Too Much Priming Sugar??

[jerrya100]

Bottled a 5 Gallon Batch of American Pale Ale. I cooked up 1 lb priming sugar and 2 cups of water. Sampled a bottle after 1 week carbing and it tasted very sweet and sugary. Prior tastes to bottling were not that sweet. Did I use too much sugar? Last 2 brews were kits that added same amount of sugar (no issues).

Will this go away after enough time in the bottle? I had planned to leave for 3 weeks anyway. Figured I would try a bottle just to see where it was in the process.

Thanks

 

[BigFloyd]

For real? I normally use around 4.3-4.5 ounces of sugar for a 5 gallon batch.

You're at great risk for bottle bombs with a whole pound of priming sugar. At least put them somewhere safe so that when they start to explode, it won't be too great of a mess and no one gets hurt.

 

[liquiditynerd]

Sorry to hear that. Yup 4 oz. You could try a crazy refermentation experiment. Or make a wicked glaze.

 

[krackin]

As a rough estimate you only need about 1 oz. of priming sugar per gallon.

 

[scottballz]

Yeah your bottles are gonna blow!!!

 

[jerrya100]

Ok guess I screwed that up. Should I empty them out or just put somewhere safe and see if anything can be saved? If it doesn't blow up will the sugar taste go away?


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[krackin]

Pop the caps and carefully pour them into a fermenter. You may as well see what will happen. DO NOT risk leaving them as is.

 

[mrphillips]

It can be saved...but it'll be a process. You'll have to open and re-cap your bottles every week or so to let off the extra CO2 released. Judging from the HUGE amount of sugar you added, this process might need to continue for over a month.

Something else to consider is that with that much sugar being added, your ABV will increase some.

 

[mdabbles]

A pound? It will launch a communications satellite very well.

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[Thetonymartin]

Pop the caps and carefully pour them into a fermenter. You may as well see what will happen. DO NOT risk leaving them as is.

I concur. Just pour them as gentle as possible to minimize oxygenation, i.e., down the side of your sanitized fermentation vessel.


Drinking = Lucky Red ale, Blonde Hag ale
Primary = Tomahawk Amber ale

 

[jerrya100]

Ok once in a fermentation vessel how long should I leave it. Then can I rebottle?


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[krackin]

Ok once in a fermentation vessel how long should I leave it. Then can I rebottle?


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Depends, you going to dry hop seeing as you have the op to do so?

 

[jerrya100]

Ya prob should dry hop. May takedown some of the sweet flavor. What do you suggest



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[krackin]

2 oz Cascade leaf if you have it or any other C hop if you don't. I'd say about 5-10 days at 64*. I wouldn't say that is critical after 3. After that rebottle and best of luck, I think that you will be fine. Keep records, it may be kick ass.

 

[jerrya100]

Thanks for the help. Will let you know how it turns out.


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[rocketsan]

Pasteurize the batch as soon as you achieve some carbonation and enjoy one over sweet brew...


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[tektonjp]

BTW, I wouldn't dry hop for more than a couple a days at the end, otherwise you run the risk of getting some grassy notes. 10 days of dry hopping is asking for trouble, IMO.

 

[mrphillips]

Ya prob should dry hop. May takedown some of the sweet flavor. What do you suggest



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That sweet flavor will more than likely fade once the yeast works it's way through all that sugar. I still love the idea of dry hopping, but your motive shouldn't be to balance out the sweetness. Dry hopping doesn't add any bitterness needed to balance, only delicious aroma. Let us know how it turns out! I've overprimed a time or two myself, so my condolences.

 

[BigFloyd]

Pasteurize the batch as soon as you achieve some carbonation and enjoy one over sweet brew...


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If he doesn't know how to safely pasteurize bottles, that could be highly dangerous........and messy.

 

[MindenMan]

I once goofed on my priming sugar, and although I didn't get bottle bombs, I got gushers from hell. If it were me, I would pour into a sanitized vessel, check the gravity, wait three days, etc.. and then re prime with the appropriate amount of sugar.