Bottling carb issue with priming sugar vs fizz drops

[youngson616]

Ive been having a recurring problem of my beer bottles not carbing with priming sugar. I recently made two batches, using priming sugar in one and opted to do the NB fizz drops for the other.

Its been 10 days since botting, and the fizz drop beers are carbed and ready to drink. Once again - the priming sugar batch - flat. Does anyone know if the priming sugar takes longer?? Its a hefe extract kit

 

[hotbeer]

What sugar are you calling priming sugar?

The difference might be just in the amount of sugar in the drops compared to the amount of sugar you are calculating for the other.

 

[youngson616]

What sugar are you calling priming sugar?

The difference might be just in the amount of sugar in the drops compared to the amount of sugar you are calculating for the other

Im talking about the the 5 oz. Bag of priming sugar that comes with most extract kits. Is that not enough for 5 gallon batchs?

 

[balrog]

@youngson616 , for 5 gal of beer, fermented at 65F, wanting 2.4 vol CO2, needs 4.5oz corn sugar (generally that is the type of sugar in the kits) or 4.1oz table sugar, see this for one example of a priming sugar calculator that can be used.

So, yeah, the 5oz that comes with the kit should be sufficient.
If it is included in the batch.
If it is dissolved in the batch.
If it is homogeneously mixed in the batch.
Then bottled and wait 21 days at 72F (per @Revvy mantra) everything should work.
Unless the bottle caps were not tight (screw top bottled are notoriously difficult to seal well with a wing caper for instance) or the flip top bottle gaskets are not sealing well (old, hard, not pliable).
Just a couple thoughts.

 

[hotbeer]

Im talking about the the 5 oz. Bag of priming sugar that comes with most extract kits. Is that not enough for 5 gallon batchs?

You'd think it would be, but still depends on what that sugar is that they gave you.

By the Brewer's Friend priming calculator, if your beer only saw 68°F while in the fermenter the you'd only need 3.0 oz of Table Sugar, yet you'd need 4.1 oz of Belgian Candy Sugar. And that only gives you 2.0 vols of carbonation.

https://www.brewersfriend.com/beer-priming-calculator/
I normally shoot for 3 vols which would require 5.7 oz of table sugar or 7.6 oz of Belgian Candy Sugar.

And since you are comparing to the Fizz drops, you have to know more about what those are and the quantity of sugar they are contributing to each bottle to make it somewhat more factual comparison instead of apples and oranges comparison.

Other factors such as temperature you kept the bottles at, ABV and what yeast you used play a part too. But maybe to less of a degree.

But if one works better for you, then there is nothing wrong with tossing out the stuff that isn't working for you.

 

[youngson616]

@youngson616 , for 5 gal of beer, fermented at 65F, wanting 2.4 vol CO2, needs 4.5oz corn sugar (generally that is the type of sugar in the kits) or 4.1oz table sugar, see this for one example of a priming sugar calculator that can be used.

So, yeah, the 5oz that comes with the kit should be sufficient.
If it is included in the batch.
If it is dissolved in the batch.
If it is homogeneously mixed in the batch.
Then bottled and wait 21 days at 72F (per @Revvy mantra) everything should work.
Unless the bottle caps were not tight (screw top bottled are notoriously difficult to seal well with a wing caper for instance) or the flip top bottle gaskets are not sealing well (old, hard, not pliable).
Just a couple thoughts.

I got a nice benchtop capper Im sure their is a good seal. I boiled the sugar and mixed it well. Maybe Im being impatient and need to wait another week or two.

 

[balrog]

I got a nice benchtop capper Im sure their is a good seal. I boiled the sugar and mixed it well. Maybe Im being impatient and need to wait another week or two.

There's a great visual YouTube video out there where someone opened a bottle every few days soon after bottling, and it showed the progression of carbonation and the progression of how well the CO2 dissolved and stayed in solution over a few weeks.

found it

 

[marc1]

Ive been having a recurring problem of my beer bottles not carbing with priming sugar. I recently made two batches, using priming sugar in one and opted to do the NB fizz drops for the other.

