Priming for Newbies!

[Hopping_Mad]

Folks - just after your thoughts on priming, although I suspect this has been done before I don't want to wade through pages of thread titles!

So, I'm third kit in - drinking (too quickly I might add! ) the Coopers Dark Ale I got with my newbie kit, bottled a St Peters ruby ale last week, and Ive got a Woodfordes Wherry in the FV on Saturday. The first two I primed with the oh so easy Coopers drops - one per 500 ml bottle at the point of bottling straight from the FV. Ok with the Coopers Kit - decent carbonation, reasonable head/lacing, clear - job done! But am I missing a trick? Is there a secret I'm missing? Should I be matching my priming method to my kit? What source of sugar to use (drops, cane sugar, spray malt, Demerara? - one poster suggested golden syrup!)? Does it make much difference?

Also, how much? I like my darker ales fairly neutral, but I like my lighter drinks more 'summery'!

Finally, how and when?

Your tips please for someone wanting to maximise each kits potential!

 

[Hopping_Mad]

Had a 'eureka' moment whilst thinking about this topic which I thought I would share.

Just been out to the garage (checked on the 'babies' whilst out there ! ) with one of those syringes you give children measures of medicine in. Very carefully, with my fine toothed hacksaw, just took the narrow bit off to leave an open end.

Voila! Adjustable priming sugar measurer that fits in the end of a bottle! :thumb:

Will be ideal for anything between half a teaspoon and two teaspoons of sugar, malt etc!

 

[pms67]

Honestly mate, do yourself a favour and batch prime !
10 X easier. 6-8 g per litre does it for me
Cheers

 

[Hopping_Mad]

Needs second sanitised vessel presumably, then give it a stir in?

Is there usually enough suspended yeast when you move it from one vessel to t'other?

Drops are no probs when you bottle everything though! It's in the bottle between table and bottling stick!

 

[faustino123]

Batch prime all the way... So much easier.
Just siphon into secondary FV and add the required amount (1 teaspoon per 500ml bottle)
FYI. I used Demerara sugar in a Scottish 80 shilling, which is a very dark beer and the result is heavenly. First couple of bottles gushed a bit now they are pouring nicely with a fantastic head and a hint of smokey caramel.

 

[pms67]

I have even primed the primary fv by just gently stirring in sugar,leaving for 30 mins and then bottling.
Honestly say I have never had a problem,in fact,the yeast helps the bottles carb quicker and I just leave a quarter of an inch in bottle when pouring,works for me !
Happy brewing :thumb:

 

[kentmark]

I did my first batch prime / little bottler batch recently and am a convert! £15 from my LHBS for a bucket with tap and little bottler, bargain.

 

[Hopping_Mad]

Cheers guys. Agree - little bottler in the mutts nuts! Got one with my newbie kit.

I think it's clear that, if I'm using anything more funky than the drops, that batch priming is by far easier. If I get another vessel and fill it with sanitiser, then I can just fill my 40 odd bottles from the vessel tap and recycle the sanitiser! Then I can be rinsing and syphoning into the vessel whilst the bottles are sanitising!

Still wondering what sugar source to use with my Wherry when it's time?

Any preferences?

 

[LeithR]

Batch priming is defo the way to go, if you have John Palmers book "How to Brew" look at page 111 there is a small table which gives the amounts of various sugars. There is no given amount in this activity as each person requires different fizz in their beers so its a bit of a guide.

I have experimented with a whole bunch of sugars over the years and have now settled on T&L cane sugar for my priming, unless there is something special about the beer.

Simply boil 5g/L in a small amount of water and put it into the bottling bucket then siphon the beer into the bucket this action will mix the sugar and the beer perfectly without adding any oxygen and endangering the brew, the siphon tube needs to go to the bottom of the bottling bucket.

T&L is far cheaper than drops and works well every time.