Bottling carb issue with priming sugar vs fizz drops

[youngson616]

Adjust heat up - that wasn't explained well. I meant warm up the area where the bottles are finishing by a few degrees to get yeast moving faster to make co2

 

[LostHopper]

Can I just use dominoe sugar cubes and put 1 in each bottle?

Domino Dots will work. BUT You must have the box with 198 "dots" per pound.
The number is listed on the box.

Although I now keg I keep the dots around so when I have more beer than my keg holds I just fill bottles and add a dot. (two dots for bombers).

 

[TwistedGray]

Imma plug this in right here...

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/thread...ructions-with-cane-sugar.683687/#post-8952818

 

[youngson616]

Domino Dots will work. BUT You must have the box with 198 "dots" per pound.
The number is listed on the box.

Awesome! It would definitely be worth a shot. Ill look out for those at the store

 

[ace0005]

Also, (and this may go without saying) make sure you don't bottle and then putting your bottles in the fridge as it will put the yeast into hibernation! My friend did this, and was bewildered as to why he had no carbonation.

 

[hotbeer]

Wondering now how you are using the sugar. Did you just divvy it up between each bottle and fill with beer? Or did you put it in a pot that could hold all your beer and mix it in till dissolved before bottling?

If it's just laying in the bottom of the bottle undissolved, then that'll be an issue. Shake them up... gently.

Also, I keep my newly bottled ales at 73 - 74°F for 2 weeks. Then I'll move it to ambient storage temps or the fridge. The one time I kept my beer at 69°F after bottling, I had poor results with carbonation. Though I know from others that they don't have an issue at 69°F or less.

I don't think there'd be anything wrong with trying to put more sugar of some sort in some of the bottles and re-capping them. But might be good to check the SG and compare to what your FG was. If it's higher then you had no fermentation for carbonation taking place.

If it's the same SG as your FG, then you must not have gotten any sugar in it or at least not enough. Or perhaps your caps leak even though you feel they are tight.

That might make one ask what your ABV is. If that's high too, then maybe your yeast are too worn out and at their limit for alcohol tolerance. And that might suggest you need to add some yeast that do very well in high ABV beer.

 

[youngson616]

Also, (and this may go without saying) make sure you don't bottle and then putting your bottles in the fridge as it will put the yeast into hibernation! My friend did this, and was bewildered as to why he had no carbonation.

Nope they are in my closet

 

[youngson616]

Also, I keep my newly bottled ales at 73 - 74°F for 2 weeks. Then I'll move it to ambient storage temps or the fridge. The one time I kept my beer at 69°F after bottling, I had poor results with carbonation. Though I know from others that they don't have an issue at 69°F or less.

I have the bottles in my closet at room temp, about 69 degrees. I also fermented at that temp. I wonder if I should heat up that area a few degrees ...

 

[youngson616]

That might make one ask what your ABV is. If that's high too, then maybe your yeast are too worn out and at their limit for alcohol tolerance. And that might suggest you need to add some yeast that do very well in high ABV beer.

I put the sugar water mixture in the bottling bucket of course.

The abv is 4.5%. The OG was 1.049 and fg 1.015. I think it came out good just inconsistent, slow carbonation. Im gonna do single sugar portions with a funnel as suggested above in a thread. Seems consistant enough until I go to the kegging world

 

[Rish]

I wasted two batches over beer not carbing, and now will dump another because priming sugar method just not working for me. Guess im stuck on fizz drops

Before you dump it, maybe try adding 1/2 of a fizz drop to a few bottles, recap them and give them a week or so to see if they carb up. If they do you can do the rest.
I use table sugar to carb. Boil 2/3 cup sugar in 11/2 cups water and 1 teaspoon lemon juice, boil 15 minutes, add to bottling bucket, add beer, stir gently. I think the extra water helps dissolve better and prevent settling.
Good luck getting this sorted out!

 

[youngson616]

I will try that! Do I have to boil prime sugar 15 minutes and why that long??

Thanks!

