The Range Kits and Carbonation.

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Rod

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Hi, As someone who re discovered the joys of home brewing (mainly for financial reasons) during lock-down I started to brew The Range's APA. and Irish stout. I like the flavours of both. My problem is with both is they are still a bit lively. I've reduced the sugar when bottling to a level teaspoon when bottling ( the instructions say 'heaped') and that seemed to work but only when I've kept the bottles in the fridge for half a day. If I open one un- refrigerated it 'bursts' out of the bottle. The same happens with my brews in my pressure barrel, I use 3 oz of white table sugar converted to a syrup with some syphoned brew for the secondary fermentation. My Primary fermentation is 10-14 days and Secondary 2-3 weeks. Am I just not waiting long enough, or using too much sugar ? I have limited fridge space so if a few mates come around and we open the bottles un chilled it gets a bit messy and a bit wasteful. I leave the suggested 50 mm (pretty much the whole neck) empty space when bottling. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.
 
The 3 oz to a pressure barrel assuming it's a 5 gallon (22.5L) kit sounds about right. Problem I always found with pressure barrels though is that when you first start drinking from a full one there's a lot of pressure and it's very difficult not to pour a pint of foam. The type of tap you've got on it can help but they're still not great. Once about a third of it has gone then things do settle down.

For bottling though a heaped teaspoon is way too much and even a level spoon excessive. The carbonate a brew to 2.0 volumes of CO2, about English Ale levels, you need just over 100g sugar in 5 gallons. Five gallons would yield about 44-45 500ml bottles so ~2.2g of sugar per bottle. A level teaspoon is sugar is said to be about 4g. I normally use about 2/3 of a spoon.
 
Thanks ever so much for your advice Graz, much appreciated. I shall report back.
 
Use this for carbing your bottled beer, which gives different rates for the style of beer
https://www.brewersfriend.com/beer-priming-calculator/PBs have a pressure limitation and about 90g table sugar is the max. Much more and you will be dispensing foam, and much more that and (hopefully) the rubber band RV will lift . And what this means is they are OK for ales and stouts but not gassy beers like lagers
 
When I transfer from fermentation barrel to bottling barrel I add 80g of sugar for my ales and stouts and then bottle and never had a problem. Just starting to drink my latest Range Stout it's dang tasty.
 
As others have said, way too much sugar per bottle. I use half a teaspoon.

It could also be the time of year you are brewing. A lot of us currently have lively bottles after brewing in July/Aug, not sure if it's wild yeast but seems to happen every year and only in this period. I've consulted some fellow brewers and they have the same, despite having rigorous cleaning regimes.
 
When I transfer from fermentation barrel to bottling barrel I add 80g of sugar for my ales and stouts and then bottle and never had a problem. Just starting to drink my latest Range Stout it's dang tasty.
Thanks Daz, I agree with you about the stout !
 
As others have said, way too much sugar per bottle. I use half a teaspoon.

It could also be the time of year you are brewing. A lot of us currently have lively bottles after brewing in July/Aug, not sure if it's wild yeast but seems to happen every year and only in this period. I've consulted some fellow brewers and they have the same, despite having rigorous cleaning regimes.
Thanks Darrellm, have reduced to half a teaspoon with success
 

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