up distributed evenly into each bottle?

1. most seem to prefer Dextrose (I do)
2 You need to rack into a separate pail/carboy with the priming sugar. A dash of hot water to dissolve the sugar, before racking

Bally

two headed brewer wrote:1. most seem to prefer Dextrose (I do)
2 You need to rack into a separate pail/carboy with the priming sugar. A dash of hot water to dissolve the sugar, before racking

Bally

This is only my second brew so I'm a little confused. So I first ferment it in the primary fementer for 5-7 days, then I rack it, so another fermenter for 5-7 days, then do I need a third container to put it into to bulk prime? Or do I just add the dextrose straight into the racking fermenter and mix that up right before bottling?

ex0ja wrote:

two headed brewer wrote:1. most seem to prefer Dextrose (I do)
2 You need to rack into a separate pail/carboy with the priming sugar. A dash of hot water to dissolve the sugar, before racking

Bally

This is only my second brew so I'm a little confused. So I first ferment it in the primary fementer for 5-7 days, then I rack it, so another fermenter for 5-7 days, then do I need a third container to put it into to bulk prime? Or do I just add the dextrose straight into the racking fermenter and mix that up right before bottling?

You are correct in that after you rack you need to then transfer to another fermenter however you can do this with 2 fermenters not 3. Primary in one fermenter then transfer and rack into the second, then transfer back to the original fermenter to bulk prime (provided you have not started a new brew in it).

You place the dextrose dissolved with a small amount of hot water in the bulk priming fermenter and coil the transfer tube/hose in the bottom of it so the beer will cause the dextrose to mix as it is transferred in to the fermenter this is the easiest way to avoid oxidation and stirring up yeast from the bottom of the secondary.

If you add the dextrose mix to the secondary and mix it you are bring yeast back into suspension that you went to the trouble of racking to get rid of and you may oxidize the beer if not careful in mixing the dextrose.

Cool, thanks Shaun. I spose I have to clean an sanitise the first one again though, that will be a bit of pain. I guess its the same as cleaning and sanitising 3 containers anyway.

So once I have primed it I start bottling right away?

ex0ja wrote:Cool, thanks Shaun. I spose I have to clean an sanitise the first one again though, that will be a bit of pain. I guess its the same as cleaning and sanitising 3 containers anyway.

So once I have primed it I start bottling right away?

100% correct.

PS: I am not a fan of bulk priming, to me it is a lot of extra work for little reward, that's my opinion on it.

Shaun wrote:PS: I am not a fan of bulk priming, to me it is a lot of extra work for little reward, that's my opinion on it.

Now I know I have to clean and sanitise another fermenter (or the same one twice) it doesn't sound so appealing. I'm worried if I measure out the dextrose individualy for each bottle I may not be so accurate and stuff some up though.

Edit: I was happy using the carbonation drops lollies, but some people seem to think they stuff up the beer (others say they're fine). So I at least have to try using dextrose just to see how much better it is and if its worth it. Sounds like a lot more work than those lollies though!

Get a priming scoop then you simple add one scoop to each bottle.

sorry guys, wasn't paying attn.

Hassie & two headed brewer: the bottles come with a valve fitting on the end and are self powered by what is essentially bicarb soda and vinegar in a bag. It's basically a little keg.

http://www.partypig.com/ (The name is a coinsidence, I was RP long b4 I found these things)

A little expensive considering OS postage, but in a wtf moment I thought I give one a try and so far have not looked back. I tend to brew in 19L batches so with these I only have to fill 2 bottles

Cheers RP, I've looked at those before but ended up with corny kegs. Guess I was put off by the un-known of the party pig.

RP, why not drop your volume down to 18 litres. Then you wont have any bottles to fill and slightly more flavour in your beer?

I've found that a 19L batch typically yields about 18L because of the couple of centimeters of sediment below my tap which I leave behind.