Priming Individual Bottles

[Travel_mon]

Greetings Beer Fans.

I've been kegging beer now for awhile, but I've been trying to archive a six pack of each batch either for personal reasons or for competitions. I've been using the Muntons Carb tabs, per what they say of 4-5 tabs per 12oz. bottles, and have been really disappointed with the amount of CO2 levels.

With that being said, typically I just dropped the tabs into the bottles then filled them with beer, capped and let sit.

My question(s) are:

1. should I just drop a bit of dextrose in each 12 oz. bottle to yield better results? if so how much should I use for a single bottle?

2. should I continue to use the Muntons but go through the agony of crushing them up into powder? if so, wouldn't it just be easier to use dextrose?

Please, no suggestions on using a beer gun, I'm looking for storage of up to a year and I know the beer gun won't work. Plus, I'd like to bottle condition.


Thanks in advance.
Cheers
Travel Mon

 

[Revvy]

Are you waiting at least three weeks and storing them at 70 degrees before checking on the carb level? If not that may be the issue, and not the fact that there's not enough sugar.

You could consider batch priming the bottles in a mini bottling bucket...you'd have to calculate how much sugar us needed for 72 ounces of beer...then dissolve that amount in could of boil water, and rack 72 ounces of beer onto it...then bottle from there...if you calculate the amount by weight, and use the bottling calculators in whatever brewing software you use, you can use the max carbonation range for that style....

 

[boo boo]

Many moons ago when I did that sort of thing, I used 1/2 level tsp of table sugar
per 12 oz bottle. Now I either bulk prime a 5 gallon batch or use Carb drops. Never
had issues with either method.

I think like Revvy said, you need to keep it in a warm place for a few weeks to carbonate it vs leaving it in a cool place. No need to crush the tabs either. The yeast will find it.

 

[Travel_mon]

Thanks,

I've been keeping my beer for at-least 6 months in 68F basement and the beers have had low level CO2. I usually have been adding 5 Muntons tabs per 12 oz bottle.

Maybe I'll try the 1/2 tsp of Dextrose per bottle on my next batch. I'm not popping the tops to early I usually let 'em sit for 6 to 12 months prior to opening the bottles.

Again, insight?
Thanks.
Travel Mon

 

[PseudoChef]

Please, no suggestions on using a beer gun, I'm looking for storage of up to a year and I know the beer gun won't work. Plus, I'd like to bottle condition.


Thanks in advance.
Cheers
Travel Mon

How do you know it won't work? I've heard of people having comp ready, carbed beers by the beer gun from 5-6 years ago.