Bottle Priming troubles

Homebrew Talk - Beer, Wine, Mead, & Cider Brewing Discussion Forum

Help Support Homebrew Talk - Beer, Wine, Mead, & Cider Brewing Discussion Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.
J

jman300sd

Well-Known Member
Joined
Feb 20, 2011
Messages
53
Reaction score
1
Location
Long Beach
I have always used "tastybrews" priming calculator when brewing:

http://www.tastybrew.com/calculators/priming.html

From my perspective it would seem a lot of my beers come out over carbonated. When I plugged in the same values into Beersmith I get completely different figures on the amount of sugar to use. Gonna try beersmith on the next batch, but does anyone have a good reccomondation on a better calculator/program for this?
 
This is the site I used when bottle carbonating. If you're not entering in accurate information, you'll not get the right amount to use.

I would also aim for the middle of a style, so that even if your numbers were a bit off, you should still be ok. How are you figuring the temperature at bottling? Check to make sure you're getting an accurate reading there.
 
Beers that aren't fully finished fermenting, inaccurate volumes of beer and inaccurate weights of sugar(s), wrong temperature of beer being bottled all could lead to overcarbonation. I also use the HBD recipator carbonation calculator with good results.
 
How long did the batches go before you bottled them? If you're getting more over-carbonated batches, compared with how the carbonation should be, then you're probably bottling too soon. If you're not confirming the FG of a batch (that's under 3-4 weeks from pitching time, at the right temperatures) then you're probably bottling too soon... If you're following the kit instructions after pitching the yeast, you're probably bottling too soon... [all that in the 'you might be a redneck if' style]
 
I always wait until the final gravity has settled and doesnt change for over a week before i bottle. I typically go 3-4 weeks in primary and 2-4 in secondary depending on the beer. I have the temperature tape on the outside of the bucket and use this temp when plugging in values in the calculator. For priming i always use regular table sugar- perhaps i should use a different priming sugar? Ill keep trying different things, but why wpuld different calculators produce different values?
 
The calculator I use shows that I need to use less table sugar than corn sugar for the same volume of CO2 so the type of sugar that you use does make a difference in the amount of carbonation, but I can not personally notice a taste difference between corn sugar and table sugar so I only use table sugar now for the obvious cost saving.
 
I just compared BeerSmith to this calculator and it gave the same result for corn sugar. I only checked one condition: 3 volumes, 70 F, 5 gallons = 5.8 ozs corn sugar.
 
Calder said:
I just compared BeerSmith to this calculator and it gave the same result for corn sugar. I only checked one condition: 3 volumes, 70 F, 5 gallons = 5.8 ozs corn sugar.
Click to expand...

What style brew? That high of carbonation is more for Belgians. If this is another ale type then you went for far too high of carbonation.
 
Golddiggie said:
What style brew? That high of carbonation is more for Belgians. If this is another ale type then you went for far too high of carbonation.
Click to expand...

? What are you talking about?????? Read the thread!!!!!

The OP said BeerSmith didn't agree with the tasty brew calculator. All I did was punch in some simple numbers into both, and they both agreed. basically I could not replicate the problem the OP had. No particular style.

Yes, 3 volumes is high for a lot of beers, but it is a lot simpler to use than say punching in 2.8, or whatever. Although tastybrew asks for beer style, it is not necessary to put it in to calculate required priming sugar in either program.
 
Improper volume measurement could do it- half gallon less beer requires roughly 0.4oz less cane sugar. Also, improper measurement of weight of sugar could make a large difference...
 
Calder said:
? What are you talking about?????? Read the thread!!!!!

The OP said BeerSmith didn't agree with the tasty brew calculator. All I did was punch in some simple numbers into both, and they both agreed. basically I could not replicate the problem the OP had. No particular style.

Yes, 3 volumes is high for a lot of beers, but it is a lot simpler to use than say punching in 2.8, or whatever. Although tastybrew asks for beer style, it is not necessary to put it in to calculate required priming sugar in either program.
Click to expand...

Bubba, don't post bogus crap and not expect to be called out on it. You're also NOT helping the OP any.

Take a bottle of chill the f out pills.
 
Golddiggie said:
Bubba, don't post bogus crap and not expect to be called out on it. You're also NOT helping the OP any.

Take a bottle of chill the f out pills.
Click to expand...

You have a problem. I feel sorry for you.

Don't bother to respond, I'm going to ignore anything you post from now on.
 
I tried playing with beersmith and tastybrew and could not recreate the same problems.....perhaps I was mistaken. Regardless, I think pdxal is correct with the possibility of volume being the culprit. My previous calculations where all based on how much volume I had in the fermenter, not nessecarily what was racked to the bottling bucket. Fairly often I have a 6 gallon batch racked to the bottling bucket with almost half a gallon left behind. Its always the small important details....
 
I'm revisiting this topic -

Today I am going to bottle 9 gallons of Weizenbock. It's currently at 58 degrees and I'd like to achieve 2.8 volumes of CO2. I plug in those values into the tastybrew calculator and it gives me 8.1 oz of Sucrose. Using the same metrics on the Northern Brewer calculator It gives me 7.88. In Beersmith it gives me 9.93. What the hell?
 
As with tastybrew,you're supposed to use the highest temp the beer got to while fermenting. sometimes,I've used the current temp in the calculation,& got good carbonation at 2.3 VCO2 for pale ales,IPA's,& the like. 2.5 volumes max.
 
jman300sd said:
I'm revisiting this topic -

Today I am going to bottle 9 gallons of Weizenbock. It's currently at 58 degrees and I'd like to achieve 2.8 volumes of CO2. I plug in those values into the tastybrew calculator and it gives me 8.1 oz of Sucrose. Using the same metrics on the Northern Brewer calculator It gives me 7.88. In Beersmith it gives me 9.93. What the hell?
Click to expand...

Hrm. I also get 7.88 ounces of sucrose with my calculator for 9 gallons at a target of 2.8 volumes. With that being said, double check that 58 degree figure.

Is that the highest temp achieved post fermentation? Or is that just the temperature right now? If it's the former, you're golden. If you have cooled the beer after fermentation is complete, you're not using the right temp and you won't have enough sugar in the batch.
 

Similar threads

P
swap citric for lactic acid
Replies
4
Views
479
phbern
P
RileyOG
Newbie SG/Yeast/Bottle Bomb Question
Replies
24
Views
1K
Chalkyt
Chalkyt
_Keven
First time brewing how do I prime with belgian candi sugar?
Replies
4
Views
760
Jeroen79
J
B
How much priming sugar?
Replies
17
Views
917
mac_1103
mac_1103
B
Natural bottle conditioning of Stouts & Porters
Replies
13
Views
1K
hottpeper13
H

Latest posts

Back
Top