Cane Sugar Priming Help - I'm very confused

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buffalojoe29

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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!
 
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.
 
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).
Click to expand...

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!
 
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:
iambeer said:
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.
Click to expand...

Haha for some reason I never even thought about 2/3.
 
Pappers_ said:
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!
Click to expand...

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!
 
Thank you everyone for commenting so quickly. I feel a lot better now and can't wait to get home and bottle!
 
buffalojoe29 said:
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!
Click to expand...

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

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.
 
Also, do I need to let the sugar solution cool to a certain temperature before I rack the beer over it and begin bottling?
 
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.
 
h22lude said:
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.
Click to expand...

Back to math class for you. 1/2 + 1/4 = 3/4!!! Not 5/8.
 
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.
 
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.
 
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.
 
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 :)
 
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.
 
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...
 
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 said:
I better start counting the grains of sugar
Click to expand...

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

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 :mug:
 
I made a 5 gallon batch of Vinnie's Pliny the Elder recipe. With all the dry hopping, there is quite a bit less than 5 gallon in the secondary. Do you think I should go for a half cup or 3/4 cup of corn sugar? I won't know exactly how much beer I have until I rack to the bottling bucket and I wanted to rack on top of the priming sugar solution.
 
God this feels good (first batch)

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Hello, I used the recommended 3/4 cup by volume (corn sugar) on 3 very different brews, all 5 gal batches, all 3 are very low carbed, this is after 5 weeks in the bottle at 70 deg.

My 4th batch I used 1 cup corn sugar (or 1oz per gal) and after 5 days its carbed up like any store bought beer and in the fridge now.

All 4 brews had different yeast, and all 4 were, 2 weeks in primary, 2 weeks in secondary. all are extract brews.

From now on I will be using 7/8 cup to 1 cup corn sugar for priming, or 1oz per gal of brew, depending on the brew.

3/4 cup, just is not getting the job done.

3/4 cup is right at 4oz, the 2 kits I brewed came with, 5oz right at 1 cup, it's my belief the kits have 5oz of priming sugar for a reason, and the instructions tell you to use the 5oz bag of priming sugar for your 5 gal batch.

Just thought I should post my results.

Hope this helps someone out.

Im sure Ill hear all about it, but thats ok too lol

Cheers :mug:
 
Thanks for that. My first two batches were kits as well with 5 oz of corn sugar. They carbed up nicely and definitely wouldn't say they were over-carbed. The first batch had it's issues but that was not related to carbonation, but that's a whole 'nother story. Still might go with 4 oz for this batch due to loss of volume in dry hopping, but likely won't go under that. Would love to hear more opinions, though.
 
I use plastic FV's,& make sure they have volume measurments on them so I know what I've got. I even saved a plastic 1G juice jug I marked measurements on using a 2C measure to get the volumes accurate on the side of the jug. I use it to fill my BK as well. No more guessing that way. You can also use my jug method to mark carboys & better bottles. Knowledge is half the battle.
 

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