quick question about priming sugar

[tommybrew]

I'm a first time brewer, just racked from the primary to a secondary and everything seems to be going well. I've found pretty much every answer to my questions on this site via the search function, except one.

So you add the priming sugar to the beer, then bottle it and then wait 2-3 weeks and it finishes the process and carbonates....i get that part. But my question is, does it reach a certain point and then stop? You put the sugar in, bottle it, and then the sugars react with the beer and it carbondates...and then does it get to a certain point and the process completes and the beer stays the same from then on out (or at least until it starts to go bad). Anyway..just wondering if I'm understanding that part correctly.

 

[Hammy71]

Yes, the yeast will 'eat' the priming sugar and fart CO2 in the bottles until it is gone. Then the bottle will remain carbonated at that level. Less sugar = less carbonation and more sugar = more carbonation.

 

[jigidyjim]

Yes - eventually the yeast stop. But just to be sure you know, there's no guarantee it stops after 2-3 weeks, though in the general case 3-weeks at 70 degrees is a good guideline. It could take a really long time before they are finally done.