Hefeweizen Priming Q

[fezzersc]

I ordered everything I need to make a Hefeweizen, but forgot piming sugar. I really don't want to have to order just sugar, and my LHBS is like 50 miles away. Is there a good alternative? I will have some DME left over, is there anything else that would work, or just use the dme?

 

[rycov]

table sugar. hell just use the dme if you have enough. do a search on priming sugar or corn sugar vs dme to figure out how much you'll need. if you have a book on brewing it will probably tell you how much to use. i'm pretty sure the joy of hombrewing talks about it.

 

[rycov]

all priming sugar is, is corn sugar nothing special

 

[Runyanka]

all priming sugar is, is corn sugar nothing special

Not all true... I believe the priming rate for DME is 1 1/2 cups for 5 gallon. Search it

 

[fezzersc]

Thanks. I'll have 1 Lb of DME left over.

 

[Rev2010]

Not all true... I believe the priming rate for DME is 1 1/2 cups for 5 gallon. Search it

He was talking about the typical priming sugar and he's right, it's just corn sugar. Of course one can prime with table sugar, brown sugar, DME, honey, maple syrup, etc. But what he said wasn't untrue.


Rev.

 

[Kjay]

If you look in palmers book there is a table on page 111 table 13 it has a different sugars used for priming and their equivalent amounts for 5 gallon batches. It says to use 5.4 ounces (152 grams) of dry malt for priming. Hope this helps.

CHeers,

Kris

 

[Rev2010]

Thanks. I'll have 1 Lb of DME left over.

You can definitely prime with the DME and you certainly have more than enough. Keep in mind priming with DME will take longer to carb up than priming with sugar, though how much longer escapes me at the moment.


Rev.

 

[Kjay]

In fact I just primed a batch and used about 200 grams of DME for 23 litres. (Also known as 7.05 ounces for 6.07 gallons) Which is a bit more than the ratios stated in the tables that John Palmer published in the How to Brew Book, which is about 1.08 ounces/gallon.

 

[fezzersc]

I just ordered that book 2 nights ago.

 

[Kjay]

i have had it for like 5 years, I read it complete during my first brew, and still refer to it during all phases of brewing (from planning to drinking), it is great book very text book like but very easy to read at the same time. Great reference to own.

Cheers,

Kris

 

[JMSetzler]

This would be a great opportunity to try kreusining.

 

[rycov]

yeah. for some reason i was thinking you already fermented it. if you haven't then give a go at kreusining. and let me know how it goes!(never tried this but have thought about it)

 

[JMSetzler]

According to The Complete Joy of Homebrewing:

Kraeusining:

Natural carbonation without corn sugar -

This priming rate is based on using 3/4 cup of corn sugar per 5 gallons...

Quarts of gyle = 12 x gallons of wort / (specific gravity - 1) x 1000

For instance, if you had 5 gallons of wort that started out at 1.050, you would perform the following calculation:

(12x5) / ((1.050-1) x 1000)

60 / (.050 x 1000)

60 / 50

= 1.2 quarts

Save 1.2 quarts of your unfermented wort in a sterilized jar and just keep it in the fridge until you are ready to bottle. When bottling time comes, just dump that unfermented wort into the bottling bucket instead of the priming sugar solution.

I have never tried this before but I'm brewing a pale ale saturday and I might just give this a whirl...

 

[ACbrewer]

The only caution that should be put out there for using DME is that just like you get a foam level around your fermentor, when you use DME you get one on your bottles. Nothing hazardous, but not perhaps the most pretty thing to look at. Time with DME is if I recall correctly about double what it would be with any simple sugar (priming, table, brown, honey, juice, etc). But people claim to get better/smaller bubbles with it. I've never tried, so I don't know.

 

[rycov]

i think i will try this with my next brew. ACbrewer, does this foam go away? i've been kegging. partly because its easy. and partly because i don't like the fact that i have to add sugar to my delicious beer. i was thinking that adding gyle seems like a more natural approach to carbing my beer. (not adding anything new to my perfect brew) also i have heard that it makes smaller bubbles which i can dig. if the OP does go this route. please continue with the updates. i would really like to hear how this comes out.

 

[fezzersc]

what kinda flavor change am I looking at with brown sugar?

 

[rycov]

with the amount that it takes to prime bottles. pretty minimal.

 

[fezzersc]

This whole time and I just noticed you were in Conway.

Is the carb time with brown sugar longer than corn sugar?

 

[rycov]

damn. i didnt know you were from aiken. lol. yeah. not exactly sure. it should be pretty close though. i would think the normal two to three weeks would be good.