New to hobby

[Agirard2003]

I received a home brew kit from me family on birthday a few months back and finally decided to jump in with both feet and give it a shot..
I received a Munton’s Irish stout malt extract as part of the kit
I followed the instructions as instructed.
I finally cracked one of the beers and it wasn’t too bad for a first timer.
The one thing I did notice is that it did fizz quite like a pop.. had the texture and feel of a pop when you drank it.
I did some reading and this site came up and now have a question regarding priming sugar

the instructions said to use 1kg of sugar.. I used brown sugar because of allergy to dextrose..
At bottling I added 1/2 tsp to each bottle.

is that too much priming sugar and a possible cause to too much carbonization?

thanks

 

[Velnerj]

At bottling I added 1/2 tsp to each bottle.

What size bottle?

Overcarbonation can also be caused by bottling too soon. Did the beer reach its final gravity before packaging?

Or infections often cause Overcarbonation. If that's the case drink up before the bottles build up too much pressure and pop.

 

[TheCache]

Assuming fermentation had completed and you packaged around 50 12oz bottles from a 5 gallon batch - A quick and dirty estimate is that 2/3 cup of brown sugar would be about right for a 5 gallon batch. 2/3 cup = approx 10 Tbsp or 30 tsp or 60 half tsp's. So your certainly in the ballpark, but there is a lot of variance for beer styles, temperature etc.

I have found that going by ozs rather than cups or Tbsp's helps me dial in the carbonation I want. Brewersfriend.com has a nice priming sugar calculator (under the tools/calculators tab) that goes by the style of beer you are making and includes a conversion for brown sugar along with a lot of other priming options. Stouts can tend to be carbonated a bit lower than some beers so you might be somewhat high.

Enjoy, a gifted home brew kit is what got me started as well... about 125 gallons ago

Cheers

 

[Holden Caulfield]

The amount of fermentables in sugars differs. Roughly speaking, the more fermentables the more CO2. Brown sugar will contribute ~45 fermentable points per pound-gallon. Dextrose on the other hand will only contribute ~42 fermentable points per pound-gallon. So brown sugar will add ~7% more CO2 than dextrose per pound.

7% isn't huge, but it is probably one of the factors. You can also use table sugar for priming and it has 46 fermentable points per pound-gallon, so if going from dextrose (corn sugar) to table sugar you should adjust accordingly.

There are many calculators available that allow for quantities of different sugars.

 

[bkboiler]

I've made a lot of cookies in my life...and brown sugar volume measurements vary dramatically based on how "packed" you tamp the scoop.
I've primed with table sugar and it turned out fine.

 

[Agirard2003]

T

What size bottle?

Overcarbonation can also be caused by bottling too soon. Did the beer reach its final gravity before packaging?

Or infections often cause Overcarbonation. If that's the case drink up before the bottles build up too much pressure and pop.

Regular beer bottle size was used
I didn’t use a tool that measures gravity..
I was a little overwhelmed in just getting the process done and not getting anything contaminated
I let fermentation go for 6 days checking the little bobber thingy on top on the bucket.. there were no more bubbles coming through it

 

[Agirard2003]

Thanks for the input everyone
Much appreciated!!!

 

[NSMikeD]

If you plan on more brewing a plastic bottling bucket is helpful. You add the sugar to the bottling bucket so you get even distribution. Cost pennies and is super easy to add a plastic spigot to the bucket so you can use gravity and not have to deal with a siphon. Plus all the trub gets left begind in the fermenting bucket.

 

[Agirard2003]

If you plan on more brewing a plastic bottling bucket is helpful. You add the sugar to the bottling bucket so you get even distribution. Cost pennies and is super easy to add a plastic spigot to the bucket so you can use gravity and not have to deal with a siphon. Plus all the trub gets left begind in the fermenting bucket.

the kit came with 2 buckets.. 1 of the buckets has a spigot... reading brewers friend.com beginners guide I see a few things that I can do differently the next time and the priming sugar is something I will try

 

[Velnerj]

Regular beer bottle size was used

I'm not sure what "regular" means but I'll just assume those wimpy 12oz bottles you Americans drink from... As others have said it might be too much but we mostly don't prime with brown sugar....

