adding priming sugar

idkid · 01-14-2007, 06:26 AM

i've read that once you rack to secondary...you can let the beer sit for a few weeks, then siphon back into the bottling bucket (original primary?)...i would assume that the siphoning into the bottling bucket is done the same as primary to secondary..if this is the case then you would siphon with the lid on both buckets...now...i've read that you should boil your priming sugar, cool it, and then mix it into the bottling bucket...my problem is, how do you get the priming sugar water into the priming bucket??? opening the top and pouring it it would seem to be a potential contamination hazard...how do you all do it???

**Orfy** · 01-14-2007, 08:24 AM

RDWHAHB!

Making beer is all about reducing hazards to your beer, you cannot 100% eliminating them.

Just do what you need to do and relax.

**RichBrewer** · 01-14-2007, 08:28 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by orfy

RDWHAHB!

Making beer is all about reducing hazards to your beer, you cannot 100% eliminating them.

Just do what you need to do and relax.

Exactly. You won't hurt your beer by removing the lid to add your priming sugar.

attitude · 01-14-2007, 12:20 PM

everybody tells me to put my sugar solution in before i siphon my beer. i am bottling my first batch next weekend . so let me know how yours came out

homebrewer_99 · 01-14-2007, 04:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by attitude

everybody tells me to put my sugar solution in before i siphon my beer. i am bottling my first batch next weekend . so let me know how yours came out

While most instructions say to do it this way the rebel in me does different.

Once I rack to my bottling bucket I know what my bottling volume will be. That determines how much primg sugar I use. I know there's probably not much difference and I shouldn't worry about it to much, but sometimes I brew more than 5 gals and use more.

**Orfy** · 01-14-2007, 05:00 PM

I do it the same way as HB99 because I boil my primer and can't be arsed waiting for it to cool. If I put it in first then I'll be heating the first part of the syphon too much,

67coupe390 · 01-14-2007, 07:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by orfy

I do it the same way as HB99 because I boil my primer and can't be arsed waiting for it to cool. I I put it in first then I'll be heating the first part of the syphon too much,

Me too!!! It has worked everytime. Relax is good advice!!!

**TheJadedDog** · 01-15-2007, 05:21 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by idkid

i've read that once you rack to secondary...you can let the beer sit for a few weeks, then siphon back into the bottling bucket (original primary?)...i would assume that the siphoning into the bottling bucket is done the same as primary to secondary..if this is the case then you would siphon with the lid on both buckets...now...i've read that you should boil your priming sugar, cool it, and then mix it into the bottling bucket...my problem is, how do you get the priming sugar water into the priming bucket??? opening the top and pouring it it would seem to be a potential contamination hazard...how do you all do it???

Call me crazy, but I have never once had the lid on my fermenter when racking to secondary or on my bottling bucket during bottling and I have never had a problem with contamination.

I just pour the cooled priming solution into the bottling bucket and rack on top of it to ensure a reasonable mix.

Torchiest · 01-15-2007, 05:34 AM

I do the same thing as TJD. I boil up my primer, whatever it might be, with about a pint or so of water, then let it cool just a bit, then start siphoning into my bottling bucket. Once I get it going smoothly, I add the priming sugar and let the siphoning beer mix it in there. I put the lid on the bottling bucket after I'm done siphoning. I've had zero problems with contamination in five batches.

Wolf · 01-15-2007, 12:43 PM

I dumped my sugar water into the bottling bucket after racking the beer over once, and I had inconsistent carbonation in that batch. Maybe it's a coincidence, but maybe it didn't get mixed in well enough. I don't take any chances anymore, I rack onto my sugar water.
Oh, and I never put a lid on my bottling bucket, so you can relax as far as that goes