Discrepancies in priming sugar calculators??

[TomVA]

As a scientist I am a multi-checker, so before priming my batch of stout I consulted three priming sugar calculators to determine how much corn sugar to add, and all three gave different results!

For five gallons of beer at 70°F carbonated to 2.1 volumes of CO2, I found the following answers:

Nomograph in Palmer's "Brewing Classic Styles": ...........3.0 ounces
Northern Brewer's online calculator: .............................3.4 ounces
Brewer's Friend online calculator: .................................3.7 ounces

I don't get it - isn't this just chemistry and mathematics? So who is right?

TomVA

 

[flars]

Right comes from experience and good note taking. Two beers brewed the same way will have enough difference that the same amount of priming sugar will not result in exactly equal carbonation.

That is why I only use one calculator all of the time.

 

[raysmithtx]

You could probably ask that question in the Brew Science forum and get the technical answer you are looking for. Those guys are WAY over my head.

 

[Calder]

Corn sugar has some moisture content. I have seen a couple of different numbers for the actual sugar content of corn sugar. I've seen 36 ppg and 42 ppg. This might explain a difference between two calculators. Not sure why 3 will give different results.

...... Why use corn sugar anyway, what's wrong with cheaper table sugar ....... maybe we don't want to start that argument here!

 

[jaybrant]

You could probably ask that question in the Brew Science forum and get the technical answer you are looking for. Those guys are WAY over my head.

Ray Smith...this is totally unrelated to this post but I saw a reply you had a few years ago related to epoxy. I tried applying some epoxy today and I'm not entirely happy. I have some uneven results (like rippling). Is there anyway I could get your email address to ask you some questions?

 

[raysmithtx]

Ray Smith...this is totally unrelated to this post but I saw a reply you had a few years ago related to epoxy. I tried applying some epoxy today and I'm not entirely happy. I have some uneven results (like rippling). Is there anyway I could get your email address to ask you some questions?

PM sent.