I let fermentation go for 6 days

This to me looks like the real culprit. A lack of patience from new brewers is quite common. Is it possible that fermentation was complete after 6 days? Sure it's possible... But it's also very possible that it wasn't quite done yet and that could explain the over carbonation.

Two weeks is fairly standard fermentation for ales. It certainly can be shorter if you are sure of the final gravity and take measurements. But you need experience with the recipe and the yeast in order to be able to do that...

Airlock activity is not a reliable source for fermentation only gravity readings are. I suggest a refractometer as their easy to use and don't use up too much beer. Keep in mind that once you are measuring fermented beer there needs to be a conversion formula in order to get the corrected number - as the presence of alcohol skews the reading...

 

[Agirard2003]

I'm not sure what "regular" means but I'll just assume those wimpy 12oz bottles you Americans drink from... As others have said it might be too much but we mostly don't prime with brown sugar....


This to me looks like the real culprit. A lack of patience from new brewers is quite common. Is it possible that fermentation was complete after 6 days? Sure it's possible... But it's also very possible that it wasn't quite done yet and that could explain the over carbonation.

Two weeks is fairly standard fermentation for ales. It certainly can be shorter if you are sure of the final gravity and take measurements. But you need experience with the recipe and the yeast in order to be able to do that...

Airlock activity is not a reliable source for fermentation only gravity readings are. I suggest a refractometer as their easy to use and don't use up too much beer. Keep in mind that once you are measuring fermented beer there needs to be a conversion formula in order to get the corrected number - as the presence of alcohol skews the reading...

well first off ...Canadian and not American!

second - going off the instructions from Muntons, was to allow 4-6 days for fermentation.. I bottled on the 7th day

I do have a hydrometer that came with the kit and will make use of it going forward, like I said I was pretty overwhelmed in trying not to screw things up..hah

 

[Jag75]

Use this calculator for priming info.

https://www.northernbrewer.com/pages/priming-sugar-calculator

 

[Kickass]

well first off ...Canadian and not American!

Haha, got him! @Velnerj, should have noted the metric weight in post #1

I use the priming calc in the above post.

 

[Velnerj]

Au contraire! Are Canadians not also (North) American? And what size bottles are "regular" in Canada? 330ml?

 

[hotbeer]

I was taught in the 2d grade that everyone in North, South and Central America were American's. Never been certain why some of us in the USA have appropriated that term as an exclusive.

Now I'm hearing from another American and citizen of Canada that they aren't American?

Even many old classic films portray citizens of South, Central and North American countries as American's to European countries. But admittedly there are just as many classics that popularize the term as a USA exclusive.


Read with a grin, folks. This isn't meant to be a serious concern that needs our first attention.

 

[Agirard2003]

Au contraire! Are Canadians not also (North) American? And what size bottles are "regular" in Canada? 330ml?

looking at one of the bottles.. 330ml is the standard bottle size and what my family bought for me with the kit

i received 48 bottles and then filled 3-750ml wine bottle as I still had a gallon of beer left in the bucket. Not sure how the wine bottles will fair but I was not going to let beer go to waste!!

 

[Agirard2003]

We are North American but definitely identify as Canadian!!

 

[Velnerj]

We are North American but definitely identify as Canadian!!

I can relate... I myself am from Minnesota originally but have lived in Europe for 15+ years. I self identify as a European when it suits me.

Fwiw 330ml bottles are almost exactly the same as 12oz.... So my point stands no matter where you are from.

 

[Elmo Peach]

OMG now I am confused I am an American living in Canada what size bottle should I use.

 

[Velnerj]

what size bottle should I use.

The correct answer is 0.5L bottles (or bigger).

 

[Elmo Peach]

The correct answer is 0.5L bottles (or bigger).

altum bibendum

 

[hotbeer]

You should use a bottle that either holds enough, or whatever bottles you are able to obtain.

 

[TheCache]

If you all keep this up much longer I am going to switch to kegging

Here's to tilting back whatever size bottle you prefer....

 

[Brian66]

OMG now I am confused I am an American living in Canada what size bottle should I use.

use the regular size

 

[BrewZer]

I'm not sure what "regular" means but I'll just assume those wimpy 12oz bottles you Americans drink from...

You can't judge a beer by its bottle. 12oz of my 14% ABV Black Pearl ale is plenty for one sitting.

