Priming sugar

[EricBrew]

So I'm currently fermenting a hoppy IPA in a primary fermenter carboy. There used to be a brown foam at the top of the brew, but it has since levelled out. I'm going to leave it for another 10 days, and then rack it to a secondary fermenter and dry hop it with fresh chinook leaves.

I'm wondering if this beer will need priming sugar to be added. Do all beers need it? How much is needed? When is it added? Is this needed if the beer is kegged?

 

[Bamsdealer]

If your brew is done fermenting and you want any significant amount of carbonation, then you will need to add priming sugar right before you bottle. If kegging, then no.

If you're working with 5ish gallons of beer, 5 oz or 3/4 cup of corn sugar should get you close to where you want to be. Dissolve this in a little boiling water for a few minutes. Cool and transfer to an empty bottling bucket. Rack your finished beer onto the sugar water and bottle.

 

[Chuck_Swillery]

Assuming you are going to bottle the beer, yes, all beers will need priming sugar added if they have been allowed to ferment out. It is pretty straight forward as the previous post said. You can force carbonate when you get into kegging which is a different process.

 

[Squirrels]

Well, Priming sugar is essentially used at bottling time to give your yeast something to munch on and create yeast farts, aka carbonation. However priming sugar is not the only way to carb your beer up in bottles.

You can also use carb tabs. Some people really like them. Personally I have never tried them. I decide how carbed I want my beer (I reference a chart out of How to Brew by Palmer) and then boil the sugar and add as my priming sugar in a bottling bucket.

If you're kegging (lucky you)- no need to use priming sugar. The CO2 will carb the beer in a couple weeks.

 

[EricBrew]

Can you bottle the beer immediately after it's added to the sugar water?

 

[chickypad]

You NEED to bottle just after adding the priming sugar. Otherwise it will ferment out and you won't get carbonation in the bottles.

 

[Bamsdealer]

Yes, assuming you got good mixing of the sugar through the beer. In fact, adding your priming sugar is the last step before you bottle. Ideally, you don't want the yeast munching on the newly available food until the bottles are capped