I just bottled my first brew last night (which was a kit from beer-win.com) and it came with pre-measured neatly labeled ingredients and instructions. My next brew will be something I found on here (clone of Mad Elf from Troegs). I have read over the instructions countless times making sure I know what to do when. The final mystery is in bottling. For my first brew it came with 5 oz of priming sugar. Am I correct in saying this is corn starch? and for my new mad elf brew should I use the same 5 oz?
Question about priming sugar and bottling
- Thread starter mioduz
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No it is not corn STARCH it is a sugar made out of corn...more specifically it is Dextrose obtained from cornstarch, but it is not cornstarch...
You can also prime with dry malt extract, and any type of sugar you want...there's plenty of threads on her talking about different types of sugars.
I also have some tips to make the bottling process easier...
https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f35/revvys-tips-bottler-first-time-otherwise-94812/
You can also prime with dry malt extract, and any type of sugar you want...there's plenty of threads on her talking about different types of sugars.
I also have some tips to make the bottling process easier...
https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f35/revvys-tips-bottler-first-time-otherwise-94812/
Yeah, but Revvy, remember that one guy who primed with powdered sugar? That stuff has cornstarch in it! LOL!
No, do NOT use cornstarch! Better to use Table Sugar if you can't get corn sugar or malt extract.
can i find corn suger in a grocery store or will i need to order that with my ingredients? Also how do I know how much to use?
Maybe in a health food store...but usually we order it with our ingredients.
usually it is 5 ounces for a typical 5-gallon batch of beer....but carbing to style you usually use less...each style is different and has different volumes so it is fun to tweak that.
Zenman
Well-Known Member
doubt you will be able to find it in a grocery store, i found this out when making the apfelwine a few weeks ago, went to 5 stores in one day, even went to the help counter, had no idea what corn sugar was, kept trying to send me to corn syrup. 2 differnet manangers at 2 different stores said no such thing existed and had been in the biz for 30 years. They did have every kind of cane sugar you could imagine though.
So back to to LHBS I had to go, they have 1lbs and 3lbs bags of it
Was just tying to avoid going back to the LHBS as I had been there that morning anyway to get a new wine theif and auto siphon, but forgot the corn sugar i needed, and didn't want to make the 20 min drive again.
So back to to LHBS I had to go, they have 1lbs and 3lbs bags of it
Was just tying to avoid going back to the LHBS as I had been there that morning anyway to get a new wine theif and auto siphon, but forgot the corn sugar i needed, and didn't want to make the 20 min drive again. 
in a pinch you can use normal table sugar,but too much and it kinda tastes cidery.It's worth the 50 cents for dextrose at your local brew supply shop.that and(may have already been said)but for a 5G batch use about 3/4 cups or bout a half teaspoon per bottle.
ifishsum
Well-Known Member
Table sugar works fine, you won't be priming with near enough of it to cause any off taste. I do use dextrose most of the time because that's what you're supposed to use, but I can't tell any difference when I've used cane sugar.
Table sugar is fine. Measure it out by weight*, boil it up in a bit of water and go to town.
I have quit buying dextrose since I don't use it in anything anymore.
* About 5% less by weight with table sugar
I have quit buying dextrose since I don't use it in anything anymore.
* About 5% less by weight with table sugar
remilard
Well-Known Member
You can just use table sugar if it makes life easier for you. Invert it yourself if it makes you feel better. Dextrose is probably cheapest from home brew suppliers.
As for how much, that is hard to say. It is a function of how much c02 you want in your beer and how much is already in it. The latter is a function of the temperature of the beer at bottling time.
John Palmer's How to Brew has a nomograph showing you how much of either corn sugar (dextrose) or table sugar (sucrose)to add to 5 US gal of beer to achieve the desired carbonation based on the temperature of the beer at bottling time. Suggested carbonation levels for various styles are also included.
How to Brew - By John Palmer - Priming Solutions
You can see that the sugar required to hit a certain carbonation for a 55 F beer and for a 75 F beer are quite different and the temperature really must be taken into account if you expect to have any level of control over the finished product.
I assume the whole "5 ounces" thing is based on bottling 75 degree beer and targeting 2.5 volumes of c02. This would produce a level of carbonation in an English Ale bottled at 55 degrees that most people would consider undesirable.
conpewter
Well-Known Member
You know Revvy I think we need a corn sugar vs. table sugar priming thread, whatchya think?
conpewter
Well-Known Member
I believe the temp is the serving temperature, not the temp you keep it at to carbonate
I'd actually be interested in a table sugar vs invert sugar thread myself.
I've always taken the nomograph, and the priming calculator that I use on beersmith to be calibrated for the temp of the beer @ the time you bottle it...
I know that in beersmith if I adjust the temp box it gives me a different amount of priming sugar required to hit the volumes of co2....BUT I've never found a conformation on that...it just always felt right...but seeing your side I could understand your logic.
Neither beersmith or palmer has ever been clear on it...
But the temp of beer is pretty vague...it could be beer at bottling, at serving, or at storage even...
I lean towards "at bottling" since that's the first link in the chain...but I would love to have that cleared up...Does anyone know if Papazian talks about it? I haven't read it in awhile, and I can't recall.....
conpewter
Well-Known Member
Ah Revvy I think you are right, since there is Co2 in the beer from fermentation, which depends on the temp to know how much, plus the data looks better that way. I got away from sugar a while ago (Now I measure my carbonation in PSI), so I haven't actually tested.
I like invert sugar, I made some for the 999 barleywine (fermenter, not priming). I have not done any good experimentation on using different sugars for priming though.
I like invert sugar, I made some for the 999 barleywine (fermenter, not priming). I have not done any good experimentation on using different sugars for priming though.
remilard
Well-Known Member
I think Palmer is completely clear but either way if what you are interest in controlling is the amount of co2 in the bottle in volumes, which is temperature invariant, you need to know how much co2 is in the beer at bottling in volumes and how much you are adding in volumes. The temperature at bottling tells you the former, the amount of sugar added tells you the latter.
universe
Well-Known Member
For Canadians you can get carboys/beerkits/racking gear/corn sugar at Superstore.
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