I have scratched around and can’t really find out why beer on-line calculators appear to “understate” how much priming sugar is needed. Although, it does seem that they take into account the amount of C02 in the beer on completion of fermentation, but cider rarely gets a mention.
For example, for 2.5 volumes of C02 at 20C the calculators come up with about 6 - 7 grams of sugar per litre (and assume a residual 0.8 volumes of C02). Seven grams of sugar will ferment to 1.7 volumes of C02. So, 0.8 + 1.7 = 2.5 volumes of C02… OK so far.
However, as cider is sometimes left to mature well after fermentation has finished, does this mean that instead of around one volume of C02 (as the calculators assume with beer), after time the cider could have almost no residual C02?
Two teaspoons of sugar per litre is the common dose for 2.5 volumes of C02. The exact amount calculates out to 10.5 g/L (i.e. about two teaspoons).
I work on adding sugar or juice to increase the FG (usually 1.000) by two gravity points per volume of C02 (i.e. bottle at 1.005 which is 9-10 g/L of sugar, for 2.5 volumes of C02). For a sweet-carbonated cider I simply add the extra sugar for sweetness and pasteurise when the carbonation is at 2.5 volumes. This works for me but is in conflict with the calculators’ 6-7 g/L for the same level of carbonation.
Does residual C02 play any part in the apparent carbonation when a bottle is opened or is carbonation purely due to priming sugar? Perhaps there are some combo beer/cider brewers out there who can shed light on the apparent difference.
Cheers!
For example, for 2.5 volumes of C02 at 20C the calculators come up with about 6 - 7 grams of sugar per litre (and assume a residual 0.8 volumes of C02). Seven grams of sugar will ferment to 1.7 volumes of C02. So, 0.8 + 1.7 = 2.5 volumes of C02… OK so far.
However, as cider is sometimes left to mature well after fermentation has finished, does this mean that instead of around one volume of C02 (as the calculators assume with beer), after time the cider could have almost no residual C02?
Two teaspoons of sugar per litre is the common dose for 2.5 volumes of C02. The exact amount calculates out to 10.5 g/L (i.e. about two teaspoons).
I work on adding sugar or juice to increase the FG (usually 1.000) by two gravity points per volume of C02 (i.e. bottle at 1.005 which is 9-10 g/L of sugar, for 2.5 volumes of C02). For a sweet-carbonated cider I simply add the extra sugar for sweetness and pasteurise when the carbonation is at 2.5 volumes. This works for me but is in conflict with the calculators’ 6-7 g/L for the same level of carbonation.
Does residual C02 play any part in the apparent carbonation when a bottle is opened or is carbonation purely due to priming sugar? Perhaps there are some combo beer/cider brewers out there who can shed light on the apparent difference.
Cheers!
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