Checking fermentation

[Daddynoob]

When I transfer the beer after fermented to another bucket do I boil the sugar or just add it straight in and mix it then leave for about 2 weeks
I used ordinary sugar last time
Is that ok

 

[RGeats]

I dissolve the sugar in a small amount of boiling water, then pour it in the bottling bucket before syphoning the beer on top. Make sure you give the beer a gentle stir or you may end up with all the sugar at the bottom, and some bottles carbing more than others, or worse some bottle bombs! Ordinary table sugar is fine

 

[Daddynoob]

Thanks for that

 

[Daddynoob]

Can I use any screw top bottles for bottling

 

[terrym]

Can I use any screw top bottles for bottling

You can use any bottle to hold your beer provided it is in good condition and importantly, if being re-used, has previously contained a fizzy drink. So you shouldn't re-use a still water bottle but you can use a sparkling water bottle. And screw caps are fine.

 

[Daddynoob]

I think it was a still drink cos I didn’t move

 

[Daddynoob]

Don’t think it was a fizzy drink

 

[Daddynoob]

Can I still use a FV without a hole in the lid
Or is it best to use a chamber

 

[Daddynoob]

I dissolve the sugar in a small amount of boiling water, then pour it in the bottling bucket before syphoning the beer on top. Make sure you give the beer a gentle stir or you may end up with all the sugar at the bottom, and some bottles carbing more than others, or worse some bottle bombs! Ordinary table sugar is fine

I tried that and it turned out a bit flat
Think I will try just putting the 250g of sugar straight in the barrel and give it a stir and if that doesn’t work I will go back to just adding the sugar to the bottle

 

[RGeats]

I tried that and it turned out a bit flat
Think I will try just putting the 250g of sugar straight in the barrel and give it a stir and if that doesn’t work I will go back to just adding the sugar to the bottle

Were all the bottles flat?

If it turned out flat it means you didn't use enough sugar. The method won't make it flat.

 

[Daddynoob]

Were all the bottles flat?

If it turned out flat it means you didn't use enough sugar. The method won't make it flat.

Have tried about 10 so far
I think 1 or 2 where ok ish

I gave it a gentle stir then added brew

theones I drank where only in the fridge for a day
Would that make a difference
So 3 weeks fermentation
Then into bucket with sugar then stirred and put into bottles then left for 2 weeks room temperature
Then fridge 1 day then drank

have I done it right or am I missing something

 

[terrym]

I tried that and it turned out a bit flat
Think I will try just putting the 250g of sugar straight in the barrel and give it a stir and if that doesn’t work I will go back to just adding the sugar to the bottle

250g of sugar will probably result in overcarbonated beer.
I suggested in an earlier post you use the calculator here to find out how much sugar to add to your beer to match the style
https://www.brewersfriend.com/bottling-calculator/If you are adding sugar by the teaspoon one slightly rounded teaspoon of table sugar weighs about 4.5g. But if you are unsure of your spoon weigh 20 teaspoons of sugar and divide that weight by 20 to give the weight of one teaspoon,
But if you are batch priming its better imo to make up a syrup with your measured weight of sugar put that in your bottling bucket and then transfer the beer on top of that so that it mixes.
Personally I would not recommend adding sugar crystals to the FV and stirring it in the hope that you will dissolve the sugar and distribute the solution evenly over the whole of your beer, although I know some may do it that way.
Finally after you have added the priming sugar and sealed the bottles you need to leave them in a warm place for at least one week, two is better, for the residual yeast to fully consume the priming sugar. Then you can move to a cooler place if you want for the conditioning period before you sample and /or start drinking your beer.

 

[RGeats]

Have tried about 10 so far
I think 1 or 2 where ok ish

I gave it a gentle stir then added brew

theones I drank where only in the fridge for a day
Would that make a difference
So 3 weeks fermentation
Then into bucket with sugar then stirred and put into bottles then left for 2 weeks room temperature
Then fridge 1 day then drank

have I done it right or am I missing something

So add the sugar into the bottom of the bottling bucket, then syphon the beer on top, then give a stir.

Your timings are fine, 2 weeks should be OK for carbonation, could leave them another week or so to be sure. The time in the fridge won't affect the carbonation but might affect the flavour.

