Batch Priming Methods..

[CUSTOM-441]

In a couple days I'm going to be batch priming and bottling my first batch. It's a Coopers IPA kit, and has been in the primary fermenter for 3 weeks. The brew has been sitting at a relatively steady 19C and totals 5 gallons. My LHBS suggested if the FG was between 1.004-06 they typically add 1.25 cups of dextrose to the bottom of the bottling bucket then siphon on top. My FG is 1.003.

After some thorough snooping on the forum, there seems to be a few ways to do this. Do I follow my LHBS advice with 1.25 cups dextrose, or should I use less sugar? Also, I've also read that some people add their priming sugar to boiling water, then add it to the bottling bucket at room temp. I understand that it mixes better with the brew this way, but is there a widely accepted preference?

How much dextrose? Should I boil it with water or add directly to bottling bucket and siphon on top and gently stir?

 

[lump42]

I've always used table sugar (sucrose) because I already have it in the house. I bring a 2 cups to a boil, add the sugar, stir until it is dissolved, add to bottling bucket. When I transfer the beer, I make sure that the tubing is sitting on the bottom of the bucket and directed to get the beer to circle around the bucket. Then to give myself more peace of mind, I use the hose, siphon, or a sanitized spoon to gently stir the beer for another minute.

As far as how much sugar, I use an online calculator that takes into account the amount of desired carbonation and the maximum temp the beer reached while fermenting. BrewUnited has a good priming calculator http://www.brewunited.com/priming_sugar_calculator.php

 

[Gnomebrewer]

The final gravity of the beer doesn't affect how much priming sugar you need. 1.25 cups of dextrose will give the same level of carbonation whether you finished at 1.003 or 1.010.
Also, measure your dextrose or sugar by mass (weight) rather than in cups.
Definitely dissolve your sugar or dextrose in boiling water. I don't cool mine.

 

[CUSTOM-441]

Is there any rule of thumb for how much priming sugar is needed, and how much water to boil it in?

 

[robbeh]

Is there any rule of thumb for how much priming sugar is needed, and how much water to boil it in?

Sounds like you are on your way to a nice first brew, I started with those kits as well. Batch priming is the way to go. To answer your question:

- Boil up 2 cups of water for 5 minutes (time starting from when a boil starts) - I add the Dextrose as soon as a put the pot on the stove.
- Cool your water/sugar mix, easiest way is fill up your sink with cold tap water and gently swirl your pot in it. Do this for 5 minutes and it will be a fine temp.
- Quick calculation using what you told us is 4.7oz of Dextrose. (Make sure it's Dextrose and not DME, DME you would need more). This should get you a volume of around 2.5 (you will want 2.2-2.7 for an Ale)

Side Note: A lot of people usually just use 5oz of Dextrose in a 5G batch for Ales so anywhere around 5 is safe.

One thing to note when batch priming, gently pour your sugar/water in the beer. Give it a gentle stir (oxygen is not your friend here). I usually give a gentle stir at 2/3 and 1/3 remaining.

Summary: 2 Cups of water, 4.7oz of dextrose, boil for 5 minutes, cool, gentle stir into beer, bottle.

 

[kh54s10]

I prefer to use a calculator to determine how much priming sugar to use. And to prime to style of the beer. I use this one: https://www.northernbrewer.com/pages/priming-sugar-calculator

I weigh the sugar to be more accurate than by volume. How densely the sugar is packed in a cup could make a significant difference.

I bring the solution just to a boil. I do not cool it. I add it to a swirling siphon of the beer. Curl the siphon hose around the side of the bucket. It mixes well that way.

 

[CUSTOM-441]

Thanks for the replies! Going off the advice I think I'll be boiling my priming sugar and adding it as I siphon. It also sounds like my LHBS was way off on the amount of priming sugar. I don't have a scale accurate enough to measure the volume of sugar I'll be using so I'll be going off of cups for now. They suggested 1.25 cups dextrose.. this calculator is saying 0.58 cups. That's quite a big difference...

