I didn't mix my priming sugar!

Hi,

I bottled a batch of imperial IPA last night and added 2/3 cup of priming sugar (pre-boiled in water) to my bottling bucket. I use paint strainer bags as a lining to filter out hops debris and stuff. The beer siphoned smoothly into the bucket but I'm worried that the paint strainer bag might have blocked the swirling action that helps mix the priming sugar. I usually mix with a large spoon before I start to bottle after I take the paint strainer bag out. Anyway, you know the last bit at the bottom that won't fill a bottle? I usually drink it. And this last bit tasted VERY sweet. Maybe its just some of the priming sugar that settled but Im afraid it didn't mix well. Will I have any problems?

Only way to tell is.... wait and see. Your probably ok though.

I'll assume that all bottles will carbonate it's just that some of them may take quite some time and it will be hit or miss. If you bottled in any particular order as you boxed them up, the ones that were bottled first will probably carbonate faster than the last, just a guess. Do watch out for exploding bottles though as some may have way too much sugar in them, better to err on the side of caution.

I already have them in a plastic tub just in case. I hope they don't explode, it was a pricy batch of beer! Do most people mix the priming sugar in with a ladle?

I've never "stirred" my priming sugar. The racking motion mixes it fine.

OK. Thats good to know. I have been mixing every time and I was half way through bottling before I remembered that I forgot. I haven't had bottle bombs thus far and Im not ready to start now. This five gallon batch cost me 100 bucks and I only got 43 bottles. Thats 2+ dollars a beer. I still bottle condition in plastic tubs just in case. I won't worry about it then. Ill try one in a month and see how it is! I feel honored to have gotten a response from you Revvy as it is not hard to tell that you are one of the gurus on this forum.

Thanks,

Shawn

For the record, I opened three of these beers in a row after three weeks in the bottle. I have uneven carbonation. So, I would recommend stirring in your priming sugar when you bottle. The first one spewed out almost until there was nothing left in the bottle. the second one was hardly carbonated. Im lucky I didn't have any bottle bombs. I was worried this was going to be the case........

McGlothan said:

For the record, I opened three of these beers in a row after three weeks in the bottle. I have uneven carbonation. So, I would recommend stirring in your priming sugar when you bottle. The first one spewed out almost until there was nothing left in the bottle. the second one was hardly carbonated. Im lucky I didn't have any bottle bombs. I was worried this was going to be the case........

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That's not why your beer is unevenly carbed.

It's really just because they're just on the cusp of being ready.

Inconsistant carbonation, usually simply means that they are not ready yet. If you had opened them a week later, or even two, you never would have noticed. Each one is it's own little microcosm, and although generally the should come up at the same time, it's not an automatic switch, and they all pop on.

A tiny difference in temps between bottles in storage can affect the yeasties, speed them up or slow them down. Like if you store them in a closet against a warm wall, the beers closest to the heat source may be a tad warmer than those further way, so thy may carb/condition at slightly different rates. I usually store a batch in 2 seperate locations in my loft 1 case in my bedroom which is a little warmer, and the other in the closet in the lving room, which being in a larger space is a tad cooler, at least according to the thermostat next to that closet. It can be 5-10 degrees warmer in my bedroom. So I usually start with that case at three weeks. Giving the other half a little more time.


The three weeks we talk about is usually just the minimum. Many beers take longer. If you had given them another week, more than likely you never would have noticed. Just give them more time.

I didn't ever think of storing in different locations for carbing times. I am going to try that out on my next batch. I keep my closet pretty cool. At 70 most times. Thanks for the tip. I definitely had one that was over-carbed though. It sounded like missile when I opened it and overflowed

McGlothan said:

I didn't ever think of storing in different locations for carbing times. I am going to try that out on my next batch. I keep my closet pretty cool. At 70 most times. Thanks for the tip. I definitely had one that was over-carbed though. It sounded like missile when I opened it and overflowed

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"At 70 most times," Means it probably spends a great deal of time below 70...that means it's gonna need more time.

It rarely changes from 70 degrees. maybe only 1 or 2 nights went down to 64-68. Would an over-carbed beer become less carbed over more time?

Many, many, MANY moons ago, when I was bottling, oh, so very long ago, I never, not even once, stirred the bottling bucket to mix the boiled sugar water that was added to an empty bucket. The action of racking onto the sugar water (MiB) was enough to thoroughly mix the magic elixir. And of course ALL of my bottles, every single one of them, always had perfect carbonation.

You have done well. Have a beer.

Well, I haven't yet been able to step up to kegging as of yet, but I hope to do so to avoid these types of mishaps. I do know however that three of the bottles I opened of my beer COMPLETELY spewed out of the bottle to where there was none left afterwards. Ive had a couple that were carbed perfectly and 1 that wasn't carbed that much. I know brewing takes patience and time, even though I'm a newbie. I am trying to understand why a few of them were completely overcarbed. Ive brewed a handful of batches thus far and this is the very first time this has happened to me. Ive mixed my priming sugar every other time besides this one. Sometimes, I guess the universe has an influence on the process and makes it less predictable. I guess I will do what has worked for me so far and stir

Watch poindexter's video from my bottling blog.



As he shows, until the co2 is actually settled in solution (usually after a few days chilling) beers can gush, and APPEAR to be over carbed.

Thanks for posting this very informative video. This has answered the million dollar question for me. It seems that the CO2 simply takes time to absorb back into the beer once it is released. There is a lot to learn from reading the books, but a good visual explanation always helps drive it home. Thanks for all of the useful information once again. I have researched things very studiously in my journey to become a good home brewer, yet there are always concerns that pop up that have very simple explanations. When a green brewer like myself can dip from the pool of knowledge with our simple problems and concerns and get this kind of information, it is much appreciated. Im sure everyone started somewhere with the bare essentials, and learned along the way as I have thus far. The more you share the more great beer there will be in the world.

Cheers,

Shawn

We see these issues a hundred times a week. Every new brewer's carb problems are usually the same, simply not enough time. I've carbed hundreds of gallons of beer, and never had a beer that wasn't carbed, or under carbed or anything of the sort (Except for a batch where I accidently mixed up lactose or Maltodextrine for priming sugar). Some took awhile, (as I said up to six months) but they ALL eventually carbed.

It's not complicated, it's not magic, but it is a matter of just letting the yeast do what is in their DNA to do....

During my first bottling a few months ago, I forgot to dissolve the sugar and just tossed it dry into my bottling bucket.

The beer carbed fine. I'm not going to worry too much about carbing in the future.