Cane Sugar Priming Help - I'm very confused

[buffalojoe29]

I have 5 gallons of a Belgian WIT ready to bottle but am getting very confused as to how much cane (table) sugar to use for bottling to get carbonation. This is my very first batch and I'm finding conflicting information.

I'm using this calculator as a reference:

http://www.northernbrewer.com/priming-sugar-calculator/

I put in the following:

-Belgian Blonde
-68 degrees
-5 gallons

the results are 5oz or .69 cups of sugar

How the hell am I supposed to measure out .69 cups of sugar accurately?

How much water do I use?

Do I completely dissolve the sugar in boiling water?


I'm sorry for the newby questions, I'm just very confused at what to do next!

 

[iambeer]

I can't say anything about the recommendation but .69 is really close to 2/3 which is usually marked on the cup. However I recommend a digital kitchen scale... nice and useful in several areas!

I would use as small amount of water as possible, but I don't think there is a set amount people agree they should use.

 

[Pappers_]

Here's all the info you need to know about priming http://www.howtobrew.com/section1/chapter11.html

Here's the section that seems to be at the center of your question:

Here's how to make and add priming solutions:
1. Boil 3/4 cup of corn sugar (4 oz by weight), or 2/3 cup of white sugar, or 1 and 1/4 cup dry malt extract in 2 cups of water and let it cool. Use the nomograph in Figure 65 to determine a more precise amount of priming sugar if you wish. You can add the priming solution in either of two ways, depending on your equipment; I prefer the first (2a).

The calculator you used is fine, too, but probably more info than you need at this point. Measuring by weight is usually best, but using the volume in this case is fine too.

Good luck!

 

[h22lude]

Just eyeball it. It doesn't need to be exact. .69 is close to .75 so you can do 3/4 of a cup. Or you can do 5/8 if you want to be on the safe side. 5/8 is 1/2 cup plus 1/4 cup which you should have both measuring cups for. WHen I help my friend bottle (I keg) I usually just eyeball the sugar by dumping it in. All his beers come out carbonated perfectly.

Dissolve the sugar in 1 cup boiling water. Let it boil for a few minutes.

Edit:

I can't say anything about the recommendation but .69 is really close to 2/3 which is usually marked on the cup. However I recommend a digital kitchen scale... nice and useful in several areas!

I would use as small amount of water as possible, but I don't think there is a set amount people agree they should use.

Haha for some reason I never even thought about 2/3.

 

[buffalojoe29]

Here's all the info you need to know about priming http://www.howtobrew.com/section1/chapter11.html

Here's the section that seems to be at the center of your question:



The calculator you used is fine, too, but probably more info than you need at this point. Measuring by weight is usually best, but using the volume in this case is fine too.

Good luck!

Pappers,

Thank you so much. This is exactly the kind of straightforward information that I needed. I can breath a sigh of relief and actually get excited to bottle this batch!

Thank you!

 

[buffalojoe29]

Thank you everyone for commenting so quickly. I feel a lot better now and can't wait to get home and bottle!

 

[Pappers_]

Pappers,

Thank you so much. This is exactly the kind of straightforward information that I needed. I can breath a sigh of relief and actually get excited to bottle this batch!

Thank you!

You're welcome, Buffalo. My second batch was a Belgian witbier - that's a great beer for new brewers! Good luck!

 

[buffalojoe29]

If you guys don't mind, I have one other question.

Being new to homebrewing, how much time should I set aside for the entire bottling process from cleaning/sanitizing to capping?

I would like to do it after work this evening, so I have a few hours available. Do you think it's feasible to get this done in that amount of time? Or split up the process somehow between two nights?

 

[Geordan]

I generally budget a (very relaxed) three hours for bottling a batch -- that's the whole process, from prepping bottles and jars for yeast washing to bottling and capping and cleanup. I'll start after dinner on a worknight and finish up in time to hit the hay.

 

[buffalojoe29]

I generally budget a (very relaxed) three hours for bottling a batch -- that's the whole process, from prepping bottles and jars for yeast washing to bottling and capping and cleanup. I'll start after dinner on a worknight and finish up in time to hit the hay.

Geordan,

Thank you, that sounds perfect! Looks like I'll be bottling tonight.

I've even got my bottle brush attached to my power drill in order to speed up the cleaning process. Hopefully that will help me save some time.

 

[buffalojoe29]

Also, do I need to let the sugar solution cool to a certain temperature before I rack the beer over it and begin bottling?

 

[boscobeans]

Bottles must be clean before you start.
New bottles just need a hot water rinse. Unclean/unknown source bottles should be soaked in a cleanser like Oxy for a while then rinsed and visually inspected for goobers.

