Am I adding the correct amount of priming sugar?

This is the first time I am priming a batch by disolving the corn sugar and racking into a bottling bucket (previous batches were done by adding dry sugar directly to the bottles a la Mr. Beer instructions).

First off, I'm not 100% sure on the exact quantity of beer I have. I was following instuctions from a LHBS guy and didn't pay too much attention to how much I added. This is in a 'beer and wine' bucket (7.9 gal I guess). I was told to fill water to the bottom lip/ridge. My best guess is I have approx 7 gallons - does this sound about right?

Next, It seems like a general rule for priming for a lot of beers is 3/4 cup per 5 gallons. Should I use this and scale it for my 7ish gallons? I was trying to use http://kotmf.com/tools/prime.php to calculate my priming sugar amount and came up with 6.6oz. This is for SWMBO and she tends to like things more on the 'fizzy' side so I used 2.8 vols/CO2 and 6.5 gallons of beer - sound right?

I used 6.5 gals due to displacement of all the trub I probably have (this has a whole large can of raspberry puree in it). Also this seems to be a safe guesstimate to minimize bottle bombs and such.

Sorry so lengthy - just tryn' to give complete info. I even took/taken detailed notes on everything I brew.. just for whatever reason I went into autopilot with this one and didn't record water

Anyways.. thanks

Im not an expert primer but here is what I can offer. I use the calculator in Beer Alchemy and according to it 6.6 oz is about rite for a beer that is fermented at 55 deg. When I raised the temp to 65 deg I get 7.6 oz for 6.5 gal or 1.17 oz / gal. Some people may tell you to calculate the amount of dextrose (corn sugar) needed by the temp the beer is at bottling time but my calculator says to go by the fermentation temp so that is what I do unless the beer has spent a lot of time at a higher temp after fermentation. What style of beer did you make and what temp did you ferment it at?

Edit: Sorry it's early, I see that you said it's a fruit beer. Also Im sure you know this but keep in mind that we are talking in oz by weight not liquid oz.

I wonder if the discrepancy comes from the calculator I used figures in 'residual CO2'. This kinda brings up a side question.. I haven't read much on here about residual CO2. It may be that I've been reading the wrong posts or just overlooked it completely though. Is this something thats not really figured in to the calculations?

If it matters:
-This is a raspberry wheat
-My beer is currently at 65 degrees (and has been between 62-65 since the start)
-The recipe/ingredients are..
1 can of BREWFERM Tarwebier
1 can Muntons Wheat Malt Extract
1 3lb can Oregon seedless red raspberry puree
1.25 lb corn sugar
5g pack Safbrew S-33 yeast
-If I'm reading my hydrometer correctly
O.G. 1.054
F.G. 1.012

suckr said:

I wonder if the discrepancy comes from the calculator I used figures in 'residual CO2'.

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I would guess so but I'm not sure what one is rite....lol I know my beers seem to come out ok. Using the calculator that you linked I set it at 3 vols of Co2 and it came up with 7.3 oz so you could shoot for maybe 7 and come out pretty good I would guess.

suckr said:

This kinda brings up a side question.. I haven't read much on here about residual CO2. It may be that I've been reading the wrong posts or just overlooked it completely though. Is this something thats not really figured in to the calculations?

Click to expand...

There is a big discussion going on here some where about this rite now. I thought it was in brew science but I can seem to find it at the moment. Residual Co2 is figured in for sure but there seems to be some disagreement about what temperature should be used to determine how much Co2 is left in your beer after fermentation. if you fermented at 62-65 and it is now at 65 I think that is a very safe number to use so that part is easy....lol I hope I have helped you and not just added to the confusion.

Edit: Ah here it is https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f128/effects-cold-crashing-priming-sugar-needs-134347/

I guess this deals with cold crashing but still relates to residual Co2

I average out to 1 oz per gal for bulk 12 oz. bottle conditioning. Slightly less if your using larger bottles. 3/5ths of that if your keg conditioning. RDWHAHB!

Bull

Use a calculator:

http://www.collectionsoft.com/mybrewcollection/bp0.html

MattHollingsworth said:

http://www.collectionsoft.com/mybrewcollection/bp0.html

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This one agrees with the one you linked suckr. Mine must be off some how. I will have to check it with the manual calculations and see why it is like that. It must figure residual Co2 differently??? Any way, good luck!

And I assume the beer temperature parameter from this last link refers to the temperature at which the bottles will be put at during the first three weeks?

Or maybe it is at serving?

If I'm understanding it correctly the temp. effects how much residual CO2 is held in the beer and not a matter of what temp. the beer will be conditioned at. I think I am going to use 6.75oz to prime this batch with. This should be a safe amount to ensure adequate carbination and not result in any explosions. When this batch is ready I'll have a better idea on what to do next time by examining beer amount, sugar amount, carbination level, and temp.

The temp is certainly NOT the bottle temp. It's the temp of the beer at the time of bottling. And yes, it's to calculate residual CO2.

After bottling you should try to hold the beer steady at a temp between 70 and 73 for 3 weeks, in my opinion. Below that and it'll take longer to carb. Revvy has a whole thread on bottling that's got a lot of good info.

I doubt you have 7 gallons in that bucket! I'd go lower on the priming sugar, probably no more than 5 ounces by weight.

I have several buckets- one is 7.5 gallons (it's really big) and one is 6.5 gallons. To the very top is where the 7.5 gallon is. The bottom ridge is more like 5.5 in my buckets. With trub, usually it comes out to be about 5.25 gallons.

I'm concern if you prime for 2.8 volumes with 7 gallons in mind that you may have some VERY fizzy beer.

The bucket that I have this batch in is listed at 7.9 gallons (I'm assuming this is the same bucket - looks the same as this but I got it at my LHBS): http://www.northernbrewer.com/brewi...ipment/buckets/7-9-gal-fermenting-bucket.html .. but yeah, after measuring the graduations on side I probably have approx. 6 gallons. The LHBS sells 5oz packs of sugar for 5 gallon batches so it looks like I may split the difference and go with 5.5oz or 5.75oz for this one.

I have several of the same buckets. It's almost exactly 6 gallons to that bottom ring. Remember that you'll have some trub on the bottom of the fermenter, so you may have 5.5 gallons of beer in the end.

Well I just finished bottling this and based on typing random numbers in the calc., I should end up with approx. 3 vols CO2 (however much that is :cross

Thanks for all the help guys