Priming Solution at Bottom of Bucket?

[devilishprune]

Let me start off by saying, I usually don't take gravity readings usually before I'm done bottling.

My OG on my batch, a licorice sweet stout, was 1.067 for a 5.5 gallon batch. I left the beer in the primary for 3.5 weeks.

I didn't have lactose to add to my batch at boil time, so I added 1 lb of it at bottling, along with 3 oz of priming sugar. I dissolved it in 16 oz of water and dumped it into my bottling bucket. I transferred the beer from the fermenter onto the solution to swirl it up and mix everything together (I usually don't stir or anything). I went ahead and bottled my beer, and then I used the remaining beer that wasn't sucked up from my diptube to take a gravity reading.

Man, was I shocked.

My gravity was 1.05-something. I didn't really get an accurate measurement, because I was a little angry at the time and figured it was irrelevant anyway, considering I had several cases of bottled and capped beer as is.

Upon further consideration, I realized that it's possible that the priming sugar didn't mix adequately with the beer due to the viscosity/density of the solution (since it was about 1 lb 3 oz of sugar as opposed to 5 oz) and that I had gotten the dregs from the bottom of the bucket that contained all the sugar.

Is this possible? Or is all my beer going to end up outside of my bottles (I put them in a large plastic container just in case).

EDIT:

As another experiment (unintentional mind you) I bottled one 12 oz'er without sanitizing the bottle first. We'll see what happens with that one.

 

[pcancila]

I have never had bottles explode, blow off tops before after about 20+ batches. I also never used 1lb at bottling as priming sugar. I think we all underestimate how tight and secure a properly positioned bottle cap is. Even if you end up with more internal pressure than normal, chances are you are good.

What kind of beer did you brew? What kind of yeast? how about conditioning temperature?

 

[devilishprune]

I didn't do a pound of priming sugar, I used 3 oz of dextrose. I used 1 lb of lactose.

My primary concern here is that my batch didn't ferment at all, and I then proceeded to bottle it, which sounds like a recipe for disaster.

I brewed a licorice sweet stout with OG 1.067, nottingham dry yeast (1 pack), primary for 3.5 weeks, and I'm conditioning the bottles at 75 degrees in a closet.

 

[arturo7]

Your OG was 1.067 and after fermentation and bottling you were at 1.05x?

 

[mkorpal]

1.05? That is pretty much no fermentation at all. Did you actually observe any fermentation or did you simply ignore it for three weeks? What yeast did you use and how did you treat it? What temperature did you pitch at?

 

[mkorpal]

Sorry, didn't see your were using Notty. I've heard some pretty bad stuff about Notty lately, about horribly tasting beers that fermented at a snails pace. If it is 1.050, and it continues to ferment, it will explode.

 

[devilishprune]

Yeah that's what I feared. I didn't take gravity readings throughout, but I did observe bubbling in the airlock (I KNOW). When I racked it off there was a significant amount of sediment in the bottom, so I assume that the yeast had been propagating in the wort.

I just dumped the packet in the beer after I poured it into the bucket; I shook it up really hard for a few minutes afterwards also. Pitched at ~78 F and fermentation took place around 75 F (just got the stuff for a swamp cooler today).

I'll post if the bottles start to explode, but has anyone had experience with priming sugar solution sinking to the bottom of the bottling bucket and staying there?

 

[iijakii]

You figured adding a pound of lactose at bottling time is an acceptable substitution to boiling it?

Sheesh.

 

[Yooper]

You figured adding a pound of lactose at bottling time is an acceptable substitution to boiling it?

Sheesh.

I have no idea what that means?!?

It does sound like your SG sample was loaded with lactose. Maybe it didn't mix all that well. I've never had a problem with the priming solution mixing well, even though I don't stir in my bottling bucket. I just do what you did, and set the tubing in a circle on the bottom of the bottling bucket and let it swirl and fill from the bottom.

Hopefully, there was just that one last little bit that got more lactose and possibly priming sugar than the rest. I'd try not to worry too much about it until you see how they carb up and taste. It might be fine.

 

[devilishprune]

I was of the understanding that lactose could be added any time, since it isn't fermentable anyway. My LHBS was out of lactose when I bought my ingredients, so I was sort of stuck at that point. I just boiled it along with the priming sugar when I bottled.

I have no idea what that means?!?

It does sound like your SG sample was loaded with lactose. Maybe it didn't mix all that well. I've never had a problem with the priming solution mixing well, even though I don't stir in my bottling bucket. I just do what you did, and set the tubing in a circle on the bottom of the bottling bucket and let it swirl and fill from the bottom.

Hopefully, there was just that one last little bit that got more lactose and possibly priming sugar than the rest. I'd try not to worry too much about it until you see how they carb up and taste. It might be fine.

This is what I've been doing, I haven't heard any bombage going on in the closet yet, and it's been about a week so I think (hope!) that it might be fine.

 

[mmurray]

I'm no pro at this, but my understanding is this:

The lactose, while not a fermentable sugar, was still dissolved and in suspension. The same goes for the Dextrose, a fermentable sugar, that was also dissolved and in suspension. Anything that remains in suspension is going to increase the gravity of the liquid.

I'd guess that you brewed your beer it fermented as normal and then you added ALOT of materials (1lb 3 oz.) into the liquid suspension. If you truly want to know what affect it had on your beer you can find out and get a good idea of what happened. Take a constant (Water = SG:1.000) and add 1 lb of lactose to it and 3 oz. of dextrose to it, then see what your SG is. Of course remember the SG of 1lb 3 oz in 1 gallon will be higher than that of 1lb 3oz in 5.5 gallons of water!

Personally, I'd say that since Lactose isn't fermentable and you only used 3oz. of dextrose you'll have a low carbed beer and bottle bombs are of no concern. I'd give it 3-5 weeks and give it a try! This could either be one of your best beers or one of your worst! The great thing about experimenting!

But for future reference I'd say take your FG directly from your carboy before transferring to your bottling bucket. That way you know that everything is out of suspension and it's your correct FG. Once you transfer you can pick up some sediment from the bottom and the swirling can put it back into suspension and therefore affect your FG. And most definitely once you add your priming sugar to your beer you've introduced fermentables into suspension and your FG will be incorrect.

Good Luck and Cheers!