Bottle Carbing, new ideas?

[RStolz]

Hello all!

It's been a while since my last brew....about a year and a half due to work, life, etc. Anyways, getting ready to brew a simple IPA in the coming days. Anyways...point of this post. I only have the room/set up for bottling my beer. The couple beers I've brewed while tasting alright, were over carbed causing way too much foam and some had a heavy alcoholic taste. I followed BeerSmith's calculation of how much priming sugar to use and still got these results.

While I'm not saying its the priming sugars fault, was wondering if there's another good substitute for the corn sugar to use when bottling my beer. I've enjoyed the beers I brew, I just dont love having to wait 10 min for foam to decrease when pouring into a glass

 

[Immocles]

You could try bottling priming instead of batch priming.
1/2 tsp table sugar per bottle and rack the beer on top of it. Works wonderfully for me. It can get *slightly* annoying on the bigger batches, but it really doesn't take as long as you think to funnel into each bottle. I picked that tip up from @TwistedGray

 

[RPh_Guy]

Over-carbonation may result from:

• Bottling before fermentation was completed (with the exception of controlled spunding).
• Adding too much priming sugar.
• Improper mixing of priming sugar.
• Wild yeast contamination.

Switching the priming sugar wouldn't solve anything.

Any priming sugar calculator should work ok if you input proper values.

 

[dwhite60]

I would sanitize the crap out of all my equipment, bottles too, before I made another batch. You may have something growing somewhere that is then growing in your beer.

I use Domino's Dots sugar cubes to prime. One is perfect for a twelve ounce bottle.

Are you using a hydrometer taking readings a couple days apart to make sure fermentation is completely done? If you're bottling beer that isn't finished it'll finish in the bottle along with the added priming sugar.

 

[TwistedGray]

...was wondering if there's another good substitute for the corn sugar to use when bottling my beer...

You could try bottling priming instead of batch priming.

I would sanitize the crap out of all my equipment, bottles too, before I made another batch. You may have something growing somewhere that is then growing in your beer.

I use Domino's Dots sugar cubes to prime. One is perfect for a twelve ounce bottle.

Assuming everything is good, 1/2tsp of white (or brown) sugar works well per 12oz bottle (adjust accordingly to larger/smaller bottles).

I'll add, a Domino Dot cube is equivalent to 1/2tsp of sugar. I found that the cubes do not easily fit into the bottle, so I went with a 1/2tsp and a funnel.

Anyways, for reference, you should be able to do a 5 gallon batch in about 5 minutes. If my memory is correct, I individually primed a 5 gallon batch in about three and a half (I forget the exact timing) minutes. It's pretty straight-forward.

 

[dwhite60]

Assuming everything is good, 1/2tsp of white (or brown) sugar works well per 12oz bottle (adjust accordingly to larger/smaller bottles).

I'll add, a Domino Dot cube is equivalent to 1/2tsp of sugar. I found that the cubes do not easily fit into the bottle, so I went with a 1/2tsp and a funnel.

Anyways, for reference, you should be able to do a 5 gallon batch in about 5 minutes. If my memory is correct, I individually primed a 5 gallon batch in about three and a half (I forget the exact timing) minutes. It's pretty straight-forward.

The cubes needed some persuasion to fit into some bottles. I find most are fine. Nothing wrong with a measuring spoon and a funnel. Did it for years.

 

[TwistedGray]

The cubes needed some persuasion to fit into some bottles. I find most are fine.

Hurts my lady-like fingers

 

[RStolz]

Thanks all for the input so far. Never thought of the dominos sugar cubes.

my normal routine I’ve followed for years is to make the solution on the stove and cool. Then pour the cooled solution in the bottom of the bottling bucket then rack the beer on top.

I’ll scrub the bottles with a bottle brush in warm/hot water. Then rinse with StarSan from a Vinator and fill the bottles with beer.

 

[dwhite60]

You can have an infection in your fermentation vessel that won't show up until your beer is in the bottle. Really need to thoroughly clean and sanitize everything.

I'm just picky about sanitation.