Ounces of Corn Sugar Primer in a 3/4 Cup.

[DudlyBrewRight]

This is good advice, but I'm a casual extract brewer. I don't have a scale. I don't know the temperature of my beer. I don't know the exact temperature of the basement room the beer will sit in. And I don't know the exact amount of beer I have in the fermenter or that will end up in my bottling bucket. It will be about 5 gallons. 3/4 cup corn sugar, maybe a bit rounded for some styles, is close enough. This has worked for me for 299 ales since 1994. Others may opt to be less casual .

Edited to specify corn sugar for @DudlyBrewRight

Thanks for the info fellow casual extract brewer.

 

[mac_1103]

This has worked for me for 299 ales since 1994.

Stuck on 299? I hope 300 is going to be something special.

 

[D.B.Moody]

Stuck on 299? I hope 300 is going to be something special.

Well, it's 299 ales, but I've also brewed 4 gingermeads and 1 cyser, so I'm now on batch #304 which I will bottle next week. Batch #300 was a special version of "Spinale" made with some invert sugar. My "Spinale" recipe takes the HBUs to 11.

 

[DudlyBrewRight]

Well, it's 299 ales, but I've also brewed 4 gingermeads and 1 cyser, so I'm now on batch #304 which I will bottle next week. Batch #300 was a special version of "Spinale" made with some invert sugar. My "Spinale" recipe takes the HBUs to 11.
View attachment 824230

Moody brews!!! Love it.

 

[DudlyBrewRight]

Well, it's 299 ales, but I've also brewed 4 gingermeads and 1 cyser, so I'm now on batch #304 which I will bottle next week. Batch #300 was a special version of "Spinale" made with some invert sugar. My "Spinale" recipe takes the HBUs to 11.
View attachment 824230

Since you have much more experience with extract brewing, do you use the closed fermenter process? If you do, is it single stage or two stage?

 

[D.B.Moody]

Once I said I primed with corn sugar. And they all moved away from me on the bench

@DudlyBrewRight, do you remember when @MaxStout said this? Well I once said I used a secondary.

My standard procedure here is, to say the least, out of favor these days, but I prefer it. I posted about this on "What does a secondary do?" on the Beginners Beer Brewing Forum.

My primary fermenter is a plastic bucket with a snap on lid and an airlock. I have never used, nor needed, a blowoff tube. The airlock is filled with tap water. I forgot to fill it one time: the beer was fine. After one week (sometimes 6 days) the beer is siphoned into a glass carboy. The airlock is transferred to a carboy plug. After a week in the carboy, the beer is bottled. Technically, the beer is bottled after its is ready, which can be seen because the carboy is clear glass. There have been a few cases over the years where I delayed bottling a bit because it didn't look ready. (No, and they're moving away from me on that bench there again, I don't take gravity readings.) I primarily brew British style bitters and pale ales; this may affect my take on the effects of using a secondary.

 

[DudlyBrewRight]

@DudlyBrewRight, do you remember when @MaxStout said this? Well I once said I used a secondary.

My standard procedure here is, to say the least, out of favor these days, but I prefer it. I posted about this on "What does a secondary do?" on the Beginners Beer Brewing Forum.

My primary fermenter is a plastic bucket with a snap in lid and an airlock. I have never used, nor needed, a blowoff tube. The airlock is filled with tap water. I forgot to fill it one time; the beer was fine. After one week (sometimes 6 days) the beer is siphoned into a glass carboy. The airlock is transferred to a carboy plug. After a week in the carboy, the beer is bottled. Technically, the beer is bottled after its is ready, which can be seen because the carboy is clear glass. There have been a few cases over the years where I delayed bottling a bit because it didn't look ready. ) No, and they're moving away from me on that bench there again, I don't take gravity readings.) I primarily brew British style bitters and pale ales. This my effect my take on the effects of using a secondary.

