How much priming sugar is too much?

[mcgeebc]

I just realized that I doubled the amount of recommended priming sugar for the last batch that I made. I used 8 ounces for a batch that turned out to be 4 - 5 gallons. Oppps.

I have had it stored at 66 degrees for the past two weeks, but the bottles still aren't even carbed. What should I do? Will 8 ounces of priming sugar blow my bottles? Am I safe as long as I keep it cool?

 

[homebrewer_99]

WHOA!!!!

You used twice as much as the recommended amount.

66F is really low for conditioning, but in your case it's probably best.

Normally around 70-75F is where you want to condition bottles, but be careful since you overprimed.

Take a couple of your bottles and put them in a plastic bin (if they explode you'll have less of an area to clean up ) and place the bin in a warmer area (70-75F) for a couple of days. Open 1 up. Check to see if it is carbonated where you like it to be. If it is then place the other from the bin into the fridge overnight and try one of those the next day.

You can repeat the process with the others at your discretion.

If you keep the remaining bottles in the cooler area they will/may eventually carbonate, but it'll take longer because of the lower temp. Which, in this case, is safer.

Remember next time...4 oz is enough.

 

[mcgeebc]

Okay... I actually screwed up even more than I originally thought. I put the whole bag in because that is what I did last time. My LHBS packages it in 4 oz bags so you don't need to worry about measuring it. I noticed last night when bottling another batch that I was using an 8 oz bag and that is when I posted my worries about over carbing.

After looking at it again this morning I realized that it came in an 8 oz bag because it was really Malto Dextrine and not priming sugar.

So now I have one bottled batch of cream ale with 8 oz of Malto Dextrine and one bottled batch of wee heavy with 4 oz of Malto Dextrine and neither contains any priming sugar. I really need to stop drinking on bottling day!

I'm thinking that I should buy some carb tabs, throw them into each bottle, and recap. How much should I use though? I know Malto Dextrine has some fermentable sugars in it. Is it so little that I don't really need to worry about it?