Priming Sugar Question?

My recipe says to make a sugar mixture and add a little to each bottle at bottling time. Can I just go ahead and add it all at once to the beer before. This is my very first batch, so everything is new to me.

Yeah, definitely add it all at once, then bottle. Much, much easier that way and you make sure you get a consistent amount in each bottle. You were right to question those instructions. Hope your brew turns out well. Cheers!

All my recipes said add 5 oz priming sugar to 1 cup boiling water and let cool! Then add to beer when racking to your bottling bucket! Then bottle!

benco said:

All my recipes said add 5 oz priming sugar to 1 cup boiling water and let cool! Then add to beer when racking to your bottling bucket! Then bottle!

Click to expand...

That's the way to go - always add it to boiled water (sanitation), then add the cooled water to the wort and bottle away

I usually add .8 oz per gallon.

As long as you realize that you'll need to rack your beer into a bottling bucket on top of the priming sugar solution to get an even mix of the two liquids for consistency in carbonation. You won't get them to mix very well if you just pour the priming solution into your primary without agitating to the point where you'll bring loads of yeast/trub back into solution.

Make sure the sugar solution gets mixed well into your brew. You can add the sugar solution slowly, little bits at a time, as you fill the bottling bucket. Or, you can gently stir the sugar solution into the beer with a sanitized spoon.

For my first brew, I just poured all of the sugar solution on the bottom and racked on top, not thinking much about it. The result? The earlier bottles were severely over-carbed (some actually exploded), and the later bottles were flat.

69Bronc said:

Or, you can gently stir the sugar solution into the beer with a sanitized spoon.

For my first brew, I just poured all of the sugar solution on the bottom and racked on top, not thinking much about it. The result? The earlier bottles were severely over-carbed (some actually exploded), and the later bottles were flat.

Click to expand...

I always give a gentle stir after adding the priming sugar to my fermenter - since I bottle from my fermenter as it has a spigot built in. Never been a problem. It doesn't affect the beer at all so I opt to gently stir it for a few seconds just to get it distributed rather than just expect it all to evenly spread out.


Rev.