Its been 10 days since botting, and the fizz drop beers are carbed and ready to drink. Once again - the priming sugar batch - flat. Does anyone know if the priming sugar takes longer?? Its a hefe extract kit

Since this is the Beginner's Forum -

You added the priming sugar when bottling, correct? If you added it earlier the yeast would have eaten it already by bottling time.

 

[youngson616]

Since this is the Beginner's Forum -

You added the priming sugar when bottling, correct? If you added it earlier the yeast would have eaten it already by bottling time.

Hahaha! yes I added it at bottling time

 

[youngson616]

So another thing to mention is there is no head but bubbles in the beer

 

[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.

 

[SanJuanWorm]

So another thing to mention is there is no head but bubbles in the beer

Okay, I’ll pipe up. My experience has been the total opposite.

I tried 2, 2.5 even 3 of the dextrose drops into my usual 750mL bottles, never got a proper CO2 bite. Also good I had a Belgian’flip-top’ bottle, because I fully over-carbed a couple, and my kitchen sink was a mess!

When I dissolved the recommended sugar package into water first, then added into whichever bottling vessel I decided to use, okay!!

Time is good for certain styles, but in my case, I had a fully-carbed WCIPA in 3 days with priming sugar, and served them properly, with a happy pop and smile.
I tried carbing the same brew with ‘store-bought drops’ and it took almost 9 days for the same results.

The drops work in a pinch, for a quick bottle job, but I have found they are still unpredictable.

 

[youngson616]

Okay, I’ll pipe up. My experience has been the total opposite.

I tried 2, 2.5 even 3 of the dextrose drops into my usual 750mL bottles, almost never got a proper head of foam on the beer, but a ton of CO2 bite.

When I dissolved the recommended sugar package into water first, then added into whichever bottling vessel I decided to use, okay!!

Time is good for certain styles, but in my case, I had a fully-carbed WCIPA in 3 days with priming sugar. Same brew took almost 9 days for the same results with the ‘dextrose drops’.

Well dang! Lol. Appreciate the feedback!

So Im on my fourth batch of extract beer and this happened everytime with the prime sugar, hence why I got the fizz drops. I would like to get this figured out as Im going to AG. I used 1 fizz drop per 12 oz. Bottle and they all taste good and are all carbed great. I dont get it, I think Im doing the prime sugar correct -
Add to 10 oz. Water
boil for a minute or two
add to bottling bucket
Rack beer into bottling bucket and gently mix. Where did I go wrong?

 

[youngson616]

Well dang! Lol. Appreciate the feedback!

So Im on my fourth batch of extract beer and this happened everytime with the prime sugar, hence why I got the fizz drops. I would like to get this figured out as Im going to AG. I used 1 fizz drop per 12 oz. Bottle and they all taste good and are all carbed great. I dont get it, I think Im doing the prime sugar correct -
Add to 10 oz. Water
boil for a minute or two
add to bottling bucket
Rack beer into bottling bucket and gently mix. Where did I go wrong?

Im doing hefeweizen by the way

 

[SanJuanWorm]

Okay I’m not fully nerdy about the sugar/priming numbers, but I’m an anomaly because I still pour my beer into a priming bucket too!!?

The way I was taught: get the priming liquid in first, pour in the wort quickly to mix, then strongly mix it again after capping every couple bottles.

If you’re going AG, everything changes, including time in the primary, sugar added for carb (sugar added before or after mash….etc)

Try a good old-fashioned, fully dissolved priming sugar bottling session.

Best of luck!

 

[youngson616]

Do you think if it wasnt mixed good enough, I would have flat beers than bottle bombs with others? Man I dont wanna pour another batch down the sink over this sugar ordeal, Seems like the only solution is to buy fizz drops because why bottles dont carb without it

 

[youngson616]

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

 

[youngson616]

Try a good old-fashioned, fully dissolved priming sugar bottling session.

I will do that!

 

[SanJuanWorm]

Okay whoa..whoa…the trains are honking by…okay, we’re good.

How many gallons/litres are you brewing?
Did you create your own extract kit?
How many ‘sample’ 12oz did you crack? ( don’t worry, everyone does it! )

Nope I don’t care to worry about bottling sugar anymore because I’m going to kegs.

