Didn't boil priming sugar

[dorkydi]

I recently bottled my first IPA, but didn't boil my priming sugar beforehand. I just poured the sugar into my bottling bucket and racked the beer on top of it. Am I screwed?

 

[jaycount]

One way to find out...

You poured the sugar in dry? There is a chance of infection but I'd say the bigger concern is an uneven distribution of priming sugar causing some bottles to be over-carbonated. Did you stir the beer after racking it in?

 

[dorkydi]

Yes, I stirred a little bit with the auto-siphon since I was concerned about the sugar dissolving.

 

[jaycount]

Who knows how itll come out but it's too late now to worry or fix it. I would put the bottles in a cooler or big covered bin or something to shield the shrapnel in case you do end up with bottle bombs.

And of course there is a chance of infection since the sugar wasn't sterilized beforehand but I would be less concerned with that. No reason to hide from a boogeyman that may or may not exist in your case.

So I've gotta ask: why didn't you boil it? No instructions?

 

[billslaw1024]

A guy at Beer and Winemakers Warehouse in Hartford actually told me that he never boils the priming sugar and just dumps it in like you did. I did that with the Rogue Brutal Bitter clone that I bought from that store. The beer was fine and there was no issue with uneven carbonation. That is the only beer I have done that with though.

 

[gestyr]

I wouldn't worry too much about it. First off, the alcohol and hops should inhibit any nasties you might have introduced. Look at it this way, IPAs were invented to withstand a 6 week voyage from England to India in less than sanitary conditions.

Secondly, I agree that the only thing to be concerned about is uneven carbonation though if you siphoned the wort on top of the sugar it should have mixed in pretty well.

 

[JohnTheBrewist]

It'll be fine. That's not much different than using the carbonation tabs. The worst case may be uneven distribution of the sugar. Boiling the sugar first is really the "take no chances" approach, but I'd still follow it under normal circumstances.

 

[terrapinj]

I did this by accident on my 1st batch and had major uneven carbonation to the point where some are practically flat still 5months later

 

[dorkydi]

@jaycount: I had instructions that just said to mix the sugar with the beer in the bottling bucket. No boiling mentioned. Sadness.

Oh well. I'll make sure to put the bottles in an unused closet or something. Thanks, everyone!

 

[unionrdr]

I was using the cooper's carb drops myself,& they're ok. But,4-5 weeks in,up to 8 weeks,they start to over-carbonate. And I don't even boil the sugar water on the stove. Do that long enough,& in equal amounts,& you have caramel syrup.
So I just nuke 2C of water in a small glass bowl for 4 minutes or so,till it starts to boil. Then stir in my priming sugar. Wait till the solution clears again (a minute or two),then cool down to at least 80,maybe less. Then let the bottling bucket fill a few inches,then ease the sugar solution in.
When it finishes filling,I give it a few gentle stirs with my brew spoon. Works really well!

 

[nunzio42]

@jaycount: I had instructions that just said to mix the sugar with the beer in the bottling bucket. No boiling mentioned. Sadness.

Oh well. I'll make sure to put the bottles in an unused closet or something. Thanks, everyone!

Actually if you have a spare bathroom, I would put the bottles in a case in the tub and close the box. That way if you do have an explosion it is easier to clean up. Plus boxing the bottles will protect them from light and contain the glass shards if you do get a bottle bomb.

 

[rod734]

When I bottle I always prime each bottle with raw table sugar and have never had a problem of any kind. This is how Mr. Beer and Coopers instructed when I first started brewing and it worked fine so I never tried to fix it.

 

[Vance71975]

I think you should be fine, I agree with putting the bottles in a tuff tub or similar plastic bin with a lid, Just in case of a bottle bomb or two, but other than that i wouldn't worry with an IPA, if it was a low hop low abv session beer, i may worry a bit more, but aside from that i wouldn't worry about infection with an IPA.

 

[Sheldon]

Thats how we did it when using Mr Beer, just dumped the sugar into each individual bottle, never had a problem.

 

[dorkydi]

Thanks for the input, everyone. It turned out fine; no bottle bombs (so far) and it tasted pretty good when we opened a bottle yesterday. Success!

 

[jonmohno]

That is how i did my first few batches.I even use my primary bottleing bucket as a primary fermenter. Saving a racking step. only thing is non-sterilazation of sugar.Most cases should be fine but i dont know you came a long way of sterilizing everything else.
I have since boiled my sugar racked my primary on top and have had consistant carbonation, i usually stirr after racking, but never had a problem this way. I drank a lot of beer tonight too,such good beer ,damn that good beer!

 

[stratslinger]

A guy at Beer and Winemakers Warehouse in Hartford actually told me that he never boils the priming sugar and just dumps it in like you did. I did that with the Rogue Brutal Bitter clone that I bought from that store. The beer was fine and there was no issue with uneven carbonation. That is the only beer I have done that with though.

Not for nothing, but that's the same guy who urges customers to follow a WHOLE lot of non-traditional methods (like, telling new brewers to forget about airlocks, and just put saran wrap over their bucket, or not to worry about sanitization, among other things).

Not exactly a font of good advice, that guy...