Do sugar drops work as good as batch sugar?

[rockydog101]

Hi everyone. I bottle because I like to give away beers, so kegging really isn't the solution for me. So I bottle. I find bottle day to be tedious.

Currently, I transfer from the glass carboy to a bottle bucket that has 5 ounces of priming sugar in boiling water. Then I transfer from that to bottles.

I thought I could take a step out if I used a bucket fermenter like SS Brewtech sells and hook up my bottle wand directly to the output spigot (of course, the beers suffers from not being racked at all, but benefits from minimal oxygen exposure). Of course, the beer still needs priming sugar. So I was considering using the little hard sugar drops (or I just read in another thread can use certain types of sugar cubes as well.)

So - do the premeasured sugar tablets work just as well and consistently as using 5 ounces of priming sugar added to the whole batch of beer? Seems like if the sugar is legit, it will actually work better because you're guaranteed 12 ounces in the bottle, but a 5 gallon batch could vary from 4.75 - 5.25 gallons. But do they prime just as well?

Thanks

 

[sportpak]

When I do small batches (1-2 gallons) I will use "fizz drops" from Northern. You drop one in per bottle. They work very well for what they are.

For good luck, after about 1 week conditioning, I give each bottle a tip upside down. My LHBS guy says sometimes the sugar won't melt completely, so a quick tip and look lets you verify it's melted completely. It also gives it a little stir to rouse things up to keep the program moving.

Week 3-4 is usually my beers best window.

 

[Onkel_Udo]

For the most part they are more tedious than batch priing if you are doing more than a 12 pack but they work great. The M&F ones tend to leave floaties but the cooper of Northern Brewery I have had no issues with.

 

[Acaciadrian]

They will give you the carb you need forsure but I always seemed to get a film on the top of the beer (wax like). I stick with Bach priming, if you go with the new set up you could just stir it in, as quick as possible if you are trying to avoid to much oxygen

 

[Qhrumphf]

I've used the "carb drops" for 1 gallon batches before (short mead, cider, etc). They work, but effectively make it impossible to carb to style (which I'm very big on), so I don't use them normally.

FYI, if you're looking to only give some bottles away, you can bottle off the keg after either purchasing some equipment, or making it yourself. Added benefit of, if you're good at what you do, no sediment in the bottles that way so whoever gets the bottle doesn't have to worry about leaving some behind.

 

[Pkrd]

They do work but one drop per bottle doesn't account for temperature, bottle size or style. Its all just fizzy beer.