 

[robbeh]

Thanks for the replies! Going off the advice I think I'll be boiling my priming sugar and adding it as I siphon. It also sounds like my LHBS was way off on the amount of priming sugar. I don't have a scale accurate enough to measure the volume of sugar I'll be using so I'll be going off of cups for now. They suggested 1.25 cups dextrose.. this calculator is saying 0.58 cups. That's quite a big difference...

I’ll try and measure up 4.7oz in a cup tonight. I feel like it’s pretty close to a cup maybe even a cup and a half. I’m wondering if 0.58 cups is with packing it down to try and keep it more accurate. I could also just be way off on my guess and 0.58 is right.

 

[kh54s10]

.58 cups looks right to me. I would not worry too much about the density, weight is more accurate, but you won't be far off if loose or packed.

1.25 cups is just wrong and dangerous. It would give your beer over 4 volume. Somewhere over 3 volumes closes in on the strength of the bottles to resist the pressure. You would be risking making a batch of bottle bombs. Either there was miscommunication or the person at the LHBS does not know of what they speak.....

 

[lump42]

I’ll try and measure up 4.7oz in a cup tonight. I feel like it’s pretty close to a cup maybe even a cup and a half. I’m wondering if 0.58 cups is with packing it down to try and keep it more accurate. I could also just be way off on my guess and 0.58 is right.

The older recommendations I remember were to not use the full 5oz packet and if someone couldn't measure to use between a half and three-quarters of a cup, depending on low or high carbonation goals. In this case would put the CO2 volume between 2.2 and 2.8.

 

[CUSTOM-441]

A bit of an update...

I batch primed my beer to style using the calculator from Northern Brewer and added roughly 116 grams of dextrose to 2 cups of boiling water, then primed when it reached room temp. My beer has been in the bottle for 2 weeks at roughly 19C and I tried one today. It's a bit flat. Does it need more time, was the temp off or should I have used more priming sugar?

 

[lump42]

I'd try setting them in a warmer location for another week or two. 19C is on the lower end; I'd try getting setting it someplace a few degrees warmer, say 22C. When I bottled, I would always include a plastic soda bottle in the mix so I could test carbonation levels by squeezing it.

 

[balrog]

21 days at 72°F is the mantra. I think it's a bumper sticker. That is for bottle carbing.

 

[CUSTOM-441]

Will give it another week and try to store it in a warmer place. Easier said than done this time of year!

 

[Nubiwan]

A bit of an update...

I batch primed my beer to style using the calculator from Northern Brewer and added roughly 116 grams of dextrose to 2 cups of boiling water, then primed when it reached room temp. My beer has been in the bottle for 2 weeks at roughly 19C and I tried one today. It's a bit flat. Does it need more time, was the temp off or should I have used more priming sugar?

How many cups was 116 grams? I will be facing the same questions soon. MY LHBS also recommended and sold me a dextrose sugar for priming, and pretty sure it is 1 1/4 cup job. Which in the calculator seemed high.

To the uninitiated, like myself, your 2 week result might imply not enough sugar was used to carbonate, but that is merely an observation, considering what I was told too, by my LHBS.

I am brewing a simple Coopers malt extract kit, so not sure that makes any difference.

 

[kh54s10]

How many cups was 116 grams? I will be facing the same questions soon. MY LHBS also recommended and sold me a dextrose sugar for priming, and pretty sure it is 1 1/4 cup job. Which in the calculator seemed high.

To the uninitiated, like myself, your 2 week result might imply not enough sugar was used to carbonate, but that is merely an observation, considering what I was told too, by my LHBS.

I am brewing a simple Coopers malt extract kit, so not sure that makes any difference.

Use the calculator I linked. It give grams, ounces and cups. I suggest weighing. A scale is only about $20 and is much more accurate than volume (cups) For temperature use the highest temperature the beer got to when fermenting.

The 2 weeks may be from the wrong amount of priming sugar, uneven mix, or just that it needs more time. 3 weeks is the standard. Some will carbonate quicker, some slower, but ALL should taste better with 3 weeks or longer. The exception might be highly hopped beers.

