Adding Priming Sugar to Beer, Instead of Adding Beer to Priming Sugar

[NothingRhymesWithCurtiss]

This is a complete newb question, so my apologies.

For the last few batches I've done, my bottles have been over-carbed (not bottle bombs mind you) due to calculating the amount of priming sugar needed (ex: enough for 5 gallons), but coming up short on beer due to excess trub in my ale pale.

Everything that I have read says to add the priming sugar mixture to my bottling bucket, then rack the beer on top of it. So what I'm wondering is if I can transfer the beer to the bottling bucket, determine how much priming sugar I need, then mix in the priming sugar?

I know that carb drops are a possibility, but I'm trying to save some money here.

Any help is appreciated.

 

[Aristotelian]

Of course. You can also do it the traditional way and account for trub loss.

A cheap alternative to carb drops that also works is sugar cubes. Perfect for 12 oz bottles.

 

[popsicleian]

Of course. You can also do it the traditional way and account for trub loss.

A cheap alternative to carb drops that also works is sugar cubes. Perfect for 12 oz bottles.

Just wanted to chime in with an endorsement for sugar cubes. I've used them for my last 5 batches, and I have been very pleased--great carbonation levels, and completely consistent, which is not what I experienced with carb drops. Cheap, too.

 

[NothingRhymesWithCurtiss]

Of course. You can also do it the traditional way and account for trub loss.

A cheap alternative to carb drops that also works is sugar cubes. Perfect for 12 oz bottles.

My problem with trub loss is that it varies from batch to batch:

• A 5 gallon batch, with a gallon of trub
• A 5 gallon batch, with 1/4 gallon of trub
• A 2.5 gallon batch, with 1/2 gallon of trub

Thanks for the reco on sugar cubes. Assuming that I would just need to adjust how many I add based on bottle size: 22oz, 1 Liter...

 

[Aristotelian]

Are you fermenting in a clear glass or plastic carboy? You should be able to guesstimate the trub loss to some degree.

You can also use a bottling bucket and determine final volume in the bucket before calculating your priming sugar. But why bother when you can just use sugar cubes.

22 oz is just under double 12 oz. I wouldn't hesitate to go with two cubes or one and a half (crumbled) if you want to be really conservative. A liter is 33 oz, just less than 3 x 12 oz, so try 3 cubes. Etc

 

[popsicleian]

Are you fermenting in a clear glass or plastic carboy? You should be able to guesstimate the trub loss to some degree.

You can also use a bottling bucket and determine final volume in the bucket before calculating your priming sugar. But why bother when you can just use sugar cubes.

22 oz is just under double 12 oz. I wouldn't hesitate to go with two cubes or one and a half (crumbled) if you want to be really conservative. A liter is 33 oz, just less than 3 x 12 oz, so try 3 cubes. Etc

I've never used liter bottles, but I always just use 2 in my 22oz bombers. I can't personally tell a difference in carb level between those and my 12ozers with one cube..

 

[derekcw83]

Problem I always had with transferring onto the sugar was there was always a very sugary solution at the bottom after bottling. I could see it as well as taste it. I didn't like the possibility of uneven carbonation or lack of it in all my bottles, so I now rack then add the sugar and mix adequately. It has solved that problem. Should solve yours as well.

 

[Hanglow]

A sugar cube is 4g here, so adding one per 500ml bottle works out at a rate of 8g/l which is a fairly high carbonation (about 3 volumes, depending on the temp of course) . One per 12oz us bottle would be far too much for most beers imo - it would be closer to 4 volumes. Depends what you like of course

When I transfer the sugar solution, I wait until the racked beer is above the level of the bottling bucket tap, then carefully add the sugar. It gets well mixed as the rest of the beer transfers and doesn't stick to the bottom, then I give it a bit of a stir as well once done. I never have uneven carbonation then

 

[madscientist451]

This is a complete newb question, so my apologies.

For the last few batches I've done, my bottles have been over-carbed (not bottle bombs mind you) due to calculating the amount of priming sugar needed (ex: enough for 5 gallons), but coming up short on beer due to excess trub in my ale pale.



Any help is appreciated.

Are you sure the amount of priming sugar is the problem? How long do you ferment before bottling and do you take multiple gravity readings when it stops? 1 gallon of trub in a 5 gallon batch seems extremely high,
how did that happen?

 

[popsicleian]

A sugar cube is 4g here, so adding one per 500ml bottle works out at a rate of 8g/l which is a fairly high carbonation (about 3 volumes, depending on the temp of course) . One per 12oz us bottle would be far too much for most beers imo - it would be closer to 4 volumes. Depends what you like of course

When I transfer the sugar solution, I wait until the racked beer is above the level of the bottling bucket tap, then carefully add the sugar. It gets well mixed as the rest of the beer transfers and doesn't stick to the bottom, then I give it a bit of a stir as well once done. I never have uneven carbonation then

The ones I use here are 2.5g, which generally seems appropriate.

 

[NothingRhymesWithCurtiss]

Are you sure the amount of priming sugar is the problem? How long do you ferment before bottling and do you take multiple gravity readings when it stops? 1 gallon of trub in a 5 gallon batch seems extremely high,
how did that happen?

I'm taking multiple gravity readings 3 days apart to ensure that fermentation is complete. This is done after 10 - 14 days of fermentation.

I should've called out that the majority of my batches are dry hopped, with the hops being tossed directly in. (To which I'm now thinking that I should start using a hop sack.)

I've pitched yeast slurry a few times, which increases trub in the fermenter, but even with a fresh pack of yeast, I'm getting a minimum 1/4 gallon of trub.