Well that's certainly encouraging. I have my original plastic fermenter but switched to the 2 step process for batches that I couldn't bottle for 4 or 5 weeks. Otherwise I use single stage but in a closed carboy system to blow off the excess bitter crud. I started doing that after reading about it in Papazian's book The Complete Joy of Home Brewing but from what you're saying it doesn't seem to matter. I also read a thread here that says the two step process isn't necessary either because leaving the fresh brew on the yeast several weeks isn't going to hurt it and may actually be beneficial. I hope that's true because I brewed my favorite recipe made from Coopers hopped English bitters, 1lb dried light malt and 1lb of light honey yesterday and I'm going on a 2 week vacation next Friday. I plan on leaving it in the carboy and bottling it 3 weeks from now. I hope these guys know what they're talking about.

 

[mac_1103]

I often do a secondary, because I often brew big beers that I bulk age. Weeks in the primary on top of the yeast is one thing; months is another.

 

[DudlyBrewRight]

"I primarily brew British style bitters and pale ales; this may affect my take on the effects of using a secondary."

I also like English bitters and really liked Coopers extract when it was readily available about 10 years ago. I recently found a few online distributors in the US that carry it for around $25 but with shipping I ended up paying $41 for one 3.75lb can. For English or British bitters as you call it, what brand of extract do you like?

 

[D.B.Moody]

For English or British bitters as you call it, what brand of extract do you like?

I prefer Muntons DME. I prefer dry to liquid malt extract. I use both light and amber, but, if I had to pick just one favorite, it would be amber. I and another brewer, @DBhomebrew, posted about this in the thread "I brewed a favorite recipe today" in the Extract Brewers Forum. Go to posts #122, #144, & #146 on page 4 from this link: I Brewed A Favorite Recipe Today (link).

 

[DudlyBrewRight]

I prefer Muntons DME. I prefer dry to liquid malt extract. I use both light and amber, but, if I had to pick just one favorite, it would be amber. I and another brewer, @DBhomebrew, posted about this in the thread "I brewed a favorite recipe today" in the Extract Brewers Forum. Go to posts #122, #144, & #146 on page 4 from this link: I Brewed A Favorite Recipe Today (link).

I misunderstood your #38 post where you said "I'm a casual extract brewer." I took this to mean you are mainly an extract brewer like me. I'll check those recommended posts about extract brewing. Thanks.

 

[DudlyBrewRight]

I prefer Muntons DME. I prefer dry to liquid malt extract. I use both light and amber, but, if I had to pick just one favorite, it would be amber. I and another brewer, @DBhomebrew, posted about this in the thread "I brewed a favorite recipe today" in the Extract Brewers Forum. Go to posts #122, #144, & #146 on page 4 from this link: I Brewed A Favorite Recipe Today (link).

Read those posts and apparently I'm a little slow to learn the difference between DME and LME. Since my interest in home brewing has perked up again I'll have to try brewing some recipes with DME. Actually I did try that about 35 years ago when I made a batch of Rocky Raccoons Crystal Honey Lager which was really an ale but it turned out pretty good. It only had 2.5lbs of DME and a couple of pounds of Honey as I recall.

 

[D.B.Moody]

One of my favorite recipes was developed using two 3.3 lb. cans of John Bull LME. When John Bull was no longer available, I usually used 6 lbs. of Briess amber LME instead. At the time this was much cheaper and easier to do than switching to DME or finding 6.6 lbs of inexpensive LME. I still enjoyed the recipe, but I found I enjoyed it more when I switched to using 5 lbs of Muntons amber DME after Midwest's pricing changed when they were bought by Northern Brewer. So I switched to ordering more Muntons from Label Peelers which I had been doing all along because another of my favorite recipes specifies 4 1/2 lbs. of DME. (Which would be 5.625 lbs of LME) Unfortunately, Label Peelers is best on pricing when they have a sale, so waiting for that can be aggravating. Rite Brew has better pricing on hops, yeast, & Briess DME, but they don't carry Muntons. I split my orders. I also suggest you look at Home Brew Ohio. They have good pricing and carry Muntons and Briess. They are currently cheaper than Label Peelers on Muntons, and, if you want cheap LME, they have 3.3 lb. cans of Brewers Best for 9.99 at the moment.

