Bottling first batch tonight - need help

[Blackdirt_cowboy]

I'm getting things ready to bottle my first batch of beer and I just had a thought while calculating the amount of priming sugar I need. I'm calculating for a 5 gallon batch, but there's a tremendous amount of trub in my carboy. The instructions say to put the sugar solution in the bottling bucket and rack on top of that to mix without oxygenating the beer. Simple enough. But what happens if I prepare enough solution for five gallons, then am only able to rack, say 4.5 gallons off the trub? This is a Bavarian dunkelwiezen, so I'm shooting for around 3.2 volumes of carbonation, and I'm afraid if I'm off on my amounts that I'll create bottle bombs. Anyone ever had this issue before?

 

[Biscuits]

Honestly, you probably won't notice much of a difference. And most of the time the calculators undershoot (in my experience and/or poor inputs to the calc). Even when I made sure to give the temp that the beer was at its warmest (co2 comes out of solution as temp increases) I still usually under-carb'd with the calculators suggested weight of sugar.

 

[ncbrewer]

I'm extract brewing. I've measured my trub left behind and got 28.5 oz in a batch with 5 gallons to the fermenter. I don't strain out the trub or hops when transferring to the fermenter. You could use that data point and adjust for any differences in your process. Be sure to account for any samples you've taken, and the priming solution you're adding. After you've brewed a few, you can make your own measurements.

I wouldn't aim for 3.2 volumes personally, unless you have some extra heavy duty bottles. I carb hefeweizen to around 2.7 - 2.85 volumes to be on the safe side.

 

[GoeHaarden]

I slowly add the priming solution to my wort already in the bottling bucket, and then gently stir it with a sanitized spoon. Never really had any issues...

 

[dawn_kiebawls]

Anyone ever had this issue before?

I recently had this happen to me while bottling a Belgian IPA I did. I was expecting it to be 5.5 gallons into the bottling bucket but came out with 5 on the dot due to the trub/yeast cake I had. I used 4.9oz of table sugar to mix into the 5.5 gallons, but it worked perfectly for 5 gallons - no bombs, perfect carb level and a head that wouldn't quit!

One piece of advice I may have if you don't already know: when bottling, insert the bottling wand and let it go to the brim! When you pull the wand out the displacement from the wand fills the bottle to the right level and its a good way to stay consistent bottle to bottle. Under filled bottles can be a source of bombs as well. This was a mistake I made on my first bottling attempt. While I never had one pop, I did notice 3 of my bottles with vertical cracks the full length of the bottle!!!

Hope this helps and its not just a drunken rambling!