best way to mix priming sugar with beer?

[perfecxion]

Ive brewed 7 or 8 all grain batches so far, and a consistent problem in almost all of them has been under carbonation. From the beginning ive been mixing in my priming sugar solution just as Palmer describes to do in how to brew (occasionally using more sugar as prescribed by online calculators)

1. Boil 3/4 cup of corn sugar (4 oz by weight), or 2/3 cup of white sugar, or 1 and 1/4 cup dry malt extract in 2 cups of water and let it cool.

If you have a bottling bucket (see Figure 66) gently pour the priming solution into it. Using a sanitized siphon, transfer the beer into the sanitized bottling bucket. Place the outlet beneath the surface of the priming solution.

i just bottled a tripel last night and as usual there were a few ounces of beer left in the bottom of the bottling bucket. i tried it, it was very sweet (like apple juice), so i measured the gravity and it was 1.05 (I measured the FG of this beer at 1.006). Im left with the conclusion that all my priming sugar has been getting left in the bottom of the bottling bucket and not getting mixed into the beer.

I had suspected this to be the problem so a few batches ago i used a sanitized spoon to give the full bottling bucket a swirl 2 or 3 times, but that beer came out undercarbed as well.

Am i the only one that has had problems with this? is there a more effective way to evenly mix priming sugar in ?

 

[rodwha]

Are you pouring your priming solution after you siphoned the beer?

You should be pouring the cooled down solution into the bucket and then siphoning the beer into it which stirs it up fairly well. I still sanitize a spoon and give it a gentle stir to make sure though.

 

[rodwha]

Use this:

http://www.northernbrewer.com/priming-sugar-calculator/

You should use the temp that it will be sitting at, and the volume minus the trub.

 

[perfecxion]

Are you pouring your priming solution after you siphoned the beer?

You should be pouring the cooled down solution into the bucket and then siphoning the beer into it which stirs it up fairly well. I still sanitize a spoon and give it a gentle stir to make sure though.

everywhere ive read people seem quit sure that putting the sugar solution in the bucket and then letting the beer siphon into it will allow it to sufficiently mix itself. i admit that from watching the whirlpool effect it causes as the two mix leaves me pretty stumped as too how all the sugar is remaining on the bottom...

Use this:

http://www.northernbrewer.com/priming-sugar-calculator/

You should use the temp that it will be sitting at, and the volume minus the trub.

thats what ive been using

 

[rodwha]

Have you been using the ambient temp that it sits at? And are you using the siphoned volume?

Are you going by weight or volume of sugar? Best to go by weight if you aren't as it's accurate whereas volume isn't quite so.

 

[gotbags-10]

Very curious about this as well. I just bottled my first batch 1 week ago using the same method as you did (per John Palmer ) with sugar in the bottom then racking on top of it to mix. I didn't use a spoon because there was a pretty good whirlpool going. I just put a bottle in the fridge that I will try tomm and then will try one in another week to see as well.

 

[perfecxion]

Have you been using the ambient temp that it sits at? And are you using the siphoned volume?

Are you going by weight or volume of sugar? Best to go by weight if you aren't as it's accurate whereas volume isn't quite so.

It ferments in a basement in the high 60s, the bottle conditions there as well. I measure by weight with a scale

 

[YellowRiver]

I'm fairly new to brewing too and experienced the same issues(though not quite as dramatic as yours).
I do the Palmer method with about a third of it, pour some about two gallons into it and the rest towards the end, using the tubing to gently swirl around the beer in the bottling bucket.
If I cold crash it takes ONE week plus at 70 degrees to get some head, three weeks is better. At 65 degrees it seems to take at least a month. In other words, Im finally satisfied with the carbonation on the last 1/2 case.

 

[rodwha]

Are you just puttin sugar in the bucket or are you dissolving it in boiling water?

Another thing is conditioning in a cool place makes it condition VERY slowly. Try to get it up above 70* if you can.

 

[perfecxion]

if i want to assure that the tripel i just bottled carbs up can i buy something like this fizz drops (http://www.northernbrewer.com/shop/fermenters-favorites-fizz-drops-8-oz.html) and put them in the bottles i just bottled? they have some sugar in them, would it be better to wait 2 weeks, open them, let whatever co2 is in out, then put the fizz drops in?

 

[rodwha]

I've moved on to 4 weeks conditioning time and one week in the fridge to ensure good flavor melding as well as carbonation and head retention.

 

[SuliBrew]

I had similar issues in my first batch. was really bummed bc all samples tasted great. my process was to add a 3/4 cup sugar to 1 cup water, boil, cool, add to bottling bucket then bottle. One thing I do now is give it time in the bottling bucket after racking onto the sugar solution.
here is my process.
1) heat 1 cup water in microwave, add sugar.
2) sanitize bottling bucket and wand.
3) add syrup to bottling bucket.
4) siphon beer on top of syrup. Give a few gentle swirls when done.
5) prepare bottles(usually takes about 20 mins giving beer some time to sit in bucket)
6) bottle
7) Cleanup.
8) store bottles at room temp for 2-3 weeks( longer they sat the better the beer turned out)

Haven't had the carb issues since.

hope this helps.

 

[rodwha]

If you did everything correctly I'd move them somewhere warmer and give them time. Try it and see.

 

[rodwha]

I give mine a while to sit also but to ensure any possible trub to settle.

 

[mmacdon3]

How do you measure the exact volume of the beer minus the trub for the priming calculation? Obviously you need to prepare the sugar mixture before racking to the bottling bucket...just wondering how you are getting this calculation?

 

[rodwha]

I just figure I've lost about a quart and call it good. But I don't mind if mine are slightly lower carbed.

 

[chuckcomm]

I add the mixture to the bottling bucket and siphon on to it. I leave the bottles at room temperature, which in Florida is usually mid to upper 70s. I have never had any issues with carbonation even after a week I can tell they are carbonating nicely so it seems higher temps carbonate faster which makes sense.

 

[MaxStout]

I boil the sugar for a few minutes in a small volume of water, typically 5 or 6 oz. I usually use a small beaker in the microwave. Then let it cool a bit, carefully pour it in my bottling bucket, making sure I don't aerate it while pouring. I rack the beer such that the tubing end is along the side of the bucket and pointed in the direction of its circumference so that the flow will swirl. I stir gently with a sanitized spoon, then bottle.

 

[unionrdr]

That 60's basement is a bit cool for bottle carbonating. 70F+ will get them to carbonate in 3-4 weeks. 1 or 2 weeks isn't usually long enough. Then a week fridge time for good head & carbonation in the glass.