Had a good ol' time with this one. So I'm bottling my Ocktoberfest by use of a bucket, auto-siphon, and 4.5oz of corn sugar. I boil the corn sugar and poor it in the bucket. Now to siphon without splashing I have to balance the bucket precariously against the counter and my hip. Probably not the smartest idea, but never had issues before with this maneuver. Next thing I now I have the corn sugar on the floor and no more corn sugar in my house to replace it. I then go to the next best thing, cane sugar. Look up the amount needed and am ready to use. Thoroughly rinse and re-sanitize everything and ready to go with the cane sugar, boil, poor it in, start bottling.
So after maybe thirty minutes, I'm down to the last beer to bottle, feeling somewhat relieved to have recovered from my stupid mistake. I then notice that the last remains in the bucket are pretty clear. I taste it...incredibly sweet. Panic. Forgot to stir. I try to calm myself by saying that it is possible some of it mixed and the bottles will vary in carbonation. Pull the refractometer out and compare the first and last beers bottled. First beer's brix: 8. Last beer's brix: 15! (As if the candied taste of the last beer wasn't enough to tell me this.) Panic some more. Eventually give up, open each bottle and poor it back into my bucket, then siphon into my keg. Problem solved until I have to taste it and it taste of cardboard or funky cider.
So after maybe thirty minutes, I'm down to the last beer to bottle, feeling somewhat relieved to have recovered from my stupid mistake. I then notice that the last remains in the bucket are pretty clear. I taste it...incredibly sweet. Panic. Forgot to stir. I try to calm myself by saying that it is possible some of it mixed and the bottles will vary in carbonation. Pull the refractometer out and compare the first and last beers bottled. First beer's brix: 8. Last beer's brix: 15! (As if the candied taste of the last beer wasn't enough to tell me this.) Panic some more. Eventually give up, open each bottle and poor it back into my bucket, then siphon into my keg. Problem solved until I have to taste it and it taste of cardboard or funky cider.
Gotta love it.