Starsan is great. Use a spray bottle or vinator on each bottle right before filling.

I Starsan 12 bottles at one time and set them to my right. I fill them with a pre-sanitized bottling wand and place them to my left.

12 caps go into a bowl of Starsan for a few seconds and then I crimp them on the 12 bottles.

I cannot stay in the same position too long so 12 bottles at a time gives me a chance to get up and move around.

After 5 rounds (12 bottles each) the battle is over and I set them aside to carbonate for a week or two then to the cellar.

About and hour for me. Start to finish.

bosco

ps. I bottle up one or two plastic Pepsi (PET) bottles and from their feel as they age I can tell how carbonation is doing and you can see how your brew is clearing.

 

[kh54s10]

Just eyeball it. It doesn't need to be exact. .69 is close to .75 so you can do 3/4 of a cup. Or you can do 5/8 if you want to be on the safe side. 5/8 is 1/2 cup plus 1/4 cup which you should have both measuring cups for. WHen I help my friend bottle (I keg) I usually just eyeball the sugar by dumping it in. All his beers come out carbonated perfectly.

Dissolve the sugar in 1 cup boiling water. Let it boil for a few minutes.

Edit:


Haha for some reason I never even thought about 2/3.

Back to math class for you. 1/2 + 1/4 = 3/4!!! Not 5/8.

 

[unionrdr]

A lot of us carb to style,so the sugar def needs to be weighed on a kitchen scale. I got mine at Walmart for $20. I have my bottles pre-cleaned & stored in covered boxes till bottling day. Then a few pumps on the vinator half full of starsan & onto the bottle tree. Then bottle away. I've got it done from set up to clean up in about 2 hours.

 

[Pappers_]

Yes, you need to let the sugar solution cool to room temp before adding to the bottling bucket. Make the sugar solution first, then let it cool while you do the other stufff. Then rack the beer onto the sugar solution, so it gets mixed up.

As for time, I clean bottles ahead of time (as I go, actually), so starting with clean bottles, it takes me around one hour to bottle. That includes making the sugar solution, sanitizing the bottles, racking, bottling, capping and clean up.

I agree with Union about weighing out the priming sugar if you are carbing to a specifically high or low carbonation appropriate to a style. For most new brewers, though, I think Palmer's measuring by volume works. Add a little for more carbonation, or use a little less if you are doing a low carbonation style. But for beginners, Palmer's numbers are a great place to start.

 

[unionrdr]

Yeah,I did that the first time I bulk primed. It worked out ok. But as you progress in this hobby,you begin to desire more accuracy to see how well you can recreate a particular style.

 

[buffalojoe29]

I can imagine. This first time, I just need to get the damn things carbonated ;-) as I have a second batch in the fermenter already

 

[unionrdr]

Seems to me I had 1/4C of corn sugar left that time,& mixed it with table sugar to 3/4C. And that was a 23L (6G) batch. So with 5G,you can be sure of good carbonation on about the level of an IPA.

 

[buffalojoe29]

Carbonation of an IPA would be perfect for this batch, nice and refreshing.

Thanks for the help!

 

[unionrdr]

No problem. That's why we're all here. That's why we brew beer...more of us than there is of them...they can't stop the brewing machine...no heart or soul,but at least we're machines...

 

[ncbrewer]

I guess I'm in the minority here, but I'd allow 4 hours for bottling the first batch.

 

[buffalojoe29]

Amen brother! I am glad that I have finally joined the cult.

Now if I only I could figure out how to make Bud Light Lime...

 

[buffalojoe29]

I'm just kidding!

 

[buffalojoe29]

I'm probably going to get banned for saying that

 

[ReverseApacheMaster]

If you don't use exactly 69/100 of a cup you will die of unstoppable rectal bleeding.

 

[buffalojoe29]

If you don't use exactly 69/100 of a cup you will die of unstoppable rectal bleeding.

I better start counting the grains of sugar

 

[iambeer]

I better start counting the grains of sugar

Don't worry, it actually takes years--decades--to die of unstoppable rectal bleeding. So relax and drink beer.
0.o

 

[h22lude]

Back to math class for you. 1/2 + 1/4 = 3/4!!! Not 5/8.

Wow I was way off lol

 

[buffalojoe29]

Don't worry, it actually takes years--decades--to die of unstoppable rectal bleeding. So relax and drink beer.
0.o

Thank god!

Thanks to everyone for the help. I was able to bottle the batch last night while listening to the Altanta Braves getting their a$$ kicked :-(


Cheers

 

[william_shakes_beer]

I'm probably going to get banned for saying that

no, but we are going to suspend your guy card.