 

[Velnerj]

You can't judge a beer by its bottle. 12oz of my 14% ABV Black Pearl ale is plenty for one sitting.

Agree. But during my last visit to the USA I was with a group of guys, and we're all fairly large dudes, and we were holding what looked like to me these dinky little beer bottles. I felt like we got demoted to the kids table or something. It was almost one of those fever dream experiences where things go way out of proportion... A strange culture shock moment I never expected.

Well, I'm a lightweight drinker anyway and since I moved to kegging I rarely ever fill a full 0.5L glass...

 

[Beermeister32]

I prefer the 500 ml bottles. The 11 and 12 ouncers don’t hold enough beer!

 

[sinned34]

Canadian homebrewer here. I keg my beer, but since I do 40-46 liter batches and use 19-20 L corny kegs, there's always beer leftovers. Those leftovers tend to go into 650 ml "bomber" bottles.
Although I have a massive collection of bottles I need to get rid of. 355 ml "stubbies", 400 ml Grolsch bottles, 500 ml bottles, 1 L pot-stoppers (from buying Howe Sound Brewery beers) and 1.5 L giant Grolsch bottles.

 

[moorejl57]

I use 16 oz bottles because a full pint sounds better than a half liter

 

[Cammanron]

Assuming fermentation had completed and you packaged around 50 12oz bottles from a 5 gallon batch - A quick and dirty estimate is that 2/3 cup of brown sugar would be about right for a 5 gallon batch. 2/3 cup = approx 10 Tbsp or 30 tsp or 60 half tsp's. So your certainly in the ballpark, but there is a lot of variance for beer styles, temperature etc.

I have found that going by ozs rather than cups or Tbsp's helps me dial in the carbonation I want. Brewersfriend.com has a nice priming sugar calculator (under the tools/calculators tab) that goes by the style of beer you are making and includes a conversion for brown sugar along with a lot of other priming options. Stouts can tend to be carbonated a bit lower than some beers so you might be somewhat high.

Enjoy, a gifted home brew kit is what got me started as well... about 125 gallons ago

Cheers

Same for me! The wife got me a “Mr Beer” kit for my birthday one year.... I didn’t touch it for a year, and I was worried it wouldn’t turn out. But, you know what? I read on the Mr Beer forum how to dry hop, and my very first brew was the “Diablo IPA” dry hopped with cascade hops and it turned out REAL good considering. I was hooked.
Now I BIAB all grain and have designed several of my own styles. Little by little, learning more and more as I go, upgrading piece by piece as I go. I just bottled a WCIPA style last night that I have real high hopes for as it smelled and tasted goood pre bottling.
There was a guy at a LHBSS that looked down his nose at me when I said I started with Mr Beer. ... He was a bit of a dick.

Gotta start somewhere..

 

[Agirard2003]

You can't judge a beer by its bottle. 12oz of my 14% ABV Black Pearl ale is plenty for one sitting.

my wife bought me some beer one time from the LCBO, can was the size of a redbull can and it was 18%, well drank that on an empty stomach and it kicked my ass .. hah

 

[Agirard2003]

Same for me! The wife got me a “Mr Beer” kit for my birthday one year.... I didn’t touch it for a year, and I was worried it wouldn’t turn out. But, you know what? I read on the Mr Beer forum how to dry hop, and my very first brew was the “Diablo IPA” dry hopped with cascade hops and it turned out REAL good considering. I was hooked.
Now I BIAB all grain and have designed several of my own styles. Little by little, learning more and more as I go, upgrading piece by piece as I go. I just bottled a WCIPA style last night that I have real high hopes for as it smelled and tasted goood pre bottling.
There was a guy at a LHBSS that looked down his nose at me when I said I started with Mr Beer. ... He was a bit of a dick.

Gotta start somewhere..

acronyms are killing me... hah

now the next part is understanding these recipes!!

 

[Cammanron]

L H B S S

Local Home Brew Supply Store

 

[bwible]

I'm not sure what "regular" means but I'll just assume those wimpy 12oz bottles you Americans drink from...

That’s because we’re mostly not drinking wimpy 3.8% or 4% beers.

And nobody here drinks homebrew from the bottle. We’re more civilized than that.