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AB-Brew · 08-17-2011, 06:27 PM

Ok, our first batch is going to be bottled in the next week. It's Midwest's Irish Red Ale. I have flashbacks to Killian's Irish Red when I taste it. I would like to mellow/sweeten it alittle. I was wondering if priming it with brown sugar would work? Also my husband wants to use the Cooper's carbination drops. Do they effect the flavor at all?

**unionrdr** · 08-17-2011, 06:33 PM

The cooper's carb drops only effect flavor,ime,@ some 7 weeks in the bottle. They tend to over carb,giving that carbonic acid bite. With pour loose head & soda bubbles. They're fine up to 5-6 weeks.
I started bulk priming to style,& it's way better. Fine bubbles,even the "upside down snow storm" craigtube talks about. Tall,thick velvety head too.
Brown sugar is good,as is dextrose & demerara sugar. More exotic sugars can give different complexities as well. There's a thread on here somewhere where we discussed this. But here's a good priming calculator to use;http://www.tastybrew.com/calculators/priming.html

**PIGMAN** · 08-17-2011, 06:55 PM

It's your first batch, use the priming sugar that came with the kit. If it tastes like Killian's now, it's only going to taste better carbed and conditioned, providing everything goes well on bottling day. I agree with Union re bulk priming. Revvy has a great bottling thread, you should read it.

**unionrdr** · 08-17-2011, 07:11 PM

Speaking of that,I forgot to mention that I put up a bottling video on youtube & my profile in 2 parts. Brewvision is on it's way!

AB-Brew · 08-17-2011, 11:43 PM

Thanks for the link, Doc.
@Pigman I would "just follow the directions" but my HWMBO is determined to use the drops.

Right now he says if I can do the math, we'll do part of the batch with brown sugar.

Calder · 08-18-2011, 02:57 AM

Neither the carb drops or sugar will get you any sweetness, but I suspect the carbonation will give you a much better balanced beer.

Table sugar/Brown sugar, I generally use 5.5 ozs for 6.5 gallons, unless I'm really trying to nail down the style. That works out to about:

0.85 ozs per gallon
1.7 ozs for 2 gallons
2.5 ozs for 3 gallons
4.4 ozs for 4 gallons
5.25 ozs for 5 gallons

AB-Brew · 08-21-2011, 11:08 PM

Well we bottled today, and Thank you for all your advice and Patience! Tasting today I can truly understand "Give it Time!" The flavor is much more what I wanted and I can see that it will just get better carbed and bottle conditioned. Thank You!

**unionrdr** · 08-21-2011, 11:12 PM

You're welcome. I hope we helped clear things up some...