Help How Much Sugar

[Agent47]

I've had success brewing wine so thought I'd give beer ago. I have brewed a coopers IPA batch and am ready to rack into secondary ferment-er.The instructions say to add 6 grams of sugar per bottle but this would be 240 grams for Forty pints. Is this right as I'd heard it should be about 100 grams for Five gallon. Also is it best to dissolve sugar in a small amount of water then add to he whole batch.

 

[Double_D]

240g would be almost twice what you need. I'm trying to remember my bottling days..but I think you're in the ballpark with100g. Depending on style that is. The sugar is usually liquefied with a cup or so of water. Most people will boil it for a minute or two. You can then add it to your bottling bucket and transfer beer on top of it to mix it evenly and bottle.

Also, it would depend on what size bottles you're using. Much easier to calculate based on desired carbonation for beer style.

 

[dmtaylor]

100 grams is the right figure for 5 gallons. Boil all the sugar for the whole batch with a pint of water for 5 minutes, cool and add to the entire batch before bottling. It's much easier and more consistent carbonation this way.

 

[brewkinger]

A quick reference is between 0.75 and 1.0 ounce of priming sugar per gallon of finished beer.

 

[dstockwell]

http://www.brewersfriend.com/beer-priming-calculator/

 

[Agent47]

Thanks for all your help. Will Post when all complete

 

[ncbrewer]

The amount of sugar needed also depends on the kind of sugar. The Brewers Friend calculator linked above should let you input table sugar, corn sugar, etc.

 

[Agent47]

Thanks for your help. Just one more question. Would it be ok to leave my brew in the secondry fermenter for 24 hours after adding priming sugar as waiting for new bottle capper to arrive tomorrow

 

[IchLiebeBier]

Why are you transferring to a secondary with the sugar? Normally, the secondary is used to clarify a beer (there are other uses, too, but I won't list them).

If you put sugar in it, you would start another fermentation, which would result in more alcohol. But since it's not in a capped bottle, the CO2 will escape from the carboy, or bucket, or whatever you're using. You won't get the desired priming effect.

Now, if all you're doing is getting it ready to bottle, then 1 day won't really be enough time to ferment out the sugar. But there's no reason to use a secondary. You're just introducing a possible contamination event. Wait until you get your capper, and transfer the beer to your bottling bucket with the sugar and bottle it right away.

Make sense?

 

[dmtaylor]

Thanks for your help. Just one more question. Would it be ok to leave my brew in the secondry fermenter for 24 hours after adding priming sugar as waiting for new bottle capper to arrive tomorrow

No, it will begin to ferment and likely reduce the carbonation in your bottles if you wait that long.

 

[brewkinger]

no, it will begin to ferment and likely reduce the carbonation in your bottles if you wait that long.

this ^^^