 

[TheCache]

It sounds like you are doing the things the right way. 69˚ might be a tad low for storing, so it may take a bit longer, but it should still work. I would guess you may need to mix a bit more thoroughly, but without seeing your exact steps and quantities its hard to be certain. And I assume you are leaving about 1" headspace in the top of the bottle? A little, 1/2-1" is necessary for proper carbonation. Also, the bottles should be sanitized/sterilized, but don't run them through a dishwasher with soap and/or rinse aid. Both of those things can have a negative effect on head retention. Just run them through on a sanitize cycle without soap or rinse them by hand in sanitizer.

Here's my priming sugar steps:

Boil proper amount of water (1.5 cup for 5g, .75 cup for 2.5g), add priming sugar as the water is heating. I use corn sugar, 4.5-5oz for 5g is usually good, but you can use a calculator like the one on Brewersfriend to get more exact amounts if you want to carbonate to the style.

Bring the sugar water to a boil and let boil for 3 to 5 minutes. 15 minutes is probably longer than is really needed even though most kit instructions say 10-15. The boiling insures the water/sugar mix is sanitized and that the sugar is completely dissolved.

Let the water sugar mix cool to near the beer temp. Plus/Minus a few degrees won't hurt, but don't dump super hot sugar water into the beer.

I dump the sugar into the bottling bucket first which forces some mixing as I siphon the beer in. I do this in case I forget to stir it before bottling (it's happened more than once, but even then my beer carbonated fine).

Once all the beer is in the bucket, stir gently. Try not to introduce more oxygen by splashing. I use a large spoon and bring the bottom beer up as well as stirring around in both directions for about a minute.

Bottle then store warm for 10-14 days.

I try to store my bottles at 70-72˚ and often test one around 7-10 days. Sometimes at 7 days the carbonation is still bit low, but by 10-14 days it is usually where it needs to be. I always try to leave my beer in carbonation storage for at least 14 days. High alcohol beers may take even longer. If it's not done, let it sit. It won't hurt to go a few more days. I think a bit more time spent in the carbonation phase helps the head mature. I read about the science of this somewhere on this site, but can't find it now.

When the carbonation is done, I move my beer to a cellar (55-62˚) for a while and only put a sixer or two into the fridge at a time. The extra cellar time helps the head mature and the beer flavors to come together.

Cheers

 

[Rish]

I will try that! Do I have to boil prime sugar 15 minutes and why that long??

Thanks!

There are differing opinions on this but the theory is that with the acid and longer boil you invert the sugar (think Belgian candi) so it is more easily fermented by the yeast.

 

[amber-ale]

I individually prime the bottles then bottle.

But if you add powdered dextrose then add wort, you must be quick because the crystals in the sugar will trigger the dissolved co2 to come out of the wort= fizz.

I dissolve the priming sugar 1 teaspoon per 500 ml bottle in water and divide the resulting solution by the number of bottles. Syringe it into the bottles and add wort. Cap. Age. Drink.

 

[balrog]

At 10 days, you're still a little early. Keep them warm, wait 2-3 weeks, then chill them a couple days, then try.

To discuss head retention is kinda another topic and we'd have to start with what recipe and process was used.

You're now at only 12 days.

Patience for another week or two. Brewing processes are not light-switch-flipping-quick.

 

[youngson616]

Let the water sugar mix cool to near the beer temp. Plus/Minus a few degrees won't hurt, but don't dump super hot sugar water into the beer.

Whoops.....

I poured the hot sugar mixture into the bottling bucket right off the stove. Siphoned beer onto it right away. I followed the other instructions exactly.

 

[balrog]

Whoops.....

I poured the hot sugar mixture into the bottling bucket right off the stove. Siphoned beer onto it right away. I followed the other instructions exactly.

That's fine. The hot liquid will kill a few yeast, but after a quart or two the temp will be fine and the yeast in the next 4.5 gallons will be fine.

 

[TwistedGray]

You're making this harder on yourself for no reason @youngson616. All you have to do is 1/2tsp of plain ole white sugar to a 12oz bottle, and you're done. No boiling, no mixing, no inconsistencies, no nada...you can do a 5 gal batch in about 3-5 minutes.

