Brew Number 2 - Carbonation help?

[Crophopper]

Hi all!

My fist post, and I’ve got my second ever brew just about ready to bottle. My previous was the amber ale and I’m mighty disappointed to be all but three bottles from the end. I did it exactly as the instructions said and I’m super happy with the result.

thanks to the virus our little shop here only had the English bitter left so I thought I’d give it a go. They didn’t have any carbonation drops however.

I’ve just read that the drops are the equivalent to 3 grams of sugar each and I’ve also read about bulk priming this afternoon so my logic was leaning toward something like this...

3 grams per drop x 2 drops per bottle, in a brew of  (23 litres) 30 bottles = 180 grams of sugar.

I have plenty of white sugar so I was thinking if I dissolved the 180g sugar in as little water as possible (2-300ml at a guess) and gently stirred it through the brew before bottling I might be ok.

Any chance you could all tell me if and how I might have gone wrong before I give it a shot tomorrow?

Cheers!

[Titan]

First problem i see is stirring up all the crap in the bottom of the fv. Generally you would rack the beer out to a seperate vessel. Presuming you only have a single fv? You need to limit the oxygen getting in the beer. I would hold off bottling until LHBS has carb drops or try and buy sugar cubes from woolies or coles. You can actually make your own cubes. Check out this vid.

 

[Marty_G]

Just put a teaspoon of sugar in each 750ml bottle.  Easy peasy... 

 

[Journeyman]

15 hours ago, MartyG1525230263 said:

Just put a teaspoon of sugar in each 750ml bottle.  Easy peasy... 

Can be a bit messy though. Need a funnel of some kind.  But there are the double-end spoons in most places - the long side for long necks and the short side for stubbies. I've even seen 3-sided ones with a medium size for 500 ml bottles. BigW had some last time I was there but I'd reckon all LHBS's carry them so maybe duck down the local (if you have one) and get one of them.

[Crophopper]

Thanks fellas!

I do have a second FV Titan but right now it’s bubbling away with a sugar wash - for of all things a batch of hand sanitiser

 I’ll ask mitre 10 today whether the drops have come in otherwise I shall go with the sugar straight in the bottle.

 My research shows a teaspoon is about 4 grams of white sugar. Do I need to up it to 6 or is it not that an exact of a science?

 

[Marty_G]

22 minutes ago, Crophopper said:

Do I need to up it to 6 or is it not that an exact of a science?

Not an exact science. Use a bit over a level teaspoon or even a heaped.  If it get messy and you dont have a funnel make one out of cardboard or paper. You will figure it out. 

 

[Shamus O'Sean]

9 hours ago, Crophopper said:

My research shows a teaspoon is about 4 grams of white sugar. Do I need to up it to 6 or is it not that an exact of a science?

I go 1 & a half teaspoons for 750ml; 1 teaspoon for 450ml; three 1/4 teaspoons for 330/375ml; and 3 teaspoons in the 1.5 Grolsch Magnums I have.  I use a smallish funnel to help.

[Goldcoast Crow]

On the sugar method, does it have to be white or could you use raw sugar or even coconut sugar.... just wondering 

[Marty_G]

7 minutes ago, Goldcoast Crow said:

On the sugar method, does it have to be white or could you use raw sugar or even coconut sugar.... just wondering 

never used coconut sugar but as long as it is sugar it will work. even, honey or golden syrup will work. just the amount may differ. the key word is sugar. If it has it it will work.