May have screwed up batch carb, need advice.

[gerg_burglar]

Went to bottle beer and added the boiled sugar water to the bottling bucket. Then transferred the beer from the fermentor onto the sugar water. Then bottled.

I went to test the last bit of the beer with my hydrometer and it read 1.040! I knew something was wrong because I was supposed to hit 1.018. I tasted the sample and it tasted like pure sugar. I pulled a bottle that was filled earlier and it tested 1.018.

My concern is that the sugar did not mix into the beer. Should I add sugar to the bottles, or just cap and assume sugar made it into the bottles to carb?

Thanks.

 

[RPh_Guy]

My concern is that the sugar did not mix into the beer.

Sounds legit.

I'd bite the bullet and empty the bottles back into the bucket.

How did you transfer into the bottling bucket? I use a tube running into the bucket that reaches the bottom and is angled to the side so that the beer flowing into the bucket stirs itself. Works perfectly.

 

[gerg_burglar]

I transferred the same way you described. I usually take a sanitized big spoon and give it a slow stir, but I forgot this time.

I dumped the beer with all of the sugar. Should I make more sugar/water boil mix and re-bottle? Am I taking a big risk of infection?

 

[RPh_Guy]

I dumped the beer with all of the sugar. Should I make more sugar/water boil mix and re-bottle? Am I taking a big risk of infection

? That's hard to say. I would err on the low side, so probably not.
Infection risk is small if you properly sanitize everything.

 

[gerg_burglar]

I followed your advice. We dumped everything back in to the bottling bucket. However, since I dumped that beer I tested with all of the sugar, I decided to add more sugar-water. Not a full batch, but enough to potentially carb all of the bottles with any remaining sugar in the beer.

I hope I don't have any bottle bombs!

 

[ong]

A route that might have been a bit safer is letting the beer ferment dry again in the bucket (consuming the priming sugar), and then repriming and bottling. Fingers crossed, though! Maybe keep the bottles in a large tupperware tub if you have such a thing?

 

[Soulshine2]

Sounds legit.

I'd bite the bullet and empty the bottles back into the bucket.

How did you transfer into the bottling bucket? I use a tube running into the bucket that reaches the bottom and is angled to the side so that the beer flowing into the bucket stirs itself. Works perfectly.

exactly how i do mine.

 

[kh54s10]

How much sugar did you add the second time. If more than 1/2 the original amount, I would put those bottles in a strong plastic container and expect to have problems. Even at 1/4 the original amount I would be worried unless the original prime was for low carbonation.