I have stopped adding priming sugar when I bottle

Two batches in a row - an IPA and some Apfelwein - I forgot to put in the priming sugar. Just plain forgot. the IPA I didn't even move it to a bottling bucket. I just stuck the pump in and started bottling.



You know what? I liked how they turned out.

Now, I'll admit I like beers better when they are low in carb. Style be damned. Still, I really thought I would have 10 gallons of flat, flat beer. I didn't. They taste carbed, have the right mouthfeel, but don't give me a bloated feeling.

So now, with my more recent batches, I have just stopped using priming sugar all together. I just move from secondary right to the bottle.

Anyone else find this? Am I just crazy?

S

I have never heard of doing this, but it sounds intriguing. Does it take longer to carbonate?
I use Coopers sugar drops or what ever they are called. They work perfectly for me. Been using them for the past 20 batches or so.

I think I'd need some carbonation. But I agree that I prefer it a little light. In fact, my Rain Delay Pale Ale is a little over carbed. I'll pour a glass and leave it on the table and go about my business for 20 minutes and it'll warm up a little and the head will thin out.

I really should do an English mild or something like that.

Did you check the gravity in the secondary for a couple consecutive days? Maybe you are still fermenting a little bit. Or maybe it's just carbonation stuck in suspension. There is plenty of that present from the initial fermentation.

I'll have to give this a shot with a small 1-gal batch to see how it works. I'm very intrigued.

I prefer a lot of my beers after they have released a lot of the gas and also moved a bit closer to room temperature. The flavors seem to come out more. Perhaps I'll give this a try in the future.

Lately I've taken to priming my beers with 1 shot-glass of table sugar, 1.5oz by volume. Sometimes I'll use a shot and a half

I'm wondering if your beer wasn't QUITE finished fermenting when you bottled.

Yes, I'll admit that the beers might not have been completely fermented out, BUT the FG was within range. I think it takes a few weeks to get those last three-four points, and I have just been using those to get my carb.

Yes, it takes a lot longer to carb, but I don't have THAT many friends, I brew a lot and I drink pretty slow. So I have time. This probably isn't for everyone. But I think it is a cool experiment, and it makes bottling less of a pain.

I am getting kegging equipment as soon as SWMBO OKs it, and I'll try it with a keg and let everyone know how it turns out.

S