Bottle priming 500ml question...

[SkidR0we]

Today I will be bottling my second batch of beer, using a Cooper's kit. It is the open fermentation style FV where you don't do secondary fermentation. I will be bottling directly from the FV using the valve, therefore won't be batch priming. I will be using dextrose and adding some to each bottle before adding the beer to the bottles.

Now, I've read here and there doing searches that 1/2 teaspoon per bottle should do the trick, while elsewhere some people said 1 teaspoon.

Which should I go with?

If it makes a difference, the beer I am bottling is the Canadian Blond.

Thanks for the help!

 

[flars]

Use this calculator to calculate the total amount of sugar for the volume you will be bottling.
http://www.northernbrewer.com/priming-sugar-calculator/

Measured small volumes accurately can be very tricky. It is better to weigh out the priming sugar for accuracy. You can weigh the total volume needed and and dissolve it in a measured volume of water and then interpolate how many milliliters would go into each bottle using a syringe.

Best is to rack to a bottling bucket, mix in the priming solution, and use a bottling wand to fill the bottles. It sounds like you used your bottling bucket for the fermentor. Pick up another bucket to use as a fermentor to make your bottling day a bit less chancey.

 

[SkidR0we]

Thanks for the reply.

I understand that ideally I will get a bottling bucket, but unfortunately today I will have to make due with what I have, as I am bottling this afternoon. I was hoping to scoop some sugar into each bottle as accurately as possible, and then hope for the best.

Will I do alright with 1/2 teaspoon?

I've also seen suggested that I could mix my dextrose in some boiling water, and then gently stir it into my primary, careful to avoid stirring the trub at the bottom. Would this give me better results?

 

[Zepth]

In that case, I'd use the calculator to find the amount of sugar you need for priming. Either divide that number by the number of bottles you're using EG: 150g / 30 bottles = 5g / bottle. Or put that sugar into a a cup of hot water, stir it up real nice to dissolve, then divide that 250 (maybe 260 after sugar is added) ml by the bottle count.

I'd sooner go for the latter, as many have had irregularities just adding sugar to the bottle itself. Some barely carb, some over carb. Going with the sugar water method here would help to average it out.