How much sugar in a bottle, for priming?

[PaulQQQ]

Hi there,

I've just made my first kit with a half teaspoon of sugar in 660ml bottles - not too bad but it came out a bit flat. I've looked at the literature but it all says the same, about half a spoon. My question is - is this really enough, or can I go to about 3/4 of a teaspoon (so increase it by 50%) without unduly risking exploding bottles?

Also, how much space should be left at the neck of the bottle?

Many thanks if you can help. Paul

 

[GerritT]

Half a teaspoon, hm, that's 2 grams? For ales I use 3 grams per .5 liter, so a whole teaspoon should be possible.
Here's a calculator for things: Beer Priming Calculator - Brewer's Friend

 

[terrym]

Half a teaspoon per bottle is a rule of thumb and works OK in 500ml bottles (at least for me)
But you have 660ml bottles and may like your beers more highly carbed.
So use the calculator @GerritT linked, which covers different types of beers.
And if you cant get your head round unusual fractional measurements from a teaspoon per bottle, try batch priming.

 

[Sandimas]

How long have you left the bottles in the warm to carb up?

I only ever use 1/2 a teaspoon per bottle: I don't bottle until the beer is clear, day 18-25 usually, keep in the warm for 2 weeks, and rarely have an under-carbed beer. If anything, it's too much sometimes and I've considered moving to quarter of a teaspoon.

 

[Madhouse]

When I bottle carb I make a sugar syrup of 100g sugar and 140ml water and then ad 1ml per 100ml bottle volume (eg 5ml in a 500ml bottle). Found that one of the kids' nurofen syringes works a treat. After that it's a couple of weeks at around 18 degrees and it's sorted.

That works out as about 3.5g of sugar per 500ml bottle.

 

[PaulQQQ]

Thanks everyone! I'll experiment a bit and subdivide my bottles in to a few groups with slightly different amounts and see what happens.

My last (first) batch was a lager brew in 660 ml bottles - the calculator at GerritT mentioned above does suggest higher amounts for lager so maybe that was it and I can imagine a bit less / half a spoon might suit bitter better.

I'll also give the bottles a shake after capping to dissolve the sugar a bit better.

 

[phildo79]

Prime the entire batch. It is so much easier! I presume you are brewing a batch that is approx. 20L so just dissolve 3/4 cup of sugar (about 120g), add to the beer, stir, leave to settle a bit and then bottle. Every bottle should then have the same amount of carbonation.

 

[Leon103]

Why not batch prime, much easier to get it right

 

[Baz Chaz]

Why not batch prime, much easier to get it right

I batch prime at 3g per litre, much quicker and easier than adding sugar to each bottle.

 

[Mooney brew]

Why not batch prime, much easier to get it right

I only bottle excess beer once my keg is full so normally only bottle 2 or 3 bottles.
If I was bottling the whole batch I would batch prime but if kegging and have some leftover. I bottle them and try to forget about them to see how the beer is a bit more aged.
I use about 1/2 teaspoon per 500 ml bottle. Seems to work for me. Used to have 900 ml flip top bottle in a sandy dry country. Used 1 teaspoon in those.

 

[Meaulnes]

I have long abandoned the batch priming as it is practiced conventionally. The essential reason is that by adding a syrup to the fermentation vessel before bottling, I never managed to have an identical carbonation from bottle to bottle. To do this, it is necessary to ensure homogeneity of the mixture and therefore stir the beer. This goes against the Cold Crash which wants to let the proteins and dead yeast deposit at the bottom. Some advocate to let stand but in this case sugar tends to migrate to the bottom. Experience by diluting sugar in the water and wait. You will see that the sugar is migrating to the bottom of the container.
A second reason is that I use the technique of the Cold Crash Guardian that I revisited to extend it until bottling. In short, from the moment I pitch the yeast until the bottling is finished I never open the fermentation vessel which remains under CO2.
I practice the priming using an adjustable distributor of liquid.
I use 330 or 350 ml bottles and a bottling wand that is rather bigger than the plastic one that we find usually at beer ingredient shops. The fact is that it leaves an empty space at the top of the bottle which is always practically the same. In my case, I can add 15 ml in the bottle to obtain the desired head space. Knowing my number of bottles, I prepare a larger than necessary syrup but containing X grams of sugar by 15 ml (X being the sugar that is necessary for one bottle).
Thus, I add 15 ml of my syrup in each of the bottles by regularly shaking this syrup to maintain it homogeneous.