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priming individual bottles

Discussion in 'Beginners Beer Brewing Forum' started by sputnam, Nov 15, 2015.

 

  1. #1
    sputnam

    Well-Known Member

    Posted Nov 15, 2015
    i normally keg but i'm beginning to start some experiments and i'll be bottling a good bit and i'd like to know how much sugar to put in each 12 & 22 oz bottle. Normally i would batch prime but I just think it would be easier to do each bottle (i'm only gonna be doing between 6 and 10 bottles).
     
    slym2none likes this.
  2. #2
    Pappers_

    Moderator Staff Member  

    Posted Nov 15, 2015
    TonyKZ1 likes this.
  3. #3
    flars

    Well-Known Member

    Posted Nov 15, 2015
    I had read posts about priming with sugar cubes. There are different sizes available. The box will give the weight of the sugar and number of cubes for calculating individual weight.

    Many bad reviews of the carbonation tabs. Sugar cubes may be better.
     
    TonyKZ1 likes this.
  4. #4
    Rhumbline

    Well-Known Member

    Posted Nov 15, 2015
    if you figure around 4oz for 5 gallons, it would seem to work out to about 2.1 to 2.4 grams per 12oz bottle depending on how carbed you wanted it.
     
  5. #5
    unionrdr

    Homebrewer, author & air gun shooter  

    Posted Nov 15, 2015
    It's the pill-size tablets that get a lot of bad press around here. The carbonation drops Cooper's sells are better than those tablets.
     
    TonyKZ1 likes this.
  6. #6
    ChefRex

    I once had a thought,  

    Posted Nov 15, 2015
    Done it many times, started at 2 grams but found that too high, using 1.2 -1.5 gm in a 12oz and pretty happy with the results with corn sugar
     
  7. #7
    IslandLizard

    Progressive Brewing Staff Member  

    Posted Nov 15, 2015
    Dissolve the needed amount of sugar for your batch size and desired carbonation level in some hot water. Top off to a reasonably sized but still small volume, you don't want to dilute your beer. Boil in the microwave to sanitize and fill a syringe with it. Then squirt the required volume into each bottle. 5-10ml is a good measure per bottle, for say a 60 or 100ml syringe and accurate enough. Alternatively you could fill a smaller, more precise syringe each time for each bottle.
     
  8. #8
    Randomnoob

    Well-Known Member

    Posted Nov 15, 2015
    I keg my beers and make about six to ten bottles in order to avoid overfilling the keg. I just use Brewers Best carbonation tabs. I like having the bottles to give to friends or relatives and for competitions.

    One of my gifts for my groomsmen last month was a bottle of the Belgian Wit I made for the rehearsal dinner. People drank the keg in about an hour and drank almost half my other keg of nut brown ale my soon to be wife pointed out to them...
     
  9. #9
    GHBWNY

    Well-Known Member

    Posted Nov 15, 2015
    I've never used sugar cubes or tablets. What are the chances that they won't dissolve completely sitting at the bottom of the bottle?
     
  10. #10
    Mexibilly

    Mexibilly

    Posted Nov 15, 2015
    Interesting that the grams per bottle look much like the desired volumes of CO2...
     
    CJ-3 likes this.
  11. #11
    SippinSudz

    Well-Known Member

    Posted Nov 15, 2015
    View attachment ImageUploadedByHome Brew1447610900.004752.jpg

    I've used this with corn sugar with excellent results.

    I don't have a 3/4tsp soon, yes they're available, but I measured 3 level x 1/4tsp into my 1tsp and after a couple of those I could eyeball the rest of the bottles in the 1tsp only doing up to what I figured was 3/4
     
    sputnam, TonyKZ1 and FloppyKnockers like this.
  12. #12
    slym2none

    "Lazy extract brewer."

    Posted Nov 15, 2015
    It depends on the beer. For stouts & lower-carbed beers (say, 2.1-2.2 vols CO²) I use 1/2 teaspoon of sugar for a 12-oz bottle. Higher-carbed beers get 3/4 teaspoon, which I figure is about 2.6 vols. CO². I accidentally put 1 whole teaspoon of sugar in my very first batch, and while not over-carbed, they are very fizzy. I think this is 3.1-3.2 vols CO², and from what I understand, that's about the limit a regular glass bottle should be taken to.

    I hope this helps!
     
    sputnam likes this.
  13. #13
    TonyKZ1

    Well-Known Member

    Posted Nov 17, 2015
    I also use this chart from Mr. Beer with good results, they both have the same amounts.

    sugar.png
     
  14. #14
    WrQth

    Well-Known Member

    Posted Nov 17, 2015
    I've used them and have yet to have any that did not dissolve completely within 3 days. They all carb well also so no bad review of the tablets from me.
     
  15. #15
    N4teTheGreat

    Well-Known Member

    Posted Nov 17, 2015
    I've used coopers carb drops in my first brew with no issues. Only real problem is you can't really carb to style. I got lazy this round and had a leftover bag so I used them again. I'll get around to making my simple syrup and mixing it when I rack eventually.

    -- Nathan
     
  16. #16
    unionrdr

    Homebrewer, author & air gun shooter  

    Posted Nov 18, 2015
    I still have a bag of those in my grain/brewing ingredients dunnage I never opened. Might just give'em away?...
     
  17. #17
    slym2none

    "Lazy extract brewer."

    Posted Nov 18, 2015
    They can be cut, either with a pill-cutter (who has one of those, anyway?) or just a good knife on a cutting board. One pill is equivalent to 1 tsp. of sugar, so it's pretty easy to figure it out from there.

    :)
     
  18. #18
    unionrdr

    Homebrewer, author & air gun shooter  

    Posted Nov 18, 2015
    I have a pill splitter I used with these green horse pills the Dr gave me once. I use it now to split my Whirlfloc tablets. Nice clean, even split.
     
    slym2none likes this.
  19. #19
    slym2none

    "Lazy extract brewer."

    Posted Nov 19, 2015
    And that's what I get for trying to be a smartass!

    :D
     
  20. #20
    unionrdr

    Homebrewer, author & air gun shooter  

    Posted Nov 19, 2015
    Not trying to cast aspersions, just putting in my 2c. I just happened to have one my son found at the drug-section of Giant Eagle, so I put it to use. They're cheap & work well. They look like a rectangular plastic box with these Exacto-lookin' blade things in'em. There's also a "V" that holds the pill in place to split it when closing the box.:mug:
     
  21. #21
    slym2none

    "Lazy extract brewer."

    Posted Nov 19, 2015
    I was just joking around...

    ;)
     
  22. #22
    unionrdr

    Homebrewer, author & air gun shooter  

    Posted Nov 20, 2015
    I kinda figured you were, so no sweat. I just figured while we were about it, I'd give my 2c, for whatever it's worth to posterity...:mug:
     
    slym2none likes this.
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