Carbonation

anthonyvbyrne

I'm getting ready to bottle an APA. Started out at 1.05. Now down to 1.01. Plan to bottle at 1.007 or less. I will be carbonating in the bottle. I have carbonating drops, ( look like sugar lumps). Manufactured to a one-per-bottle type of formula. It's my first brew, so I don't want to be too adventurous. I also have finishing sugar. I don't like my beer gassy, But equally I don't like it flat.
Any input from forum members ( based on experience). Would be more than welcome. E.g. Use half a drop ? / three quarters ? Half Tspoon of sugar more ? I'm thinking I'll try a few different quantities, 4 batches of say 10 bottles.
Any observationns ?

The Hill Billy

Moved to Home Brewing.

tHB

Carawaystick

Your best bet would be to use sugar syrup. boil it to sanitize it, pour it into the bottom of a bottling bucket, rack the beer from fermenter onto it and bottle.

use this to figure out how much sugar to use.

use the cheapest sugar in your local supermarket, it will have no effect on your beer flavour.

anthonyvbyrne

I will be syphoning direct from the fermenter into the bottles. I don't have a vessel to use as an intermediate step. So my only option is to prime the bottles. It's the quantity of primer I'm more concerned with rather than the process. I don't want it gassy. "Smooth, but alive" is what I want.

Buona Fortuna

Hi Anthony, how big are the bottles?

anthonyvbyrne

500

lordstilton

http://hbd.org/cgi-bin/recipator/recipator/carbonation.html

anthonyvbyrne

ITa asking me for the desired quantity of CO2. How do I answer that ?

Buona Fortuna

I put one Coopers carbonation tab in a 750ml bottle.

I make mostly stouts and ales - I really don't like a lot of pop.

But taste is a very individual thing. My "Shure that's grand" could be your "Argh its flat" - If I were doing it, I'd probably put a half in.

Son0vagun

I usually put 2 drops into 500ml bottles, but they recommend 1.5 drops for 500ml.

lordstilton

There is a pull down menu with beer style.. Next to it will have the range of carbonation by style..eg, 2.0 - 2.5... Pick in between the two figures for the style of beer your bottling.. If you want consistent carbonation your best bet is to batch prime in the bottling bucket

ian_m

1 drop per 500ml is right for an APA. 2 for something like a wheat beer.

You could always try a few bottles with 2 and see how you like it.

Consider batch priming in the future, its less fiddly.

dukeellington

Batch Priming is the way to go, I've started taking a 500-1,000 mL of wort before I pitch the yeast, throw that in the freezer until you're ready to bottle, defrost, add to bottling bucket.

anthonyvbyrne

Duke. I like the sound of that. Technically it sounds like a very clean way of getting some fresh sugar into the fermented batch. And being true to the original flavour. How long do you recon that will need to condition in the bottle ?

dukeellington

I general open the first bottle after two weeks, with the expectation that they'll all be ready after three.

Buona Fortuna

dukeellington wrote: »

Batch Priming is the way to go, I've started taking a 500-1,000 mL of wort before I pitch the yeast, throw that in the freezer until you're ready to bottle, defrost, add to bottling bucket.

I tried that with my last brew (Woodforde's Wherry Bitter) - worked really well.

I'm also doing it with my current Festival Old Suffolk Strong Ale. I think its the way I'll go in future.

Good tip

fergiesfolly

dukeellington wrote: »

Batch Priming is the way to go, I've started taking a 500-1,000 mL of wort before I pitch the yeast, throw that in the freezer until you're ready to bottle, defrost, add to bottling bucket.

Because I'm a bit thick, could you clarify.
You take 500 or so mL from the wort and then when you're bottling, you add your sugar to that and then add that back to the bottling bucket. Is that it?
I bottle from the fermenter.
Would this method still be ok to use?

dukeellington

fergiesfolly wrote: »

Because I'm a bit thick, could you clarify.
You take 500 or so mL from the wort and then when you're bottling, you add your sugar to that and then add that back to the bottling bucket. Is that it?
I bottle from the fermenter.
Would this method still be ok to use?

you take half a litre or so from the wort on brew day, before any fermenting has started, you do nothing to that, just freeze it (or keep it in the fridge), then lash it back in just before you bottle. works just fine from the fermenter.

http://www.brewersfriend.com/gyle-and-krausen-priming-calculator/