Priming Sugar

How much priming sugar and of what type should I add to my hard cider when bottling to produce carbonation?

I use .8oz cane (table) sugar per gallon of finished cider to bottle carbonate, boiled in a small amount of water to sterilize.

I've seen a few people mention that, sterilizing their sugar by boiling. I could be wrong, but I think sugar, and things high in sugar (like honey), are hydrophiles. This means, in unscientific terms, that they draw water powerfully to themselves. That in turn makes it very difficult for organisms to live in or around them. They are killed by their water being leeched from them by the sugar. This is why honey, candy, and other things high in sugar don't require preservatives and keep almost forever.

Therefore, as long as your measuring equipment, funnels, or whatever are sterilized, I don't think it's necessary to actually sterilize the sugar. I don't, anyway. Not that it matters much, but hey, why add water to a good drink if you don't have to?

its also for ease of mixing. you add the sugar water to your bottling bucket before you rack your cider to it. it should mix in evenly. otherwise you have to measure it out separately for each bottle.

wreckinball9 said:

its also for ease of mixing. you add the sugar water to your bottling bucket before you rack your cider to it. it should mix in evenly. otherwise you have to measure it out separately for each bottle.

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Ah, yeah, that makes sense. I'll probably do the same, if I ever make a carbonated batch, come to think of it.

I use 2/3 cup raw blond cane sugar for 5 gal batches and just work it out from there for larger or smaller batches. Stir into just enough boiling water to dissolve the sugar then add to the bottling bucket and rack into it.