priming sugar question

[65chevy11]

Wanted to know the propper method of priming sugar. What i have been doing for quite some time is adding sugar directly to the bottles (3/4 tsp for 12oz. and 1tsp for 16oz.) and i just want to do this a bit faster. Would 3/4 of a cup of sugar in a boil for 10-15 min. be ok. Also when it's cooled down and inside the bottling bucket and the beer is racked on top of it, should i swirl the beer gently a few times with the auto siphon to mix it well.


Thanx :rockin:

 

[hamiltont]

Would 3/4 of a cup of sugar in a boil for 10-15 min. be ok. Also when it's cooled down and inside the bottling bucket and the beer is racked on top of it, should i swirl the beer gently a few times with the auto siphon to mix it well.


Thanx :rockin:

That's what I do when I bottle..... Except I weigh the sugar to match the carbonation I'm seeking...

 

[Revvy]

Yes bulk priming is much better than adding the sugar to the bottle. It is easier to measure, and makes for more even carbonation.

You can read about it here; https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f35/bottling-tips-homebrewer-94812/

 

[3PegBrew]

3/4 # Dextrose to 5 gallon beer.

I mix the 3/4# with 1+1/2 cup of water and boil for 15 minutes.

Do yourself a favor and buy a BIG bag of it at the brew store. Bulk pays off.

 

[NorCalAngler]

I don't wait for mine to cool down. I boil the water, turn the heat off and dissolve the sugar then put the lid back on. I get all my gear ready to transfer to the bottling bucket then pour the sugar in while it's still hot. The sugar is going to cool within the first few seconds you siphon the beer into the bucket and it won't do any harm so it's not worth waiting for.

 

[KevinW]

Swirling is a good idea. I use my(sanitized) plastic spoon and gently stir for a minute or two. With my early batches I just racked onto the sugar w/out stirring and had some pretty uneven carbonation.

I am liking NorCalAngler's idea of just pouring when hot, it makes sense!

 

[3PegBrew]

I have to say this before the question pops up 2 weeks from now when you open a bottle and don't notice carbonation....


Ready?

You probably put enough priming sugar to condition the bottles! So don't fret!

Simply take a bottle and loosen the yeast at the bottle (gently!).

Also, do you have your bottles sitting directly on your cold basement floor? Well if you do, lift them up a bit! (I have mine in boxes that are resting on top of cinder blocks or 2x4's. Oh yeah, total redneck setup. It's awesome.

 

[65chevy11]

I have a scale, should i weigh it or just measure it in a cup. I would like to just use basic sugar since i don't have a brew store nearby.

 

[FlyinBrewer]

FWIW, from what I've read, you really should use simple corn sugar, not table cane sugar.

 

[lumpher]

I don't wait for mine to cool down. I boil the water, turn the heat off and dissolve the sugar then put the lid back on. I get all my gear ready to transfer to the bottling bucket then pour the sugar in while it's still hot. The sugar is going to cool within the first few seconds you siphon the beer into the bucket and it won't do any harm so it's not worth waiting for.

this is what i do when i very infrequently bottle. it amazes my brother, a fellow homebrewer, that i don't get bottle-bombs, or duds like he does. it's very evenly charged almost every time

 

[65chevy11]

So if i use sugar how much, or if i use corn sugar how much do i use for five gallons

 

[3PegBrew]

I believe Papazian has even stated that Table sugar is not what you want to use ever.

He states 3/4 cup of corn sugar is sufficient. Any more per 5 gallon may result in exploding bottles.

 

[65chevy11]

Does corn sugar give off any off flavors.

 

[3PegBrew]

As I'm reading Papazian comments that it will lighten the body and flavor but add to alcohol content.

If you use more than 20% in your fermentable sugars it will give a distinct off flavor as some brewers call "dry cider flavor".

since it is 3/4 cup for priming....you don't have to worry about off flavors

 

[hamiltont]

Table sugar works just fine for me when I bottle??? I usually use the TastyBrew calculator. http://www.tastybrew.com/calculators/priming.html

 

[frazier]

Yes use the tastybrew calculator. 2 Volumes is a good median for many styles. This comes out in the ballpark of 1 ounce per gallon.

An earlier post said 3/4 Lb. of corn sugar - Major Misprint, should be 3/4 cup (about 5 ounces).

I found myself using more than the amount called for, because I was trying the beer from the previous batch after two weeks and it seemed under-carbed. So I got several batches in a row that were over-carbed as a result. Trust the calculator! Give it time!

And yes, table sugar is fine. Corn sugar is fine. DME is fine. No worries!

 

[65chevy11]

Thanx for the help you guys

 

[bob1852]

This comes out in the ballpark of 1 ounce per gallon.

Yes, I tend to follow that model. So if I have 5 gallons in the fermenter, I'll use ~4.8 oz of corn sugar (since I'll lose some volume to trub loss and transfer loss - hence the reason I try to get a little over 5 into the fermenter)