 

[r4dyce]

I realize this is a bit off topic but just a suggestion to try some time if you want to.... I used to do batch priming but I've since switched to using sugar cubes in my bottles. I found batch priming to be extremely inconsistent. Too hard to tell exactly how much beer you have left when transfers are done, and no matter how much I mixed I would have some bottles extremely overcarbed, some nearly flat and the majority all over the map in between. Using the sugar cubes method I sacrifice precise carbonation level to know each bottle is getting the same amount and each one comes out perfect. Beside, using batch priming I wasn't really controlling the carb level anyway.
Nowadays I mostly keg my larger batches, but when I do bottle I still stick to sugar cubes. Just food for thought. I know plenty of people use batch priming successfully so if it works for you, awesome.

 

[kh54s10]

I realize this is a bit off topic but just a suggestion to try some time if you want to.... I used to do batch priming but I've since switched to using sugar cubes in my bottles. I found batch priming to be extremely inconsistent. Too hard to tell exactly how much beer you have left when transfers are done, and no matter how much I mixed I would have some bottles extremely overcarbed, some nearly flat and the majority all over the map in between. Using the sugar cubes method I sacrifice precise carbonation level to know each bottle is getting the same amount and each one comes out perfect. Beside, using batch priming I wasn't really controlling the carb level anyway.
Nowadays I mostly keg my larger batches, but when I do bottle I still stick to sugar cubes. Just food for thought. I know plenty of people use batch priming successfully so if it works for you, awesome.

I find dropping a tab in every bottle tedious. And I always worried about getting 2 in one and none in another. So, I only do that now when I have a batch being kegged and have a little more than the keg can hold.

I rarely get inconsistent carbonation when batch priming. I have also been able to control the amount of carbonation, though sometimes I don't get quite what I was aiming for.

 

[Nubiwan]

If I put my melted sugar solution in the bottom of my bottling pale, then slowly add the fermented primary ale, then surely it will evenly distribute the sugar into the final. Yes? No?

 

[kh54s10]

If I put my melted sugar solution in the bottom of my bottling pale, then slowly add the fermented primary ale, then surely it will evenly distribute the sugar into the final. Yes? No?

If you put the tubing along the side so that the incoming wort swirls around in a vortex it will mix well. I almost always get evenly mixed that way even without any further stirring. I start the siphon first then add the priming solution.

 

[balrog]

I never trusted the swirling method, and I carefully stir with sanitized spoon. But I've also bottled several bottles before realizing the priming sugar is still in the saucepan on the stove. But don't follow me, create your own wonderful goofs.
But I stir. I have too many memories of mixing small boil extract batches with top up water and measuring OG with weird results due to lack of thorough mixing.

 

[CUSTOM-441]

How many cups was 116 grams? I will be facing the same questions soon. MY LHBS also recommended and sold me a dextrose sugar for priming, and pretty sure it is 1 1/4 cup job. Which in the calculator seemed high.

To the uninitiated, like myself, your 2 week result might imply not enough sugar was used to carbonate, but that is merely an observation, considering what I was told too, by my LHBS.

I am brewing a simple Coopers malt extract kit, so not sure that makes any difference.

We're in the exact same boat. I'm also doing a Coopers kit, my LHBS gave me the same 1 1/4 cup advice while the calculator seemed to give me less. My results after 2 weeks in the bottle have lead me to the same conclusions you came to.

I ended up buying a cheap kitchen scale for $20 and weighed 116 grams of priming sugar and it ended up being between 3/4 and 1 cup of dextrose. That said, from everything I've read priming by weight (and not by volume) is definitely the way to go.

If you put the tubing along the side so that the incoming wort swirls around in a vortex it will mix well. I almost always get evenly mixed that way even without any further stirring. I start the siphon first then add the priming solution.

This is the method I used to prime. Also while bottling I gently stirred with a sanitized spoon when there was 1/2 and 1/4 of the batch left in the bottling bucket. When doing this I was careful not to cause turbulent bubbles and introduce oxygen into the brew. I haven't noticed inconsistent carbonation, just that they all seemed a little flat. That said, it's only been 2 weeks and the temp was a bit cooler than it probably should have been.

At the end of the day it still tasted good, and it's beer! I'll see what the difference is at 3 weeks, and in the future will probably use a 3 week minimum as my benchmark.