priming sugar?

[bigdave]

Ive just mixed my 1st brew and its sat in its fermentation Vessel. I have started wondering about priming sugar though. The kit Ive got (Woodforde's Admirals Reserve) simply says add 1/2 a tsp of sugar per pint? Surely this doesn't mean I should just dump 20 teaspoons of sugar into the barrel when the time comes?? Ive found some info about dissolving sugar into boiling water, letting it cool then adding that but i cant find any definite quantities!? Does anyone have any advice please?

[trucker5774]

20 teaspoons isnt far off !!!!!!! Use the method you have read up on. Boil about 200ml of water and add about 80g of white sugar and disolve. This is a typical amount for an ale. Some people use a little less and some more. For a lager even up to 160g.
Mix the cooled solution into the beer in you barrel or another bucket if you are going to bottle. You could even add it to each bottle with a syringe ( not as bad as it sounds)

[bigdave]

Thank you. Ill do that.

Dave

[floydmeddler]

Use this Dave:

http://hbd.org/cgi-bin/recipator/recipa ... 862072#tag

Make sure you enter your data in litres and celcius. Use the drop down menu to guide you if you wish.

I usually go for 1.5 - 1.6 volumes as I find anything above this too fizzy. I only like enough fizz to create a head and hopefully help keep it there until I've drank it!

Happy brewing!

[trucker5774]

I only like enough fizz to create a head and hopefully help keep it there until I've drank it!

Happy brewing!

I have used up to 150g in some of my brews and have never had a head on any of my bottled beers (except a wherry)

[floydmeddler]

I only like enough fizz to create a head and hopefully help keep it there until I've drank it!

Happy brewing!

I have used up to 150g in some of my brews and have never had a head on any of my bottled beers (except a wherry)

It used to be very hit and miss with me too but these days, torrified wheat does the trick. I go for around 100g - 150g for a 25L batch. Good head retention and lacing depends on how well the pint glass has been cleaned too I find. I usually give mine a good scrub with washing up liquid then rinse thoroughly with very hot water. Discovered this when I poured my mate a pint and had one myself from the same batch. His had a head and mine didn't because the glass I used was up in the cupboard and hadn't been used in a while. After a quick scrub it was fine.

I now find that with Torrified Wheat and less carbonation, I get a nice compacted firm foamy head.

Hope this helps.

[trucker5774]

Thanks, Floyd..................alas I have tried that and all the usual stuff..........still can't get any head

[floydmeddler]

[quote="still can't get any head [/quote]

Every bloke's nightmare! I sometimes say to my girlfriend when she's not in the mood, 'why can't you be more like torrified wheat?!?"

Man, get a thread started on it and I'm sure you'll get to the bottom of it. Perhaps some kind of water treatment? Can't think of anything else.

Sorry.

[trucker5774]

I did a thread named "getting head" ...............still not getting any

[sidneybigbrew]

i use 1 level t spoon of tate and l and have never had a problem with head on any of my bottled beer i always rinse my glass first as any detergant from the dishwasher kills head like a bobby in a brothel....

[EoinMag]

Forget the teaspoon per bottle idea, get yourself a bottling bucket with a tap, transfer the beer into that off of the cake and then let it settle a few hours to settle out any yeast that was transferred. Then take some beer out and put it in a pot and then add whatever amount of sugar by weight you've calculated bring this to a boil or just under for a few minutes, 15 minutes boiling is unneccessary although some will claim otherwise. Then when boiled dump it back into the bottling bucket, stir it about and then let settle again a few hours, then bottle, or don't bother with the settling steps and just bottle straight off.
A bottling bucket gives a much better and consistent mix of sugar solution in the mix than a half a teaspoon of potentially infection carrying sugar, think about it.

[bigdave]

Ill be keging my beer but using some of the beer to warm the sugar into sounds like a pretty good plan! Would it be better to put it into the keg before siphoning or gently stir it into the FV?

[trucker5774]

If I was to keg my beer I would put the sugar solution in the keg and add the beer to in.................no point disturbing the sediment in the FV (although I do cheat and add the priming solution to the FV if I am bottling) Stick with the advice and develop your own short cuts later

[EoinMag]

If I was to keg my beer I would put the sugar solution in the keg and add the beer to in.................no point disturbing the sediment in the FV (although I do cheat and add the priming solution to the FV if I am bottling) Stick with the advice and develop your own short cuts later

Obviously if kegging add it on top of the solution, absolutely. I decided a bottling bucket with the bottling wand attachment was the only way to go, none of my fermentation vessels have a tap on them as there is the possibility that those edges and corners will harbour nasties.