First bottling day advice please

[stuart_A]

Hi
So today will be my first bottling day. I've cleaned the bottles and bottling bucket etc and will sanitise just prior to bottling.

I have a few questions that I could do with a little advice on.

1) I have chilled the beer down to 6 degrees for the last day and started chilling down to 2 this monring (but it's unlikely to reach that temp by bottling time). So I'm not sure what temp I should use when determining the amount of sugar to prime with. The difference is quite significant. I fermented at 20 (15days) but dry hopped at 14 (4), plus the lower temps the last 36 hours or so.
I have approx. 18litres and it's an APA style so was going to aim for 2.2 CO2?
Brewers friend calculator is suggesting 106g if I use 20C but 65g if I use 6C.
What would you guy recommend?

2) Given the low temps ive brought it sown to should I transfer to bottling bucket and let it raises to room temp then batch prime or just prime straight from FV on top of the sugar?

3) how much water should idisolve the sugar in?

Any guidance would be much appreciated!

 

[JapanBrew]

From what I've learned and do, once bottled, condition at 18 to 20 degrees for a good few weeks. I leave mine for about a month. After, you can refrige them from there.
Sugar, I usually use 5 grams per liter. All of mine have been fine for that level. I just put in 500 ml of water, add corn sugar then boil for 8 minutes or so. I chill a bit but then I just throw it in the bottling bucket and let the size of the bucket cool it down. I like it that way because the bucket was sanitized so no nasties get in. Then I just syphon the beer on top of that.

 

[stuart_A]

From what I've learned and do, once bottled, condition at 18 to 20 degrees for a good few weeks. I leave mine for about a month. After, you can refrige them from there.
Sugar, I usually use 5 grams per liter. All of mine have been fine for that level. I just put in 500 ml of water, add corn sugar then boil for 8 minutes or so. I chill a bit but then I just throw it in the bottling bucket and let the size of the bucket cool it down. I like it that way because the bucket was sanitized so no nasties get in. Then I just syphon the beer on top of that.

Thanks. What temperature is you beer usually when you syphon it into the bucket?

 

[JapanBrew]

Usually at the 18 to 20. Right now I'm making my cool box system so I can adjust temperatures. But as of now, I keep my beer room at 18 degrees.

 

[chuffer]

Yeh I'd use the amount of priming sugar that corresponds to the carbonating temperature....as Japan brew says, for me that would be room temp... I dissolve my priming sugar in one pyrex jug's (pint/ pint n half) worth of boiling water, then let cool to room temp before putting in my priming vessel

 

[Budgie]

As far as I'm aware the Brewers Friend calculator takes into account how much CO2 is already in the beer from fermenting process. This amount is dependant on the fermentation temperature so I'd go with your calculation for 20°C.

As far as bottling goes (and we all LOVE bottling) I add my sugar to a saucepan then pour over enough boiling water to dissolve it (usually about 1/2 pint for a 10 litre batch). Once it's dissolved I let it cool a little then add it to my bottling bucket and syphon the beer on top.

I have some brown ale to bottle tomorrow if I can bring myself to sanitise all the bottles... :-(

 

[Leon103]

I would raise the temperature for bottling

 

[stuart_A]

Brilliant. I love this forum. Thanks for all your advice.

I have syphoned the beer into my bucket and will let it settle and the temperature to rise then base the sugar calc on that temp.

Will tackle the bottling tonight once the kids are in bed