 

[balrog]

5 gal * 128oz/gal / 12oz/bottle = ~ 53 bottles in (3 to 5)*60s or 180-300sec means about 3-5sec per bottle

I'd have granular sugar all over the danged place if I tried that.

I myself prefer all sugar in some water, heat to dissolve and pasteurize, pour in bucket, rack over, gentle stir because you don't want to oxygenate as that's not good for hop flavor/aroma and staling.

But it does take a little more than 3-5 minutes.

 

[TwistedGray]

5 gal * 128oz/gal / 12oz/bottle = ~ 53 bottles in (3 to 5)*60s or 180-300sec means about 3-5sec per bottle

I'd have granular sugar all over the danged place if I tried that.

Five Mississippi's is a long time

Funnel, scoop, pour, funnel, scoop, pour, funnel, scoop, pour goes pretty quickly.

 

[youngson616]

Opened one today a lot better! I think some more days in bottling will help

 

[Drewch]

Can I just use dominoe sugar cubes and put 1 in each bottle?

The only ones I can find are too big to fit down the neck of normal 12oz or 33cl bottles.

 

[TwistedGray]

The only ones I can find are too big to fit down the neck of normal 12oz or 33cl bottles.

1/2tsp of white 'table' sugar and a funnel

 

[balrog]

Opened one today a lot better! I think some more days in bottling will help

Try one on day 21.
Patience, grasshopper.

 

[TwistedGray]

Try one on day 21.
Patience, grasshopper.

The only reason they should have to wait three weeks is if their storage is cold (low 60s) or if they brewed a big beer (high ABV).

 

[ace0005]

I have the bottles in my closet at room temp, about 69 degrees. I also fermented at that temp. I wonder if I should heat up that area a few degrees ...

Yessir! A good rule of thumb is to keep your bottles at the fermentation temperature printed on the yeast pack.

 

[hout17]

I second the recommendation cooling the sugar solution down to beer temp as mentioned above and making sure it's thoroughly mixed in without making any splashes.

Glad you are seeing some carbonation now!

 

[Dancy]

I really didn’t think it necessary to start a new thread, so…. I’ve used NB’s carbonation drops but have found 1/4 to a 1/3 of them to be too big for a standard 12 oz beer bottle. I end up using a sanitized screw driver to push them in the rest of the way. I like using these for “regular beers” for uniform carbonation. I still mix corn sugar in for Belgians so I can up the carbonation. Can anyone recommend a brand that easily fits a standard 12oz beer bottle w/out getting stuck in the neck?

 

[balrog]

I really didn’t think it necessary to start a new thread, so…. I’ve used NB’s carbonation drops but have found 1/4 to a 1/3 of them to be too big for a standard 12 oz beer bottle. I end up using a sanitized screw driver to push them in the rest of the way. I like using these for “regular beers” for uniform carbonation. I still mix corn sugar in for Belgians so I can up the carbonation. Can anyone recommend a brand that easily fits a standard 12oz beer bottle w/out getting stuck in the neck?

Lottta folks swear by the smaller domino dots but you have to get the smaller ones.

 

[youngson616]

I really didn’t think it necessary to start a new thread, so…. I’ve used NB’s carbonation drops but have found 1/4 to a 1/3 of them to be too big for a standard 12 oz beer bottle. I end up using a sanitized screw driver to push them in the rest of the way. I like using these for “regular beers” for uniform carbonation. I still mix corn sugar in for Belgians so I can up the carbonation. Can anyone recommend a brand that easily fits a standard 12oz beer bottle w/out getting stuck in the neck?

Brewers best carbonation drops fit in the bottle necks way better than northern fizz drops, and cheaper. I get them from my local brew shop, sure you could find them online somewhere.

Side note, Im back to priming sugar. I was simply getting the wrong information that the 5 oz. Sugar pack is enough for any situation or scenario. Using the northern brew carb calculator help me out alot when calculating how much prime sugar to use which differs from style to style.