Damn graduations on buckets...

[shauntraxler]

I think I'm in for some bottle bombs here.

I made an partial batch for SWMBO's father who comes into town in a few weeks. I was bottling it today and calculated my priming sugar based off the volume showing on the graduation marks on the outside of the bucket. It was reading just under 8.5 quarts.

I had 2 MR. Beer 1L bottles on hand, and primed those with 2.5tsp each of cane sugar. I subtracted the necessary amount of volume from the bulk prime calculation and Beer Smith told me to prime the remaining ~1.66 gallons with 2.24oz of DME for 2.6vols carbonation.

That's what I did. The problem is, I also calculated the number of bottles to wash and it came out being two 22oz bombers, and fourteen 12oz standard bottles. Well, when I was done filling the bottles, I had four 12oz's left empty. Somehow, I miscalculated 48oz of brew!!

So I re-ran the updated figures through BeerSmith, and I'm looking at about 3.1 vols of carbonation.

Is there a way to be SURE how much primer to make up? I mean, I lost some volume to the primary due to not wanting to disturb the yeast cake and surrounding trub. How can we account for that?

Any suggestions or words that will calm my fears of bottle bombs? lol.

 

[sickbrew]

You could calculate the volume based on the formula for a cylinder (bottling bucket) and then use BeerSmith to calculate the amount of priming sugar.

In fact here's an online calculator.

http://www.online-calculators.co.uk/volumetric/cylindervolume.php

cheers

 

[JuanMoore]

Is there a way to be SURE how much primer to make up? I mean, I lost some volume to the primary due to not wanting to disturb the yeast cake and surrounding trub. How can we account for that?

I take it you're bottling straight from the fermenter? The way most people account for it is by racking the beer into a bottling bucket before bottling. That's one of the purposes of using a bottling bucket, to see how much beer is going to be bottled so that the correct amount of priming sugar can be calculated. The graduations on buckets (bottling or otherwise) are notoriously inaccurate, so it's a good idea to measure and make your own volume marks.

Any suggestions or words that will calm my fears of bottle bombs? lol.

If your calculations are correct you don't need to worry about bottle bombs. Plenty of brewers carb up to 3.5 vol in standard bottles for highly carbed styles. Probably a good idea to open them over a sink though just in case they gush a little.

 

[shauntraxler]

Well, my calculations we're accurate the second time around. lol. And, I was using a bottling bucket, however, I have yet to correct the graduations... I suspect, therein, lies my problem.

Thanks.

 

[mattd2]

I take it you're bottling straight from the fermenter? The way most people account for it is by racking the beer into a bottling bucket before bottling. That's one of the purposes of using a bottling bucket, to see how much beer is going to be bottled so that the correct amount of priming sugar can be calculated...

But most people add the priming solution to the bottom of the bottling bucket and then rack the beer ontop so there is no way to know how much before it is to late. Really you need to have you primary (or secondary) marked accuratly and remember to check how much trub is at the bottom and how far down you can get out into the bottling bucket.

 

[Hammy71]

No worries. 3.1 volumes shouldn't cause any bottle bombs.

 

[shauntraxler]

No worries. 3.1 volumes shouldn't cause any bottle bombs.

Just some HELLA carbonated wheat beer. Haha.