It’s always going to be a mystery, that’s part of the fun.

 

[SanJuanWorm]

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

I don’t remember the last time I poured a batch just because it didn’t carb.

Pour a huge glass, water it down a bit with Club Soda and enjoy a bit of the fizz!

 

[youngson616]

Okay whoa..whoa…the trains are honking by…okay, we’re good.

How many gallons/litres are you brewing?
Did you create your own extract kit?
How many ‘sample’ 12oz did you crack? ( don’t worry, everyone does it! )

Nope I don’t care to worry about bottling sugar anymore because I’m going to kegs.

It’s always going to be a mystery, that’s part of the fun.

I brewed the northern brewer hefeweizen extract 5 gallon kit. I did two kits , one on one then one on the next day. I got priming sugar for one kit, fizz drops for the other kit just to see How do they work and because I was having issue with priming sugar in my previous batches. At day 7 after yeast pitch; i had carbed fizz drop bottles, flat priming sugar bottles. I only tested two bottles from prime sugar.

 

[youngson616]

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

 

[SanJuanWorm]

Looks good, I brew in the same size of batches...hmm...I've only tried to brew a Hefe once, and it took a month of proper lagering in a very cold fridge to even get the yeast to kick off. In traditional style, a Hefeweizen can take up to a month of fermenting, then a warm-up.
Maybe your particular Hefe wasn't ready for the priming sugar after 7 days?

Haven't tried the NB kit, so maybe the 'fizz drops' you got in the kit also had yeast nutrients and a bit of extra sugar to get the beer going quickly..?

If the Hefe worked well, and you don't have 'beer-snob' friends, drink away! Who cares if you didn't do a full lager..?!

 

[SanJuanWorm]

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

If you are set on the quick 'n easy bottling method, and it fizzes, looks and tastes like a Hefe for you, go for it!

Re: Domino sugar - The sugar in the cubes is not always sugar. The cubes do not fit in most 12oz bottles, let alone a bigger 750mL opening. Do you have a local home brew store around?

 

[youngson616]

Looks good, I brew in the same size of batches...hmm...I've only tried to brew a Hefe once, and it took a month of proper lagering in a very cold fridge to even get the yeast to kick off. In traditional style, a Hefeweizen can take up to a month of fermenting, then a warm-up.
Maybe your particular Hefe wasn't ready for the priming sugar after 7 days?

Haven't tried the NB kit, so maybe the 'fizz drops' you got in the kit also had yeast nutrients and a bit of extra sugar to get the beer going quickly..?

If the Hefe worked well, and you don't have 'beer-snob' friends, drink away! Who cares if you didn't do a full lager..?!

Well the hefe is an ale, not a lager. Also it only needs 1 to 2 weeks to reach final gravity in primary.

 

[youngson616]

If you are set on the quick 'n easy bottling method, and it fizzes, looks and tastes like a Hefe for you, go for it!

Re: Domino sugar - The sugar in the cubes is not always sugar. The cubes do not fit in most 12oz bottles, let alone a bigger 750mL opening. Do you have a local home brew store around?

I have an awesome brew store by my house that I will be getting all my grains from

 

[BrewnWKopperKat]

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

Depends on the size of the sugar cube. FWIW, I never could find the size that works with 12 oz bottles.

 

[SanJuanWorm]

Well the hefe is an ale, not a lager. Also it only needs 1 to 2 weeks to reach final gravity in primary.

My bad I was thinking a clear-style Hefeweissen / Pilsner.

Ahaa! 1-2 weeks in Primary. It might say that in the instructions, but it might take a bit longer to reach FG.

How many of your 12oz bottles are left? You may indeed get a few 'bottle-bombs' as the fermentation wasn't complete..

Best of luck and brew on!

 

[youngson616]

Depends on the size of the sugar cube. FWIW, I never could find the size that works with 12 oz bottles.

Right on. The Fizz drops didnt fit the best either - i swished each drop around in sanitizer then that helped assIst the drops into the bottles

 

[youngson616]

I called my local brew store. He suggested giving the bottles a little* shake and adjust heat up a few degrees. He thinks Im not mixing the sugar well enough - i bet he is right.