How much priming sugar per bottle?

TRainH2o · 11-24-2009, 03:01 AM

Hi all. Fermentation on my first brew is done. I am going to keg most of the beer but I want to bottle a 6-pack or 2 for my brother and the local brew club guys.

I do not have the priming "drops". How much sugar should I put per 12 oz. bottle to get good carbonation without creating bottle bombs? It's a German Amber Ale if that makes any difference. Thanks.

ReeseAllen · 11-24-2009, 03:04 AM

[edit: 4] oz of sugar for 5 gallons of beer is a good reference point. It will thoroughly carbonate the beer. Scale it up or down according to how much you are bottling and whether you want a flatter beer or not. I like my beer fizzy regardless of the style so I just always dump the full [4] oz in.

edit: I was reading the wrong receipt entry. 4 oz. Hope no one bottled bombs because they used 8 oz, heh.

**ChshreCat** · 11-24-2009, 03:08 AM

8 oz is a good reference point? 5 oz is usually strong carbonation for 5 gallons! I can't see using 8 oz as a jumping off point!

dantodd · 11-24-2009, 03:12 AM

I would really recommend either getting the tabs/drops or, even better, build a bottle filler based on Bier Muncher's design. http://www.homebrewtalk.com/f35/we-no-need-no-stinking-beer-gun-24678/

**weirdboy** · 11-24-2009, 03:13 AM

8 oz of sugar? That's um...a lot of sugar. Like, twice as much as you probably need. Is that what you have been using to carbonate your beer?

TRainH2o · 11-24-2009, 03:19 AM

Is there a way to get close to non-weight terms? Something like 1/4 or 1/2 teaspoon per bottle? Something like that?

jackson_d · 11-24-2009, 03:20 AM

LHBS sells 'priming sugar' packets. 5oz each. So i guess you could do 5oz divided by 48-52 bottles.. 28 grams in an oz. I suck at math....

28 grams per oz * 5oz = 140 total grams?

140 grams divided by 48 bottles = 2.9 or round it off for 3 grams sugar per bottle?

Anyone?

But you have to dilute the priming sugar first before you put it in the bottles....

I dont bottle much so someone else can help you with that.

If you search for them, there are a couple threads on here about how you can just bottle off the tap. BierMuncher has a nice homemade beer gun... Search for the thread..

**ChshreCat** · 11-24-2009, 03:23 AM

You could also naturally carb your keg. Just prime like you would for bottling, bottle up how ever many you want and transfer the rest to your keg, seat the lid and let it sit at room temp. Bottle carb amounts are a bit more than you would normally use to carb a keg, but you could vent it a few times to let off the excess.

but +1 to kegging normally and then bottling from the keg. Another advantage of that is that you get virtually sediment free bottles.

TRainH2o · 11-24-2009, 03:59 AM

I'll have to check into bottling from the keg. Next time, I'll try and remember to order drops.

ReeseAllen · 11-24-2009, 05:39 AM

edit: nevermind!