Need Advice-primed the secondary fermenter

[DMorrison77]

So in what could only be called a brain-fart I poured priming sugar into my secondary fermenter (a glass carboy). Its just a simple IPA, and I'm actually prepared to have a low-carbonation level in it because of this premature priming, I'd hate to waste it, but if its beyond saving I guess it can water a plant or something. I'm gonna let it go and see how it turns out, but I want some other opinions. Should I prime it again before bottling?

-Dan

 

[burninator]

You added priming sugar, but you're not ready to bottle? I'd say let it sit like you would have otherwise and then prime again before you bottle. It shouldn't be enough sugar to make a difference.

 

[kh54s10]

The amount of priming sugar will have very little effect on the beer. But do let the priming sugar ferment out. If you don't you could over carbonate the bottles or even have bottle bombs.

You will need to prime again.

 

[Blue_State]

My instinct, which isn't worth much because I haven't done this, is to take a hydrometer reading now, wait a week, take another. If the reading is the same, move add your priming sugar as you would normally and bottle.

If not the same, wait a week.

As I said, I am guessing.

 

[DMorrison77]

Awesome, thanks guys. Bottling day for it isn't for another week, and I may give it another couple days (only 2 at most) to ensure the sugar is all fermented out to make sure bottle bombs don't happen

 

[kh54s10]

My instinct, which isn't worth much because I haven't done this, is to take a hydrometer reading now, wait a week, take another. If the reading is the same, move add your priming sugar as you would normally and bottle.

If not the same, wait a week.

As I said, I am guessing.

If he recently added the priming sugar, taking a reading now would be pre-ferment. After a week would be post-ferment. So the readings should be different.

Wait a few days for the priming sugar to ferment out then proceed.

 

[Blue_State]

If he recently added the priming sugar, taking a reading now would be pre-ferment. After a week would be post-ferment. So the readings should be different.

Wait a few days for the priming sugar to ferment out then proceed.

By taking a reading today, wouldn't that give him a benchmark to know when the priming sugar fermented out?

 

[kh54s10]

By taking a reading today, wouldn't that give him a benchmark to know when the priming sugar fermented out?

Well, kind of... But the numbers would not be the same. A reading taken with sugars will be higher than after fermented. Thus to be sure you would need to take a third reading.

Or just wait a few days then re-prime and bottle.

 

[Blue_State]

Well, kind of... But the numbers would not be the same. A reading taken with sugars will be higher than after fermented. Thus to be sure you would need to take a third reading.

Or just wait a few days then re-prime and bottle.

***by the way, not being argumentative, just trying to talk this out and see if I got it right***

He has the beer in the carboy now. He added the primer sugar. The hydrometer should read 1.02 or something like that.

If he waits 2 days, it should go to 1.018 or something like that. If he takes a third reading on day 3, and it reads 1.018, I would say he is good to bottle and add more priming sugar.

That is how I would do it in order to not make beer bombs.

 

[frazier]

By taking a reading today, wouldn't that give him a benchmark to know when the priming sugar fermented out?

A normal amount of priming sugar will raise the gravity of the batch by .0027 points. Under ideal conditions this difference may be readable - but here, the priming solution was dumped into the carboy, presumably not mixed - and we all know how good the readings are when mixing is poor - amirite?

I would go with the "wait a week, reprime, and bottle" idea. That, and RDWHAHB.

Cheers!

 

[Blue_State]

A normal amount of priming sugar will raise the gravity of the batch by .0027 points. Under ideal conditions this difference may be readable - but here, the priming solution was dumped into the carboy, presumably not mixed - and we all know how good the readings are when mixing is poor - amirite?

I would go with the "wait a week, reprime, and bottle" idea. That, and RDWHAHB.

Cheers!

Just 0.0027?

I take back everything I said. My idea won't work at all. HA!

 

[sablesurfer]

Blue state - your post said same same so yes the gravity will be different. You got it, your post was typo'd I'd guess.

The priming sugar into fermentor is just like adding more sugar to a belgian beer. It is just another fermentable and this was likely extremely small in the overall scheme of things.

You would probably need about 3-5 days for that to be fermented, if you were still in active ferment, if you have cold crashed it might need to wake up again, but you probably won't ever see bubbles from 3-5oz of sugar.

Personally, I would give it another week, then prime again (IN A BOTTLING BUCKET) and bottle.

(Edit - work interrupted and I got greeked on the answer...sigh)

 

[kh54s10]

***by the way, not being argumentative, just trying to talk this out and see if I got it right***

He has the beer in the carboy now. He added the primer sugar. The hydrometer should read 1.02 or something like that.

If he waits 2 days, it should go to 1.018 or something like that. If he takes a third reading on day 3, and it reads 1.018, I would say he is good to bottle and add more priming sugar.

That is how I would do it in order to not make beer bombs.

A normal amount of priming sugar will raise the gravity of the batch by .0027 points. Under ideal conditions this difference may be readable - but here, the priming solution was dumped into the carboy, presumably not mixed - and we all know how good the readings are when mixing is poor - amirite?

I would go with the "wait a week, reprime, and bottle" idea. That, and RDWHAHB.

Cheers!

Yes and yes....