Priming help

[SitOnItFonzie]

How much priming sugar is generally needed for bottling? How much is too much? What are some good rules to follow to ensure a good carbonation? Thanks in advance

 

[BBL_Brewer]

It depends on the style and how much carbonation you are after. However, 1 oz of priming sugar per gallon of beer is a good rule of thumb.

 

[solbes]

4 oz of corn sugar is a good starting point. If you want more carbonation, try 5 oz. For an english style bitter without much carbonation, 3 oz might be sufficient. It's all in what you want.

See link to Palmer's How to Brew Ed 1:
http://www.howtobrew.com/section1/chapter11-4.html

If your beer is already cold, it may have some residual CO2 left in it. Then you add less sugar. See graph in link referenced above.

Make sure you get the sugar boiled, cooled, and mixed thoroughly with your beer prior to bottling (don't want bottle bombs!). I find that adding the sugar first, racking the beer on top, and using the racking cane to gently stir the solution while transferring is enough to enure even sugar distribution.

Give the bottles 2-3 weeks at ~ 70 F to ensure carbonation. May take longer with some beers.

And lastly, don't FORGET the sugar. It happens.

 

[audger]

4 oz of corn sugar is a good starting point....

its important to give complete information, like how much beer 4oz of sugar is supposed to go into, so people dont get confused. just because you normally bottle in 5gal batches doesnt mean everyone does.

so the rule of thumb is 4 to 5 ounces of sugar per 5 gallons of beer, but you should refer to the carbonation chart for the correct amount for your specific style of beer.

 

[SitOnItFonzie]

Thanks for all of the info! I do however have 1 more question:
Is there any point in where this method would not work? For example, if I were to bulk age say, a mead, for a year, then bottle with corn sugar would I still get it to carb?

 

[HOPsurf321]

I am on my first brewing attempt, an American wheat from extract kit, going to do a long primary then bottle, should I worry about the bottles not carbonating properly after a long primary?

 

[day_trippr]

I am on my first brewing attempt, an American wheat from extract kit, going to do a long primary then bottle, should I worry about the bottles not carbonating properly after a long primary?

Most likely no reason to worry, but if you have any doubts, just extract a tablespoon of yeast from the primary fermentation vessel and mix it into your bottling bucket along with your priming ingredients before bottling. If it helps you rest peacefully it's worth it

Cheers!