priming individual bottles

[sputnam]

i normally keg but i'm beginning to start some experiments and i'll be bottling a good bit and i'd like to know how much sugar to put in each 12 & 22 oz bottle. Normally i would batch prime but I just think it would be easier to do each bottle (i'm only gonna be doing between 6 and 10 bottles).

 

[Pappers_]

Can't answer your exact question without doing the math (4 ounces sugar per five gallon batch, figure out the ounces, divide). But, I would suggest you look at another option - carbonation drops. Less messy, no measuring.

http://www.midwestsupplies.com/ferm...LXc7No5TjYE7AQDDUFB6G3tCH3Adow22mIaAtUN8P8HAQ

 

[flars]

I had read posts about priming with sugar cubes. There are different sizes available. The box will give the weight of the sugar and number of cubes for calculating individual weight.

Many bad reviews of the carbonation tabs. Sugar cubes may be better.

 

[Rhumbline]

if you figure around 4oz for 5 gallons, it would seem to work out to about 2.1 to 2.4 grams per 12oz bottle depending on how carbed you wanted it.

 

[unionrdr]

It's the pill-size tablets that get a lot of bad press around here. The carbonation drops Cooper's sells are better than those tablets.

 

[ChefRex]

Done it many times, started at 2 grams but found that too high, using 1.2 -1.5 gm in a 12oz and pretty happy with the results with corn sugar

 

[IslandLizard]

Dissolve the needed amount of sugar for your batch size and desired carbonation level in some hot water. Top off to a reasonably sized but still small volume, you don't want to dilute your beer. Boil in the microwave to sanitize and fill a syringe with it. Then squirt the required volume into each bottle. 5-10ml is a good measure per bottle, for say a 60 or 100ml syringe and accurate enough. Alternatively you could fill a smaller, more precise syringe each time for each bottle.

 

[Randomnoob]

I keg my beers and make about six to ten bottles in order to avoid overfilling the keg. I just use Brewers Best carbonation tabs. I like having the bottles to give to friends or relatives and for competitions.

One of my gifts for my groomsmen last month was a bottle of the Belgian Wit I made for the rehearsal dinner. People drank the keg in about an hour and drank almost half my other keg of nut brown ale my soon to be wife pointed out to them...

 

[GHBWNY]

I had read posts about priming with sugar cubes. There are different sizes available. The box will give the weight of the sugar and number of cubes for calculating individual weight.

Many bad reviews of the carbonation tabs. Sugar cubes may be better.

I've never used sugar cubes or tablets. What are the chances that they won't dissolve completely sitting at the bottom of the bottle?

 

[Mexibilly]

if you figure around 4oz for 5 gallons, it would seem to work out to about 2.1 to 2.4 grams per 12oz bottle depending on how carbed you wanted it.

Interesting that the grams per bottle look much like the desired volumes of CO2...

 

[SippinSudz]

View attachment ImageUploadedByHome Brew1447610900.004752.jpg

I've used this with corn sugar with excellent results.

I don't have a 3/4tsp soon, yes they're available, but I measured 3 level x 1/4tsp into my 1tsp and after a couple of those I could eyeball the rest of the bottles in the 1tsp only doing up to what I figured was 3/4

 

[slym2none]

i normally keg but i'm beginning to start some experiments and i'll be bottling a good bit and i'd like to know how much sugar to put in each 12 & 22 oz bottle. Normally i would batch prime but I just think it would be easier to do each bottle (i'm only gonna be doing between 6 and 10 bottles).

It depends on the beer. For stouts & lower-carbed beers (say, 2.1-2.2 vols CO²) I use 1/2 teaspoon of sugar for a 12-oz bottle. Higher-carbed beers get 3/4 teaspoon, which I figure is about 2.6 vols. CO². I accidentally put 1 whole teaspoon of sugar in my very first batch, and while not over-carbed, they are very fizzy. I think this is 3.1-3.2 vols CO², and from what I understand, that's about the limit a regular glass bottle should be taken to.

I hope this helps!

 

[TonyKZ1]

I've used this with corn sugar with excellent results.

I also use this chart from Mr. Beer with good results, they both have the same amounts.

 

[WrQth]

I've never used sugar cubes or tablets. What are the chances that they won't dissolve completely sitting at the bottom of the bottle?

I've used them and have yet to have any that did not dissolve completely within 3 days. They all carb well also so no bad review of the tablets from me.

 

[N4teTheGreat]

I've used coopers carb drops in my first brew with no issues. Only real problem is you can't really carb to style. I got lazy this round and had a leftover bag so I used them again. I'll get around to making my simple syrup and mixing it when I rack eventually.

-- Nathan

 

[unionrdr]

I still have a bag of those in my grain/brewing ingredients dunnage I never opened. Might just give'em away?...

 

[slym2none]

I've used coopers carb drops in my first brew with no issues. Only real problem is you can't really carb to style. I got lazy this round and had a leftover bag so I used them again. I'll get around to making my simple syrup and mixing it when I rack eventually.

-- Nathan

They can be cut, either with a pill-cutter (who has one of those, anyway?) or just a good knife on a cutting board. One pill is equivalent to 1 tsp. of sugar, so it's pretty easy to figure it out from there.

 

[unionrdr]

I have a pill splitter I used with these green horse pills the Dr gave me once. I use it now to split my Whirlfloc tablets. Nice clean, even split.

 

[slym2none]

And that's what I get for trying to be a smartass!

 

[unionrdr]

Not trying to cast aspersions, just putting in my 2c. I just happened to have one my son found at the drug-section of Giant Eagle, so I put it to use. They're cheap & work well. They look like a rectangular plastic box with these Exacto-lookin' blade things in'em. There's also a "V" that holds the pill in place to split it when closing the box.

 

[slym2none]

I was just joking around...

 

[unionrdr]

I kinda figured you were, so no sweat. I just figured while we were about it, I'd give my 2c, for whatever it's worth to posterity...