Bulk priming

[PETERL23]

Hi,i Want to start bulk priming,but not sure how to work out ratios & wether to use sugar or should i use somthing else,I know the basics like dissolve with boiled water but whats best and how much per litre should i use,so any ideas would help thanks.

[Otto Von Blotto]

I use dextrose for bulk priming. The amount really depends on the style of beer. As a starting point though you could try 6g per litre. All you do is multiply the 6 by whatever size your batch is e.g. 6 x 23 = 138g.

[guest1525228310]

How much priming sugars you use is dependant on the style of beer. There are many calculators on the web and here is ONE.

 

You can use sugar. My preference is dextrose.

I generally use around 7 - 8gm of dextrose per litre of beer and my beers are never over or under carbonated for my taste.

I dissolve in about a cup of boiling water, cool it and add to the priming container before transferring the beer from the FV.

[RileyH]

Brewmate is a good software for homebrewing. Has a lot of extra calcualtors to it, bulk priming, hydrometer temperature correction, Alc Calculation.. etc.

 

Really worth having it for those, I find it handy calculating beer alc's. Although we have an alcolyzer at work where i can double check them.

[Muddy Waters]

I just wish there was a mac version or an App for BrewMate. I'd happily pay for it as it is great software. Unfortunately us Mac users often miss out, what with being ahead of the curve and all that [lol]

[Canadian Eh!L]

I dissolve in about a cup of boiling water' date=' cool it and add to the priming container before transferring the beer from the FV.[/quote']

 

 

Hey John,

 

Why do you bother to cool the priming solution? I just chuck it into the bottom of the bottling bucket hot. At such a small volume it could never hurt your beer.[wink]

[Mainiac]

I bulk prime my DIY fermenter stir gently wait 30 minutes then bottle. My last 2 batches I pored a clear bottle as the first and last. After 2 months of bottle positioning it is very hard to tell them apart. It is not cloudy at all. This saves a bunch of cleaning.

[guest1525228310]

 

Hey John,

 

Why do you bother to cool the priming solution? I just chuck it into the bottom of the bottling bucket hot. At such a small volume it could never hurt your beer.[wink]

 

Totally agree Chad no logic to it.

Just a habit I have. I boil the water for priming solution while I sanitise the priming container. I upend the priming container for about 5 mins to drain, the hot priming solution sits and cools a bit while that happens and the transfer tube is connected to the FV and the priming container.

We all do illogical things occasionally - My wife cuts the ends of carrots before peeling them.

 

[Otto Von Blotto]

I let mine cool down too but not for any particular reason. It's just my order of proceedings on bottling day. First thing I do when I wake up is boil some water and then dissolve the dextrose in it in a Pyrex jug (though now I have erlenmeyer flasks I might as well just boil the solution on the stove in one of them), cover with glad wrap and leave it sit there while I have brekky, prepare the bottle capper, bottles, bottling FV etc. It's usually about room temperature by the time I get all that out of the way. [lol]

[RileyH]

With bulk priming, I know most the theory but I've heard different methods of adding it to your beer prior to bottling.

 

Best method I've heard was, use a 2nd fermenter, sterilize, add the sugar/boiled water solution to the 2nd fermenter, then decant the Beer from the primary into the 2nd ferment. Leave for 30min then bottle?

 

Sounds about right?

 

My concerns are; Would the sugar solution be mixed through the beer evenly? I've heard that when decanting try not to splash the beer as you are introduction oxygen into the beer, which to my understanding good for fementing as yeast love dissolved oxygen but can make your beer go off quicker? Does it really matter?

 

Can i just chuck the sugar solution into the primary? Or if i opened it would i be releasing the blanket of CO2 that's on top of the beer? Could I use a sterilized small funnel and just pour it through the airlock grommet?

 

 

Cheers,

Riley

[Otto Von Blotto]

I think using a second fermenter is a better method than dumping the solution into the primary.

 

The method I use to transfer is to connect a piece of silicone tubing to each tap and then open them both up so the beer flows out the tap of the primary through the hose in through the tap on the secondary. It should move fast enough to mix the solution properly through the beer, however I do like to give it a stir with a sterilised/sanitised mash paddle or spoon or whatever just to be sure. I don't worry about letting it sit there for half an hour (not really sure what that's meant to achieve?), I just bottle away once it's finished transferring. It doesn't splash around really either so no problems there.

 

I suppose if you dump the solution into the primary and stir it in, letting it sit for half an hour would help settle the trub out again if it got disturbed, but in the scheme of things, rinsing an extra fermenter a couple of times after bottling really doesn't add any time or effort to the process in my mind.

[RileyH]

That sounds good, the tap-to-tap sounds easy. Let gravity do most the work [biggrin]. And i agree with the mixing of the sugar solution, just going in like that would be a good mix, but wouldn't hurt to mix it with the paddle maybe once the 2nd is 3/4 full or something?

 

I do long neck's mainly but there a pain to take camping, I recently got 5 dozen corona bottles and want to use them, and long necks so I think bulk priming is for me. Plus cheaper then carb drops.

 

EDIT: Do you find after bottling and settling, less sediment in the bottles?

[Otto Von Blotto]

Yeah it works well I find. I just let the thing fully transfer before mixing it but I don't see any problem doing it at 3/4 full either. You just have to keep an eye on it when the primary gets low and make sure the beer level stays above the tap level otherwise it sucks in air and stops transferring because all the pressure is in the larger volume (at least I'm guessing that's why it does it) - it's a total PITA to get going again too. I don't know why it keeps going when you make sure it doesn't suck air in but it does.[lol]

 

Anyway the cost is another good thing about it. It costs me $3 for a kilo of dex and I get about 6 batches out of it, as opposed to $3.50 for carb drops that only do about one batch. The only thing you'd have to be careful of with the Corona bottles is light strike since they're clear glass rather than brown.

