Newbie Priming Question

[goestoofast]

So lets say for instance I have two 5 gallon batches going at the same time.

One I prime and bottle after 30 days in the primary...but the second I leave for 60 days.

Would I use the same amount of priming sugar for both batches? Or would the batch left for 60 days ended up being less carbonated because of less active yeast?

Also what if I re-rack a batch like 3 times in the interest of clarity (leaving lots of trub behind)...does that not end up with less active yeast thus requiring more priming sugar?

Can some one edumacate me?

Thanks very much!

 

[alexacuna]

You're going to leave most of the trub behind (if not all of it) when getting into the bottling bucket, so you're really banking on the yeast that's in suspension. Careful with transferring so many times, it might increase your chances of infection.

After you've hit FG, your priming sugar should be the same. You may need to add some yeast for bottling if you wait too long, but I doubt 60 days is long enough for that.

 

[tektonjp]

The amount of priming sugar you use is calculated by the highest temperature the beer reached during fermentation. That and desired volume of co2 will determine the amount of sugar you need per gallon/liter.

 

[theseeker4]

So lets say for instance I have two 5 gallon batches going at the same time.

One I prime and bottle after 30 days in the primary...but the second I leave for 60 days.

Would I use the same amount of priming sugar for both batches? Or would the batch left for 60 days ended up being less carbonated because of less active yeast?

Also what if I re-rack a batch like 3 times in the interest of clarity (leaving lots of trub behind)...does that not end up with less active yeast thus requiring more priming sugar?

Can some one edumacate me?

Thanks very much!

Priming sugar is completely fermentable, and it does not depend on the amount of yeast (within reason) to consume the priming sugar. A certain amount of sugar will give you a certain amount of CO2, regardless of whether that sugar is eaten by 1 billion or 50 billion yeast cells. Having more yeast will speed up the process, but it won't change the end-point carbonation level.

Now if you do what you describe, go through a very long bulk aging for months, or rack and cold crash, rack and cold crash, several times, you might end up with too little yeast to carbonate, but the solution to that is to add a bit of fresh yeast when you bottle, NOT to up your sugar addition. Adding extra sugar either won't change anything, because the yeast still aren't there to ferment it, or will end up with gushers/bottle bombs, because enough active yeast remain, and they will simply chew through it all, producing too much carbon dioxide.

Also, just for the record, re-racking beer multiple times is a bad idea. You are exposing the beer to infection (potentially) and oxidation (inevitably) each time you rack, and you can get crystal clear beer simply leaving the beer in the primary, if you use cold crashing and finings. Racking to secondary, especially multiple times, in the pursuit of clarity is unnecessary with the negatives outweighing the positives.

 

[Pappers_]

Priming sugar is completely fermentable, and it does not depend on the amount of yeast (within reason) to consume the priming sugar. A certain amount of sugar will give you a certain amount of CO2, regardless of whether that sugar is eaten by 1 billion or 50 billion yeast cells. Having more yeast will speed up the process, but it won't change the end-point carbonation level.

Now if you do what you describe, go through a very long bulk aging for months, or rack and cold crash, rack and cold crash, several times, you might end up with too little yeast to carbonate, but the solution to that is to add a bit of fresh yeast when you bottle, NOT to up your sugar addition. Adding extra sugar either won't change anything, because the yeast still aren't there to ferment it, or will end up with gushers/bottle bombs, because enough active yeast remain, and they will simply chew through it all, producing too much carbon dioxide.

That's a great explanation!

Also, just for the record, re-racking beer multiple times is a bad idea. You are exposing the beer to infection (potentially) and oxidation (inevitably) each time you rack, and you can get crystal clear beer simply leaving the beer in the primary, if you use cold crashing and finings. Racking to secondary, especially multiple times, in the pursuit of clarity is unnecessary with the negatives outweighing the positives.

I agree with this, generally, but wouldn't state it so strongly or absolutely. For example, I cold crash most of my beers, but for beers that I dry hopped, I almost always rack them to a new carboy before the cold cash. In my experience, it gives me a better result. The warnings about infection and oxidation are legitimate, but can be easily overcome - use good sanitation practices and don't splash your beer while transfering.

 

[goestoofast]

Great explanation. Thank you very much. How would you know if you need to add a bit of yeast prior to bottling to ensure proper carbonation? Is it a guessing game like..."ok I've had this beer in the secondary for 3 months...that yeast must be dead by now?"

The reason I reracked a batch twice was because I threw in a cup of this expensive arabian cocoa powder and it seemed to take a LONG time to drop out. Remember...I am very amatuer and thought ****....I got nothin to lose....lets try something different. But I am extremely clean and havent skunked a batch yet (about 20 batches in)

 

[JimRausch]

The amount of priming sugar you use is calculated by the highest temperature the beer reached during fermentation. That and desired volume of co2 will determine the amount of sugar you need per gallon/liter.

Actually Tek, the amount of priming sugar is based on the highest temp reached AFTER fermentation is finished. The reason being that fermentation produces CO2. When that's finished no more CO2 is produced. Higher temps will drive off more CO2 without any being produced to replace that driven off.
Granted, in most cases your fermentation temperature will be higher than your conditioning temp, but there are some circumstances, especially in the summer, when that's not the case.

 

[tektonjp]

Actually Tek, the amount of priming sugar is based on the highest temp reached AFTER fermentation is finished. The reason being that fermentation produces CO2. When that's finished no more CO2 is produced. Higher temps will drive off more CO2 without any being produced to replace that driven off.
Granted, in most cases your fermentation temperature will be higher than your conditioning temp, but there are some circumstances, especially in the summer, when that's not the case.

Thanks. That is what was meant, but I didn't draw it out enough. Absolutely, the highest temperature the beer sees before it hits the bottle or keg. But 9 out 10, your fermentation temp will get you most of the way home. Cheers.