Inconsistant Carbonation

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boydak

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Last batch I put the sugar water in the bottom of the botteling bucket and racked on top of it.

The first case of bottles carbed nicely, the 2nd some have been over and some flat.

Could it be from not getting a good mix of the sugar? Usually I put the sugar water in half way through.
 
Yeah, that sounds like inconsistent mixing of the priming sugar. I know it is recommended to do it the way you did it, but I never trusted that. I suppose if you had the tube on the bottom of the bucket so that it created a gentle whirlpool, that should technically work. What I do is pour in the sugar first, rack on top of it, and then gently stir just to insure that it is mixed well. I say gently because I am cautious of oxidation. I haven't had a problem yet, but that is just my own observations.
 
I curl the tube around the bottom of the bucket,let a few inches swirl around the bottom,then ease the 2C priming solution into the surface of the swirling beer. When it's all racked over,I like to give it some 12 gentle stirs to make sure it's mixed well.
 
Thanks, that is what I thought. Flat homebrew is still better than no homebrew!!!!

I have never stired before but I might start.
 
How many weeks have they been in the bottles and at what temp are you storing them?

I've never bought the "insufficient mixing of the priming sugar" argument. If you put the solution in the bottom and rack on top of it you are mixing the solution as it is swirling upward in the bucket.
 
boydak said:
Thanks, that is what I thought. Flat homebrew is still better than no homebrew!!!!

I have never stired before but I might start.

I have had multiple batches where I added my sugar water mix to the bottom and racked on top where the wort was whirl pooling in the bottom with the sugar. It looked like it should have mixed well. I had bottle bombs and inconsistent carbonation on multiple batches using this method. I have started to rack my beer in my bottling bucket, gently pour the cooled sugar water on top and lightly stir. I have had consistent carbonation and no more bottle bombs. Also haven't had any with oxidation issues either.
 
Im still pretty new but the way I do it is I rack a a gallon or so into my bottling bucket,
then I add my cooled dextrose solution, then rack I continue to fill the bottling bucket.
After it is filled I gently stir about 10 full diameters of my bottling bucket getting a little whirlpool without oxidizing (splashing around).
I then get my bottles lined up takes 5 minutes or so prep.
Then bottle, in hopes this is enough to consistently prime all bottles.
 
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