 

EDIT: Just saw your edit.[lol] I can't say I really noticed much difference in the bottle sediment. Just more control over carb levels. I have started cold crashing my brews for a week before bottling and that seems to have reduced the bottle sediment.[cool]

[guest1525228310]

That sounds good' date=' the tap-to-tap sounds easy. Let gravity do most the work [biggrin']. And i agree with the mixing of the sugar solution, just going in like that would be a good mix, but wouldn't hurt to mix it with the paddle maybe once the 2nd is 3/4 full or something?

 

I do long neck's mainly but there a pain to take camping, I recently got 5 dozen corona bottles and want to use them, and long necks so I think bulk priming is for me. Plus cheaper then carb drops.

 

EDIT: Do you find after bottling and settling, less sediment in the bottles?

 

No difference in sediment.

I always give it a gentle stir with a sanitised paddle when transfer complete - taking care not to oxygenate.

Take care not to transfer the trub.

Like Kelsey said Corona bottles fine but always keep them in the dark or you will skunk the beer.

 

[IzacF]

Is there a reason why alot of you guys prefer to bulk prime with dextrose instead of sugar?

[Canadian Eh!L]

Is there a reason why alot of you guys prefer to bulk prime with dextrose instead of sugar?

Hey Izzy,

 

Good question! I prime with dextrose until I run short then I grab SWMBO's white sugar. It is said that dextrose has a cleaner taste (less cidery)[roll] . Though at such a small amount who could really tell?[unsure] I think the priming rate is slightly different but not much.[bandit]

[IzacF]

Is there a reason why alot of you guys prefer to bulk prime with dextrose instead of sugar?

Hey Izzy,

 

Good question! I prime with dextrose until I run short then I grab SWMBO's white sugar. It is said that dextrose has a cleaner taste (less cidery)[roll] . Though at such a small amount who could really tell?[unsure] I think the priming rate is slightly different but not much.[bandit]

kool i just thought i may have stumbled upon a trade secret...you know how sneaky you brewers can be.[biggrin] [lol]

[Otto Von Blotto]

Is there a reason why alot of you guys prefer to bulk prime with dextrose instead of sugar?

 

It gives me an excuse to go to the brew shop instead of the supermarket. [lol] [lol]

[IzacF]

Is there a reason why alot of you guys prefer to bulk prime with dextrose instead of sugar?

 

It gives me an excuse to go to the brew shop instead of the supermarket. [lol] [lol]

hahahaha i get ya.

[jasond12]

I just wish there was a mac version or an App for BrewMate. I'd happily pay for it as it is great software. Unfortunately us Mac users often miss out' date=' what with being ahead of the curve and all that [lol']

There is a way... run your desired version of windows in (free version) of oracle virtual machine for mac and use all the windows software you desire that's how I do it :-)

 

[Muddy Waters]

That requires purchasing windows doesn't it? I haven't got windows (and certainly don't have a desired version [lol] ).

 

I could use bootcamp too but my computer is pretty old and I just can't spare the space to waste it on windows which I'd only use occasionally.

 

My original post still stands [rightful]

[Mainiac]

I think using a second fermenter is a better method than dumping the solution into the primary.

 

The method I use to transfer is to connect a piece of silicone tubing to each tap and then open them both up so the beer flows out the tap of the primary through the hose in through the tap on the secondary. It should move fast enough to mix the solution properly through the beer, however I do like to give it a stir with a sterilised/sanitised mash paddle or spoon or whatever just to be sure. I don't worry about letting it sit there for half an hour (not really sure what that's meant to achieve?), I just bottle away once it's finished transferring. It doesn't splash around really either so no problems there.

 

I suppose if you dump the solution into the primary and stir it in, letting it sit for half an hour would help settle the trub out again if it got disturbed, but in the scheme of things, rinsing an extra fermenter a couple of times after bottling really doesn't add any time or effort to the process in my mind.

 

 

You should try priming the PV once and see if you like it.

 

Like most things it is only uncomfortable the first time. [joyful]

[Otto Von Blotto]

The thing is though, it would probably completely defeat the purpose of me cold crashing the brew to reduce sediment if I bulk primed in primary and stirred it all up again. There's also less beer wastage when transferring because you're not tipping the FV numerous times to get the last bit out and constantly disturbing the trub. I'd rather not have an inch of crap on the bottom of my bottles.

 

I'm not saying the primary method doesn't work, but since I have two FVs, I prefer the transfer method for at least those reasons above, and probably more that I can't think of at 5.30am[lol]

[Mainiac]

The key is to be gentile.

You make love to it.

 

Not F*** it.

[jasond12]

That requires purchasing windows doesn't it? I haven't got windows (and certainly don't have a desired version [lol] ).

 

I could use bootcamp too but my computer is pretty old and I just can't spare the space to waste it on windows which I'd only use occasionally.

 

My original post still stands [rightful]

If your pc is not a power mac pc ie one of the newer intel based mac pc's you could use wine a free windows api emulator that allows you to install windows software on mac and linux pc's for free. haha many more people will be coming macside now that windoze(H)8 is out.I have used the wine method to help clients who need to run a windows only program on mac or linux pc's.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m0BBkISOcEA .ps if being ahead of the curve means no viruses how can that be so bad[biggrin]