Priming with brewing sugar

Get advice on making beer from raw ingredients (malt, hops, water and yeast)
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Bedders1802
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Priming with brewing sugar

Post by Bedders1802 » Mon Jan 25, 2021 8:39 pm

Hi all

I am priming my beer with brewing sugar in the fermenter before bottling for the first time and want to know how much to use to get a good carbonation in 23ltr.
PS I am using plastic bottles

Many thanks
Bedders

f00b4r
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Re: Priming with brewing sugar

Post by f00b4r » Mon Jan 25, 2021 9:13 pm

It depends on the beer style and what temperature you intend to serve at.

Bedders1802
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Re: Priming with brewing sugar

Post by Bedders1802 » Mon Jan 25, 2021 9:41 pm

Pale ale served chilled if that helps

Many thanks f00b4r

f00b4r
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Re: Priming with brewing sugar

Post by f00b4r » Tue Jan 26, 2021 10:52 am

No worries. Just realised that as you are bottling the serving temperature isn’t so important.

Try using the calculator below but make sure you use metric measurements, as it isn’t clear if that is US or imperial gallons for the volume. Also make sure you select if it’s an English pale ale or American one.
You can then adjust any future batches to your personal taste.

https://www.themaltmiller.co.uk/priming ... alculator/

Kingfisher4
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Re: Priming with brewing sugar

Post by Kingfisher4 » Tue Jan 26, 2021 11:40 am

It is also really critical to ensure the sugar is dissolved and mixed evenly. Otherwise you risk exploding bottles! Less dangerous with plastic, but still very messy.

Although more hassle than bulk priming, I dissolve the calculated quantity of sugar in a jug with suitable volume of boiling water, adding 10 mls Per bottle with a 60 ml syringe.

This method ensures even carbonation and reduces chance of oxidation by overvigorous staring.

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Meatymc
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Re: Priming with brewing sugar

Post by Meatymc » Tue Jan 26, 2021 2:38 pm

Bedders1802 wrote:
Mon Jan 25, 2021 8:39 pm
Hi all

I am priming my beer with brewing sugar in the fermenter before bottling for the first time and want to know how much to use to get a good carbonation in 23ltr.
PS I am using plastic bottles

Many thanks
Bedders
I brew mainly hoppy IPA's (currently on brew 97) and only bottle - ending up with 50g per brew after much trial and error.
You don't mention whether you have a bottling bucket. If so, boil 50g brewing sugar in c 200ml of water for 10 minutes, allow to cool and then put in your bottling bucket then transfer your brew from the fermenter onto the sugar mixture, give it a stir and bottle.

If not, do as KF4 suggests as you don't want to be stirring up any matter in the fermenter but you do need to ensure the sugar is well mixed in.

There is likely to be some variation in carbonation depending on a number of factors but 50g always works for me - some are marginally over carbed, some under but most spot on.

Nitro Jim
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Re: Priming with brewing sugar

Post by Nitro Jim » Tue Jan 26, 2021 2:53 pm

Meatymc wrote:
Tue Jan 26, 2021 2:38 pm
Bedders1802 wrote:
Mon Jan 25, 2021 8:39 pm
Hi all

I am priming my beer with brewing sugar in the fermenter before bottling for the first time and want to know how much to use to get a good carbonation in 23ltr.
PS I am using plastic bottles

Many thanks
Bedders
I brew mainly hoppy IPA's (currently on brew 97) and only bottle - ending up with 50g per brew after much trial and error.
You don't mention whether you have a bottling bucket. If so, boil 50g brewing sugar in c 200ml of water for 10 minutes, allow to cool and then put in your bottling bucket then transfer your brew from the fermenter onto the sugar mixture, give it a stir and bottle.

If not, do as KF4 suggests as you don't want to be stirring up any matter in the fermenter but you do need to ensure the sugar is well mixed in.

There is likely to be some variation in carbonation depending on a number of factors but 50g always works for me - some are marginally over carbed, some under but most spot on.
I could have written that... I use 50g of sugar and add boiling water, leave overnight to cool before adding to bottling bucket before transferring beer from fermenter. I don't bother to stir but ensure the siphon hose is at the bottom of the bottling bucket. I have run out of bottles at the moment, last batch are warm conditioning. Stock of 250+ pints waiting to be imbibed...
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Bedders1802
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Re: Priming with brewing sugar

Post by Bedders1802 » Tue Jan 26, 2021 10:09 pm

Thanks all,much appreciated

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