Question about adding priming sugar

[emanvander]

Hi, I've brewed several batches with varying success, and am hoping someone can help with a strange event that's occured a couple of times.

I usually my beers a week and a half to ferment. I don't typically move them to a secondary fermenter. Twice, when I've decided to bottle, when I throw in the usual ~1/2 - 3/4 cup of priming sugar (dextrose), the beer will immediately start to foam up in the fermenter, as if i've thrown in a tab of alkaseltzer or something. Then when I bottle these beers, they never fully carbonate. Very frustrating!

Why does this happen? Am I not waiting long enough before bottling?

 

[Parker36]

So do you bottle right out of your primary? Do you have a hyrdometer?

 

[homebrewer_99]

Are you saying you do not secondary but toss in priming sugar into the primary also?

By mixing in the priming sugar in the primary you rouse the sediment...that's wrong.

 

[emanvander]

Lately yes, I have been syphoning straight from the primary (one of those plastic buckets from the kits), doing my best to leave all the trub behind. A hydrometer I do have, lately I've been lazy about taking all my measurements.
Do you think that I may be bottling too early? I wonder if the sugar could be killing the yeast...doesn't seem likely though...

 

[Parker36]

No, sugar won't kill your yeast. Invest in a bottling bucket, its not that much work to clean it and save alot of time and effort while bottling. I also boil about a cup of water and dissolve the sugar in it before adding to the beer. Not sure if you are doing that or just dumping in the sugar.

 

[emanvander]

Hi Homebrewer99, when i throw in my priming sugar I do not stir, thus not rousing the trub. Using this method I've had varying success with bottle conditioning, so maybe that explains that part of the problem. But my main question is why is there that rush of activity and the foam when I pitch the priming sugar?
Thanks for the replies

 

[k1v1116]

dont toss powdered sugar right in the bottling bucket you need to dissolve the sugar in boiling water to sanitize and prevent foaming.

 

[Parker36]

when i throw in my priming sugar I do not stir, thus not rousing the trub. Using this method I've had varying success with bottle conditioning, so maybe that explains that part of the problem.

That definitely explains the problem. Get a bottling bucket

 

[emanvander]

Good to know, I'm glad I found this message board today! I have extra buckets that I usually use for sanitizing my bottles, so I will use that method from now (as i used to, just got lazy and hate asking the GF for help).
Off topic, but what would you all recommend for wort chilling equipment? I don't have the funds to invest in one of those heat exchanger things, but I'm not really sure about the copper tubing ones either. Any thoughts?

 

[Parker36]

Wort chillers are great, especially if you have cold tap or hose water. I used to just buy a few bags of ice and stick them all around, but making the $50 investment on a chiller pays for itself in a few batches and save alot of time.

 

[emanvander]

I live in Florida, so things can get a little tricky as far as wort chilling...our tap water temp fluxuates so much. One time I put all the ice i could find in my freezer into individual zip loc bags that i dunked into sanitizer, then put the bags into the hot wort until the ice melted. That batch actually came out pretty good! Wish I had more money!!! lol
P.S. I was in Denver recently, went to a place called Vine St. Pub I think...was pretty cool. (It was my first time out there). I really enjoyed the couple of days I was there--next time I want to go through Boulder, and I'll definitely give your place a try.

 

[homebrewer_99]

Hi Homebrewer99, when i throw in my priming sugar I do not stir, thus not rousing the trub. Using this method I've had varying success with bottle conditioning, so maybe that explains that part of the problem. But my main question is why is there that rush of activity and the foam when I pitch the priming sugar?
Thanks for the replies

Your question was already answered...

A bottling bucket is a good idea. It allows you to tweak a bit before bottling.

For instance, if a brew is too weak you can add/blend with another beer, if the body is too light you can add malto dextrin, you can bottle half and add flaving to the second half...

You should learn how to use your hydrometer. It is the only thing you can use that will tell you that your brew has completed fermentation.