Priming sugar mishap

[Ilan34]

Bottling two batches last night, I screwed up my second priming sugar addition for my Hop Ranch clone.

When I went to add the boiled and cooled solution to the bottling bucket, I opened the lid and discovered a mildly thick syrup... Stupidly, I poured it in anyway instead of redoing it. I must not have added enough water.

I made sure to stir extra long and a little more aggressively than usual (still being careful not to aerate), and I stirred it again halfway through filling the bottles, as well.

However - am I facing the potential for bottle bombs, or at the very least, inconsistent carbonation? I'm hoping that the solution reconstituted somewhat with the beer, but I just don't know.

Has anyone ever had this happen?

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[Rockn_M]

How thick was the syrup? How much priming sugar to how much water?

 

[Ilan34]

It was for a two gallon batch. 1.6 oz of sugar. I don't usually measure the water, I just put enough in to cover the sugar. I boil it for five or six minutes in a one quart saucepan. I must have been distracted and not put enough in, but I'm not sure about exact measures.

It wasn't honey-thick. More like a thin maple syrup. I did have to sanitize a spoon to get it all out of the pot.

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[Ilan34]

Morning bump!

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[Jeff180]

It sounds like you've mixed enough. Maybe try a pair of bottles once a week and see if there's a difference. Ideally you'd take one that you bottled first and one you bottled last.

You could also try an experiment. Make a similarly thick syrup with some food coloring. Pour it into a large glass of clear water and see what kind of effort it takes to mix.

 

[Ilan34]

I like that idea about the food coloring. Might try that next week. Thanks!

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[Ilan34]

Bad news. After 19 days of conditioning and three days in the fridge, I opened two bottles last night. The first one was flat as Kansas. The second one was about the same, maybe a HINT of carbonation..

Both made a tiny weak pshhh when I opened them, so it seems like there's something there, I guess. The other issue is this was a 1.082 beer that fermented down to 1.014 with WLP007. So I have sugar issues and high abv (about 9%).

What I've done now is put the batch in my chest freezer and raised the temp to 77. I also roused the bottles a little. However, I'm brewing this weekend so I'll have to move them back to room temperature Sunday morning.

Does anyone have any other suggestions?

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[Hello]

How warm is the room that you are storing your beers?
How long did you wait to chill & open the first one?
How long was it in the fridge for before you opened it?
How did you add the priming sugar?

 

[Ilan34]

They were sitting in a kitchen cabinet for 19 days, temperature probably ranging from 65 (temperature dropped significantly a couple of days ago) to 72. Generally, about 70 or a little above.

It was in the fridge for three days.

Please see my original post for a description of how I added the priming sugar.

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[Jeff180]

High alcohol beers can take a while to carb. I made one at 10% that was mostly there at 4 months, but I don't think it converted all the priming sugar until about 8 months.

Since your beer is flat it should be easy to take a hydrometer reading. Your 0.8oz/gal of priming sugar should have added about 2 points. That should tell you if it's an issue of poor mixing where sugar didn't get into that bottle, or if it's still just working on carbing,

 

[Ilan34]

High alcohol beers can take a while to carb. I made one at 10% that was mostly there at 4 months, but I don't think it converted all the priming sugar until about 8 months.

Since your beer is flat it should be easy to take a hydrometer reading. Your 0.8oz/gal of priming sugar should have added about 2 points. That should tell you if it's an issue of poor mixing where sugar didn't get into that bottle, or if it's still just working on carbing,

Hmm... I might do that this weekend. And what would you suggest based on my results? If it's poorly mixed, the beer level will be too low to recap with a carb drop.... And should I then be legitimately worried about bottle bombs?

I totally understand about big beers taking a long time to carb up. So, how do homebrewers who bottle get their DIPAs ready to drink before the hops drop off?

At this point, it's not even about convincing SWMBO that I need to keg (she had a lot of sympathy for me with this batch) - - we just literally don't have the room for it and I'm not willing to give up my fermentation chamber in order to keg.

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[GrogNerd]

this has worked a couple times on batches of mine that didn't seem to carb up well:

store the bottles upside-down for 3 days, back right-side up for 3 days, then fridge for 3 days

 

[Ilan34]

this has worked a couple times on batches of mine that didn't seem to carb up well:

store the bottles upside-down for 3 days, back right-side up for 3 days, then fridge for 3 days

I've actually done that. I had a batch of Pumpkin that was mostly flat. The only problem with that is it leaves a ring of yeast in the neck that requires wiping out before pouring. I seem to remember it working, otherwise.

I also did that trick with a batch of Graham Cracker Brown Ale... Which wound up turning into gushers. Not sure if it was related to the upside down part.

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[GrogNerd]

The only problem with that is it leaves a ring of yeast in the neck that requires wiping out before pouring

yep