Do i need to add sugar to a corny keg once fermentation is complete to get some carbonation going prior to kegging?

[Wozboy]

I've added sugar in the past as that's what it tells me to do but I'm sure I've read elsewhere that it's not necessary when dealing with corny kegs. If I did added sugar would I also need to keep some heat on it for the secondary fermentation? I'd be most grateful for your experience and knowledge in this regard as I'm not long off kegging.

Also would you initially take the beer off the sediment of would you go straight into the keg? I think I used to first take it off the sediment but I'm starting to think that's just another step I could easily miss out.

Any hints and tips always much appreciated.

[killer]

You can carbonate your beer in a Corny keg a couple of ways - using sugar (either residual gravity points or added, sugar or using a cylinder of CO2 hooked up to your Corny. But you need to very careful if you use sugar. Corny kegs usually seal under pressure - and that could require 10 psi or less or more depending. That means if you add sugar and the keg is not sealed, the gas you produce from secondary fermentation will just go out the lid and you'll be left with flat beer. If you want to use sugar, add your sugar, then give the corny a good blast of CO2 to seal it. If you don't want to use sugar then you can pressurise the keg (based on the level of carbonation you want) and let it sit for a day or two until it absorbs enough gas.

You should take the beer off the sediment to have clear beer.

[Cobnut]

If you prime your keg, you can get clear beer by using a short dip tube to replace the long liquid out tube and a floating dip tube connected the a length of silcon tubing. This is quite common practice.

My first such keg has almost been consumed by the crew despite having only been kegged on 28th March! And the 14 bottles are down to 2.

Good job I brewed an extra large batch of weissbier on Saturday!

Planning a Sierra Nevada Pale Ale clone this weekend. Might have to up to volume on that one too...