Did my first brew about 3 weeks ago, and finally bottled last night. Everything has been going great so far, but ran into an issue with priming. I used standard cane/table sugar and an online calculator to figure out home much. It told me to use 3.85 oz. I pre-boiled it and added it to the bottling bucked before I siphoned from my carboy. The issue I ran into was not considering the fact that I had a good 2" of "pond scum" sediment at the bottom which I didn't siphon. So my almost exact measurement of 5 gallons became around 4 gallons. I bottled into 3 different types of bottles (.5 liter flip-top, .33 liter flip-top, and 22 oz pry-top). I've been reading about this a little, and some said you can slow/stop the additional bottle fermentation by cooling it. Please give me the best course of action to salvage my hard work thus far. I can deal with figuring out how to calculate sugar better on future brews. My current concern is for all of my bottles which were painfully hand-cleaned to not explode and and ruin my beer at the same time. Thanks.
Over-Priming Issue
- Thread starter KrafteD
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Larry Sayre, Developer of 'Mash Made Easy'
It will likely end up with around 2.7 to perhaps 2.9 volumes of CO2, and it will in all likelihood be just fine.
How many volumes of CO2 were you shooting for?
How many volumes of CO2 were you shooting for?
Abrayton
Well-Known Member
Nothing to worry about. This calculator works well.
https://www.brewersfriend.com/beer-priming-calculator/
https://www.brewersfriend.com/beer-priming-calculator/
Dgallo
Instagram: bantam_brews
Should be fine. Once you taste a bottle that has the carb amount you want you could always put them all in a fridge. That will prevent it from carning anymore if you’re worried. If not all of them at least the 22oz bottles. Though each bottle has the same ratio of priming solution to beer volume, all bottles typically have the same amount of headspace regardless of the number of ounces it can hold. Due to this, larger bottles will actually have a higher level of carb because the larger bottles have a proportionately great volume to headspace than the smaller bottles.
Dgallo
Instagram: bantam_brews
Depends on how warm they are stored. I used to check after 5 days just to see where they were at. If it was barley carbed I’d wait another 5 days and try another. If they already had an ok carb I’d try in another 3.
I'm too new to this to know what "volume" I wanted, per say. I just used the calculator and chose the "IPA" beer style to give me a sugar quantity.
Chalk up to learning. Will probably get a nice fizz... when opening. Watch for foam out of the bottle and when pouring. Or, get really cold before serving. Maybe open in or near a sink just in case.
jack13
Well-Known Member
I agree with those who pointed out you probably won't get bombs and it'll be fine, even if it's a little more carbed than you planned.
But, here's one strategy to get the priming sugar just right, inasmuch as that's possible: Rather than trying to estimate what you'll end up with in the bottling bucket and putting that amount in the bucket and racking on top of it, wait to see how much you DO end up with in the bottling bucket and add the appropriate amount of priming sugar based on that. So for example, if you created your sugar solution based on 5 gallons, but then only ended up with 4, you could just pour 4/5th of your solution into the bottling bucket.
You'd have to do some light stirring you wouldn't have to do if you racked on top of the sugar solution, which is a disadvantage (increased chance for oxidation).
Personally, if it were me I'd do my best to estimate what'll end up in the bottlng bucket, create the corresponding sugar solution, and rack on top to avoid the stirring (at the cost of possibly not-quite-right carbonation). But we all have our own little things we like to get just right and things we're not as worried about.
But, here's one strategy to get the priming sugar just right, inasmuch as that's possible: Rather than trying to estimate what you'll end up with in the bottling bucket and putting that amount in the bucket and racking on top of it, wait to see how much you DO end up with in the bottling bucket and add the appropriate amount of priming sugar based on that. So for example, if you created your sugar solution based on 5 gallons, but then only ended up with 4, you could just pour 4/5th of your solution into the bottling bucket.
You'd have to do some light stirring you wouldn't have to do if you racked on top of the sugar solution, which is a disadvantage (increased chance for oxidation).
Personally, if it were me I'd do my best to estimate what'll end up in the bottlng bucket, create the corresponding sugar solution, and rack on top to avoid the stirring (at the cost of possibly not-quite-right carbonation). But we all have our own little things we like to get just right and things we're not as worried about.
It would be worthwhile to enter your actual beer volume and highest temperature since fermentation finished into the priming calculator. Even if it's not exact, you probably have a pretty good estimate. Find out how many CO2 volumes this works out to. Then you'll know if it's really an issue.
dwhite60
Well-Known Member
I'm dealing with the same issue with a stout I made. Bottled with Domino's Dots so they should not be over-carbed. I know fermentation was done. Got to be something growing in it.
Had the same issue a few months ago but it wasn't the whole batch probably just half the bottles.
Only other thing I can think of is this was the first batch I made as an experiment using nothing but One-Step to sanitize. Please, spare the "It's not a sanitizer" comments. Seems many people use it this way and never have issues. One try does not make it a failure. I made an ESB yesterday (Lot's of free time when you've been laid off) and I'm doing the same with it.
All the Best,
D. White
Had the same issue a few months ago but it wasn't the whole batch probably just half the bottles.
Only other thing I can think of is this was the first batch I made as an experiment using nothing but One-Step to sanitize. Please, spare the "It's not a sanitizer" comments. Seems many people use it this way and never have issues. One try does not make it a failure. I made an ESB yesterday (Lot's of free time when you've been laid off) and I'm doing the same with it.
All the Best,
D. White
dwhite60
Well-Known Member
If you're using a refractometer to gauge movement of the specific gravity to determine if fermentation is complete, alcohol content won't matter. Same reading three days in a row, it's done.
Now, if you want to gauge it to see if it's close to your expected target then yes you need to adjust based on alcohol content of the beer. This is where a hydrometer would serve better.
All the Best,
D. White
Now, if you want to gauge it to see if it's close to your expected target then yes you need to adjust based on alcohol content of the beer. This is where a hydrometer would serve better.
All the Best,
D. White
dwhite60
Well-Known Member
Pretty sure this is just over-carbed. I kept this cooler than usual while fermenting and I bet it just stalled. Three stable readings when the yeast is out cold doesn't mean much. No bottle bombs yet.
All the Best,
D. White
+~ i second, third or fourth....well, how ever many people said you'll probably be fine...(and hope you're kegging like a man, at least by your 3rd or 4th batch! 
)
Welcome!
edit: and just because you didn't siphon it, the sugar would still dissolve in the liquid....
)Welcome!
edit: and just because you didn't siphon it, the sugar would still dissolve in the liquid....
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