 

[Daddynoob]

250g of sugar will probably result in overcarbonated beer.
I suggested in an earlier post you use the calculator here to find out how much sugar to add to your beer to match the style
https://www.brewersfriend.com/bottling-calculator/If you are adding sugar by the teaspoon one slightly rounded teaspoon of table sugar weighs about 4.5g. But if you are unsure of your spoon weigh 20 teaspoons of sugar and divide that weight by 20 to give the weight in one teaspoon,
But if you are batch priming its better imo to make up a syrup with your measured weight of sugar put that in your bottling bucket and then transfer the beer on top of that so that it mixes.
Personally I would not recommend adding sugar crystals to the FV and stirring it in the hope that you will dissolve the sugar and distribute the solution evenly over the whole of your beer, although I know some may do it that way.
Finally after you have added the priming sugar and sealed the bottles you need to leave them in a warm place for at least one week, two is better, for the residual yeast to fully consume the priming sugar. Then you can move to a cooler place if you want for the conditioning period before you sample and /or start drinking your beer.

So 250g to 23 let’s was to much
After I bottled I left for 2 weeks
Then fridge

 

[Edison]

Not sure how much boiled water you used, perhaps it was too syrupy and stuck to the bottom of the bucket? A couple of extra 100ml's of water won't dilute the beer significantly.
I'm no expert as I've only done this method on my last brew and it worked fine.
134g of cane caster sugar dissolved in 200ml of water and added to 15.5l in the fv and CO2 stirred (it was a wheat beer so excessive yeast wasn't a problem). All my bottles so far have been fine.
Perhaps put a couple of litres into the bucket first, then the sugar solution and a very gentle stir, then the rest of the beer?

 

[terrym]

So 250g to 23 let’s was to much
After I bottled I left for 2 weeks
Then fridge

I prime all my beers at the rate of 4g sugar to one litre which many would say would give undercarbonated beers. But I get fully carbed beers with a good head whether served from the fridge or at 'cellar temperature'. I usually add sugar direct to the bottles and after adding will gently roll the bottles on the side so as to get the sugar to dissolve and be distributed in the beer.

 

[Daddynoob]

Not sure how much boiled water you used, perhaps it was too syrupy and stuck to the bottom of the bucket? A couple of extra 100ml's of water won't dilute the beer significantly.
I'm no expert as I've only done this method on my last brew and it worked fine.
134g of cane caster sugar dissolved in 200ml of water and added to 15.5l in the fv and CO2 stirred (it was a wheat beer so excessive yeast wasn't a problem). All my bottles so far have been fine.
Perhaps put a couple of litres into the bucket first, then the sugar solution and a very gentle stir, then the rest of the beer?

looking back I think I only used 150g
Cos took a screenshot of amount to use just prior to adding the sugar
May have been a bit syrupy
Will just add 150g sugar and gently stir

 

[terrym]

looking back I think I only used 150g
Cos took a screenshot of amount to use just prior to adding the sugar
May have been a bit syrupy
Will just add 150g sugar and gently stir

If you are going to batch prime I suggest you get a bottling bucket (or a second FV) and transfer your beer into that, then mix the beer and syrup in that. I can never see the sense in allowing your beer to clear in the FV, ideal for bottling, but then stirring which disturbs the yeasty trub which then gets carried forward into your bottles.
Brew2bottle will sell you second 25litre FV for under £10 delivered, and thats got to be worth it..
https://brew2bottle.co.uk/collections/buckets-stirrers

 

[Daddynoob]

If you are going to batch prime I suggest you get a bottling bucket (or a second FV) and transfer your beer into that, then mix the beer and syrup in that. I can never see the sense in allowing your beer to clear in the FV, ideal for bottling, but then stirring which disturbs the yeasty trub which then gets carried forward into your bottles.
Brew2bottle will sell you second 25litre FV for under £10 delivered, and thats got to be worth it..
https://brew2bottle.co.uk/collections/buckets-stirrers

After it’s fermentation I used a bottling bucket then added the sugar then syphoned from the fv to the bottling bucket then to the bottles

 

[terrym]

After it’s fermentation I used a bottling bucket then added the sugar then syphoned from the fv to the bottling bucket then to the bottles

Then there's not a lot more I can add. If you are using sufficient priming sugar (say from the calculator) to the beer, it is thoroughly mixed in the bottling bucket or added direct to the bottles in exactly the right amount, and you are allowing 2 weeks to carb up in a warm place, you are doing everything that most people do, and should result in properly carbed beer, however it is served.