For kegging (mini or Cornelius)-priming 5 gallons of fully fermented beer using dextrose (corn sugar), add one third (1/3) of a cup to achieve an appropriate carbonation level. You may wish to add slightly less or more depending on the style of beer or your own individual preference.

For bottling-priming 5 gallons of fully fermented beer using dried malt extract, add one and one quarter (1¼) cups to achieve an appropriate carbonation level. You may wish to add slightly less or more depending on the style of beer or your own individual preference.

For kegging (mini or Cornelius)- priming 5 gallons of fully fermented beer using dried malt extract, add one half (½) of a cup to achieve an appropriate carbonation level. You may wish to add slightly less or more depending on the style of beer or your own individual preference.
Malt extract will take slightly longer to condition the brew than dextrose will. Be patient and all will turn out well.

Using maple syrup-1¼ cup for bottling and 5/8 cup for kegging.

Using molasses-1 cup for bottling and <½ cup for kegging.

Using brown sugar-2/3 cup for bottling and <1/3 cup for kegging.

Using cane sugar-2/3 cup for bottling and <1/3 cup for kegging.

Transfer the cold beer into your keg gently, the beer will push any remaining air out the top as it fills, leaving only carbon dioxide in the headspace. Leaving an inch or two of headspace is helpful for faster carbonation, but not necessary. Then replace the cover tightly and crank your regulator up to 30 psi. You'll hear the gas charging your keg; the fuller the keg, the quieter this charge will be. The lid should seal tightly at this time; if it doesn't, and gas comes hissing out, reseat the gasket on your lid and the lid itself in a sanitary fashion and try it again. If that doesn't work, inspect the lid and gasket carefully. There may be a chunk of something caught in there preventing a good seal, or the lid or keg mouth may be bent somewhere. Rarely, there may be a crack in the lid.

Assuming you have headspace of one or two inches above the beer, shake the keg vigorously for two or three minutes with the gas on. Room-temperature beer or a fuller keg may take a little longer to carbonate, depending on how carbonated you like your beer to be. Then disconnect the gas line and let the keg sit at serving temperature to absorb the rest of the carbon dioxide. You can actually vent out whatever pressure is on top of the beer and dispense it right then, but it may foam considerably at first. For the carbon dioxide to really absorb well and stay in solution, you should let the charged keg chill for a day or so, then check the head pressure.

Once the beer is carbonated, you'll want to keep between 5-10 psi on it while storing and serving it, charging when necessary. Leaving the carbon dioxide hooked up to your keg and relying on your regulator to maintain that constant pressure is fine as well.

Many brewers just give their kegs a good scrub and rinse between uses, but a deep clean of all the parts, inside and out, will prevent bacteria from taking up residence in your keg and endangering the quality of your brew. Here's one method for deep cleaning the Corny:

Disassemble the Corny with a crescent wrench, being careful not to strip the posts or, on a pin-lock, bend the pins. Midwest sells a handy ratchet fitting that fits over the top of each post, so you don't have to struggle with awkward wrenches.

Be careful with the poppet valves, which fit into each of the posts. On some of the older kegs they are difficult to remove and replace, so you may want to leave them in and clean around them.

After disassembling the keg, boil the main O-ring, lid and two valve assemblies for 15 minutes. This is usually sufficient to both clean and sanitize them. Make sure the pressure release valve on the lid, if you have one, is left open. The shorter dip tube can usually be scrubbed out with a test tube brush and boiled as well.

Meanwhile, using a wire-handled carboy, clean out the inside of the keg thoroughly, then inspect it. The two valve holes can be cleaned using a test tube brush or a toothbrush. Make sure you get up inside the opening of the keg, especially around these holes. For stone build-up, which will appear as a rough whitish or brownish coating on the steel when it's dry, use a NYLON scouring pad or phosphoric acid to remove it.
Scrub the outside of the long dip tube with a scouring pad. The inside is a little more difficult. Clip the hook from a nylon-coated coat hanger and bend it as straight as you can to make one long piece. Cut a small corner off your scrub sponge and cram it into one end of the dip tube. It should be snug, but not so tight you won't be able to get it out again. Then, using the coat hangar wire, push it through. This is a much easier procedure, obviously, with straight dip tubes than with bent one, but will work in either case. Inspect the inside of the dip tube by holding it up to the light and make a few more passes with the sponge if necessary. Now you should be ready to sanitize everything and reassemble the keg for use.