Beginner worried about priming solution being mixed well

Hi,

This is a question regarding my first brew, which I just bottled today. I brewed a 2.5 gallon batch (actually, had 2.75 worth of beer in my carboy). I prepared a solution of 2.25oz dextrose in less than 1 cup water, which I boiled to dissolve. I poured it into my bottling bucket, and then I siphoned the beer from the carboy to the bucket. I didn't stir it or anything. Before bottling I searched through homebrewtalk, and found the consensus to be that you shouldn't stir the beer with the priming liquid, and that siphoning it is sufficient.

Bottling went well. I tasted the beer as it came out of the carboy, and it tasted fine. Then I tasted the very last bit that came out of the bucket, and it tasted very very sweet. Now I'm worried that the priming solution might not be distributed evenly across my batch --- exploding bottles (those towards the end), and undercarbonated beer (those towards the beginning).

Should I be worried? Is there anything I can do about it now? Or should I just relax, not worry, and have a homebrew (or a commercial brew since this is my first homebrew)?

Thanks!
/chuck

RDWHAHB.

You did it right dont worry. That was the easy part, now you have the hardest part of brewing..............the wait while it conditions and carbs. The only solution is to start another batch in the mean time.

Cheers!

Not to make you worry, but I had a problem with uneven carbonation. I brew 1 gallon batches and I would rack ontop of my priming sugar solution and then bottle. I'd have some bottles supercarbonated, some flat, and some perfect. While I was always of the school of thought that racking ontop would be sufficient, it clearly wasn't. I have since (very carefully) stirred my beer after racking onto the priming sugar solution and haven't had any uneven carbonation problems.

I know I'm going to catch hell from Revvy at some point for posting this, but hey, if it works for me, I've got to go with it.

Thanks.

No exploding bottles at least?

I, personally, like to take a sanitized spoon and stir the beer GENTLY from top to bottom. Not enough to create a vortex that induces air.. rather just a few seconds to add additional mixing. I've had the same issues with uneven carbonation until I did that. I think it's all to chancy to trust the mixing by siphoning will do the trick. YMMV

Good luck,

You have to stir the beer, racking on the priming solution will not mix it evenly. The priming sugar's gravity is so high it just stays on the bottom. Just gently stir it like Bill said. I gently stir mine every 6 bottles of so and have had no ill effects.

Ok, now I'm worried about the potential for exploding bottles. I marked which ones I bottled last. Should I check on them in a few days, try to release some pressure?

I've really overprimed beer before and didn't get bottle bombs. What you might do is give those bottles only two weeks to carb then put them in the frig to stop the yeast.

In 2 weeks I would chill and then release the pressure of one for "quality Control Sampling"

If your concerned drink them last few bottled ones first.Thats the way i drink mine.Highest number first-i number them on the bottlecap+name(identify) them.Ive not had any problems with uneven carbonation stiring or not. Ive just misjudged how much priming sugar per volume a few times and had very carbonated beers. I do like to take the end of the hose that is already submerged from siphoning and give that a quiet stir for a bit.But i dont always.Give them a few weeks in low 70's temps and chill one down.Then just gradually pull one from then on.Carbonation never seems to be an instant process,so key is to pull one mid weekly to check .

carloschuck said:

Ok, now I'm worried about the potential for exploding bottles. I marked which ones I bottled last. Should I check on them in a few days, try to release some pressure?

Click to expand...

But most bottling buckets the spigot is at the bottom of the bucket anyway so you are always drawing your beer from the bottom of the bucket. I bottle about 6-10 bottles, cap, give a gentle stir then bottle the next 6-10 bottles.

I over primed a recent batch of beer by about 1.5 - 2X what i should have. I didn't realize how much volume I'd lost through a blow off tube (racked onto a full yeast cake, holy fermentation). Thankfully nothing blew up and somehow the beer isn't awful. I would suggest putting the cases of beer into a garbage bag now. If they explode, clean up will be much easier.

carloschuck said:

Hi,

I poured it into my bottling bucket, and then I siphoned the beer from the carboy to the bucket. I didn't stir it or anything.
/chuck

Click to expand...

I like to set the sanitized tube in the bottom of the bottling bucket and along the side so I don’t introduce any air and I get a good circular flow around the bottom. I start the flow first to cover the bottom then slowly add the primmer that I only cool to about 90oF or so. I believe the primer warmer than the beer and not letting the primer coat the very bottom of the bucket lets it mix just fine. This has always provided even distribution without the need to stir. I have never had a bottle bomb and each beer seems to carb up the same.

As far as your concern after the fact, don’t worry this is much easier than you think and if you sanitize well and follow a few simple rules it’s hard to make a bad beer. IMHO
If you are worried about bottle bombs, I condition in a plastic corrugated beer case. If I think I cracked a bottle while capping I place the bottle in a 5 gallon bucket with a lid and let it stay there for a week. Bottle bombs are dangerous and if you have children you really need to keep them away and protected like it was a loaded weapon.
Good luck on your brewing journey there is much to learn reading this forum.
I know for me it has become the most rewarding hobby of my life.

The likelihood of a bottle bomb is absolutely slim to none. This is where RDWHAHB comes into play. You have enough mixing that has taken place that the only problem you MAY have is uneven carbonation... that's it.. and the only reason for the gentle stirring. You don't even have to do intermediate stirring. Once it's mixed, the solution will not separate as it will all be one homogeneous liquid. This is all assuming you used the right amount of sugar to start with. Even if you used an extra ounce or so of sugar.. the likelihood of a bbomb is slim.. unless you have defective bottles.

Chill a brew and chill There are other things to be more concerned about.. like, the #1 has to be sanitation.

I agree. The likelihood of even a few being overcarbonated is slim.Its not like you overused alot of priming sugar and am assuming you had a complete fermentation before you bottled as well. If your going to be paranoid about it just stick them in a tote. It takes a lot for bottle bombs,even if a few bottles got uneven distributation 2X the amount of sugar probably wouldnt blow one out.Ive used 2X the normal priming sugar for a saison and just had overcarbonation,slight rising foam.

Thanks for all your replies! This is reassuring. Now I'll just wait and see...

Cheers!
/chuck

wait 3 weeks with them stored warm (70F)