I don't know what local brew supply shops are near you, but I also do some business with my local.

 

[balrog]

Moody brews!!! Love it.

Pints in White Satin?

 

[DudlyBrewRight]

Pints in White Satin?

Just what the brew is
I can't say anymore.

 

[DudlyBrewRight]

One of my favorite recipes was developed using two 3.3 lb. cans of John Bull LME. When John Bull was no longer available, I usually used 6 lbs. of Briess amber LME instead. At the time this was much cheaper and easier to do than switching to DME or finding 6.6 lbs of inexpensive LME. I still enjoyed the recipe, but I found I enjoyed it more when I switched to using 5 lbs of Muntons amber DME after Midwest's pricing changed when they were bought by Northern Brewer. So I switched to ordering more Muntons from Label Peelers which I had been doing all along because another of my favorite recipes specifies 4 1/2 lbs. of DME. (Which would be 5.625 lbs of LME) Unfortunately, Label Peelers is best on pricing when they have a sale, so waiting for that can be aggravating. Rite Brew has better pricing on hops, yeast, & Briess DME, but they don't carry Muntons. I split my orders. I also suggest you look at Home Brew Ohio. They have good pricing and carry Muntons and Briess. They are currently cheaper than Label Peelers on Muntons, and, if you want cheap LME, they have 3.3 lb. cans of Brewers Best for 9.99 at the moment.

I don't know what local brew supply shops are near you, but I also do some business with my local.

I live in the suburbs of Chicago and there are 2 suppliers within a half hour of me but I'm not sure what brands of LME they carry. I only know they don't carry Coopers and can't get it. After this batch is done I'd like to try one of your suggestions. Can you briefly explain your process using LME?

 

[D.B.Moody]

After this batch is done I'd like to try one of your suggestions. Can you briefly explain your process using LME?

Not really. It's been over 6 years since I last used LME. My current 30 minute boil/late addition process was built around dissolving the DME in cold water, and the late addition bringing the wort down to about 170-175 F. Frankly, I thought I was suggesting using Muntons DME even though it's harder to find and costs a bit more.

When I used LME, I treated it the same as DME. This means, for instance, that I boiled more liquid because the LME already has more water in it. But I learned to brew with Charlie Papazan, so RDWHAHB. I suggest that.

 

[DudlyBrewRight]

Not really. It's been over 6 years since I last used LME. My current 30 minute boil/late addition process was built around dissolving the DME in cold water, and the late addition bringing the wort down to about 170-175 F. Frankly, I thought I was suggesting using Muntons DME even though it's harder to find and costs a bit more.

When I used LME, I treated it the same as DME. This means, for instance, that I boiled more liquid because the LME already has more water in it. But I learned to brew with Charlie Papazan, so RDWHAHB. I suggest that.

Yes, I didn’t get that about the DME but it turns out to be a good thing. I found out I shouldn't be boiling my pre-hopped LME because it can screw up the Isomerised hops. I love this site, I'm learning a lot of things I didn’t know and can't wait to brew another batch using some of the suggestions from other threads. I think I'll just NWHAHB and enjoy saying Isomerised.

 

[D.B.Moody]

I think I'll just NWHAHB and enjoy saying Isomerised.

Well, if you do, use a z in it.

 

[DudlyBrewRight]

Well, if you do, use a z in it.

Isomerizzzzzzed.

 

[D.B.Moody]

My primary fermenter is a plastic bucket with a snap on lid and an airlock. . . . After one week (sometimes 6 days) the beer is siphoned into a glass carboy. . . . After a week in the carboy, the beer is bottled. Technically, the beer is bottled after its is ready, which can be seen because the carboy is clear glass. There have been a few cases over the years where I delayed bottling a bit because it didn't look ready. . . .

Well, I went to bottle batch #304 this morning, and here's what I found:

This is not clear and ready to bottle. There was no foam on top of the beer when it was transferred to the carboy last week, but this brew was apparently just napping. Not only has it obviously fermented further during this past week, it had the nerve to send some bubbles out the airlock while i was taking this picture. It looks like I'll be bottling next weekend.