I'm so lost. HELLLP! Just upgraded from white buckets to 10+ gallon stainless system...

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Nice fermenter! I was a bit puzzled as to why you were catching the yeast in a sheet pan until I saw the picture. Maybe you can put the rig up on blocks of some sort next time so you can get a jar under the bottom valve. Hopefully, you won’t have any issues with bottling, but shouldn’t if the top valve is higher than the bottles.
Yes. Lesson-learned. It needs to be at least 6 inches higher next time.
 
since this is an 11 gallon batch, how much corn sugar to use? Looking for a consensus here.

Use this for all your priming calculations: https://www.brewersfriend.com/beer-priming-calculator/

Dropped a little more yeast out of bottom yesterday...after work today, it is finally BOTTLING DAY (tonight.) I have questions for this forum about how much priming sugar to use...I will be mixing it directly it into the fermenter, with a gentle long spoon stir...but how long do I let it... mix in? (Before bottling.)

Make a solution for your priming sugar, so that it will mix well with your beer (boil a cup or two of water, add in your priming sugar, stir until all dissolved). Let it cool a bit, and dump this solution into your bottling bucket (well, fermenter in this case), and give that a gentle stir. Start bottling immediately!
 
Use this for all your priming calculations: https://www.brewersfriend.com/beer-priming-calculator/



Make a solution for your priming sugar, so that it will mix well with your beer (boil a cup or two of water, add in your priming sugar, stir until all dissolved). Let it cool a bit, and dump this solution into your bottling bucket (well, fermenter in this case), and give that a gentle stir. Start bottling immediately!
The calculator works it out to = 14.8 oz. ...Ounces? Shouldn't it be a weight or measure other than ounces?

Man, every time I think I know an answer...they change the question!

Soooo close now!!!
 
The calculator works it out to = 14.8 oz. ...Ounces? Shouldn't it be a weight or measure other than ounces?
It's definitely a WEIGHT measurement there, bmac!
Yes. Weight in ounces. As in 16 ounces to a pound. But that's a very high carbonation level. What kind of sugar and what did you enter for the temperature and volumes of CO2? I would think you'd be looking for something closer to 10 oz.
 
Yes. Weight in ounces. As in 16 ounces to a pound. But that's a very high carbonation level. What kind of sugar and what did you enter for the temperature and volumes of CO2? I would think you'd be looking for something closer to 10 oz.
I’m not sophisticated, but usually just add 1 ounce (by weight) per gallon (cane sugar) and since I am kegging, I can make adjudication later with my gas pressure.
 
since I am kegging, I can make adjudication later with my gas pressure.
But he's bottling. I may have lost track, but if this is a pale ale that's much too high for the style. If he's using standard long necks it's much too high for the bottles. We discussed priming and bottle types a few pages back.
 
Thank you all, again. The brewersfriend calculator returned 14.8 oz. as the amount of corn sugar I should use to prime/bottle. The values I plugged in were 11 gallon batch, and been sitting in my kitchen-room temp 68 degrees... I entered 2.6 (American Ale range is 2.2 - 2.7...I'd like just a little more pop...will be careful to use enough headroom when filling bottles.)

For fun, I entered 2.5 and it returned 10.8 as the amount of corn sugar.

To err on the side of caution, I'm splitting the difference, and I'm going to use 12.8 ounces.

IT'S BOTTLING NIGHT!!!!

GET HYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYPED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
 
Thank you all, again. The brewersfriend calculator returned 14.8 oz. as the amount of corn sugar I should use to prime/bottle. The values I plugged in were 11 gallon batch, and been sitting in my kitchen-room temp 68 degrees... I entered 2.6 (American Ale range is 2.2 - 2.7...I'd like just a little more pop...will be careful to use enough headroom when filling bottles.)

For fun, I entered 2.5 and it returned 10.8 as the amount of corn sugar.

To err on the side of caution, I'm splitting the difference, and I'm going to use 12.8 ounces.

IT'S BOTTLING NIGHT!!!!

GET HYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYPED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
When I enter your numbers (11 gal, 68°F) into the BrewersFriend calculator, I get
11.2 oz corn sugar for 2.6 volumes​
10.6 oz corn sugar for 2.5 volumes​
14.8 oz corn sugar for 3.15 volumes (too much)​
Also, headspace in the bottle has almost zero effect on carbonation level. You need a fraction of an inch to avoid liquid expansion from popping the cap or breaking the bottle.

Brew on :mug:
 
The brewersfriend calculator returned 14.8 oz. as the amount of corn sugar I should use to prime/bottle. The values I plugged in were 11 gallon batch, and been sitting in my kitchen-room temp 68 degrees... I entered 2.6
Nope. Those values give 11.2 oz of corn sugar. 14.8 oz will give you 3.15 volumes of CO2. 12.8 oz is 2.85 volumes.
 
Okay...well then this should be interesting!

I put in just over 12 oz. (Measuring cup.)

Many previous posts said "3/4ths cup of corn sugar for 5 gal. works great...) I basically doubled that.

I bottled 15 six-packs plus a growler.

I marked the first bottles and used black bottle caps...later, black and also green ones...toward the end, I added some pineapple natural flavoring (2 oz.) and I used gold caps for the pineapple ones... for the last 8 or 10, I used red caps. The growler was toward the end too...I'll drink that with my family one night.

Also filled a few clear bottles...for observation!

All the bottles were put in my closet shelves and covered--room temp, complete darkness... right in my bedroom.... it's going to be funny if I get a bomber!!! My wife will give me a shoe to the nuts!

I may put towels below, just in case.

How long to condition now?

Again, THANK YOU ALL!!!!

I DID IT!!!!!!

Considering "Sierra Retarda" as working title.

I drank the last of the pour... definitely some alcohol in it. Probably too much pineapple, but not bad! Catching a buzz... and already cleaned up.

CHEERS!!!
 

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I put in just over 12 oz. (Measuring cup.)
So you measured by volume not weight. The calculators are based on weight not volume. Corn sugar is highly compressible, making volume to weight conversions a bit tricky.
How long to condition now?
Two weeks is pretty standard. Then a couple of days in the fridge to make sure the yeast settles.
 
I put in just over 12 oz. (Measuring cup.)
I saw this and thought: OMG he went with a volume measurement instead of using a scale?!? So to find out just how badly you'd over carbonated, I filled a shot glass to the 1.0 ounce line with table sugar, and I'll be damned, my scale said it weighed 0.98 ounce! So should be safe!

Many previous posts said "3/4ths cup of corn sugar for 5 gal. works great...) I basically doubled that.
Then I guess you're definitely safe! But you really do need a scale!
 
I use 1 tsp per bottle. I measure out the sugar and boil it in water to make, make 5 ml contain 1 tsp of sugar, then dose each empty bottle with five mils of that solution. Since I always know how many bottles I want in advance because I keg the rest, it makes measurement easy.
 
I have one concern; your 15 6-packs (12 0z?) and a growler come up a bit short of 11 gallons by my math. If you’re already on the high side of priming sugar, and short on beer volume, you might want to be very careful with those bottles!

Maybe I’m missing something here. 🤔

I will agree with @jerrylotto, who primes each bottle. It’s a a bit tedious to prime each bottle, but if you do so with the correct amount of sugar, then all is good. When I bottled, I used to hold off on the last few bottles or so until I was sure that I was going to need them. It’s no big deal to prepare a few more, but unless you’re careless and double prime a bottle, you shouldn’t have to worry about too much sugar.

Hope all goes well! 🍻
 
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