Sugar query

[shd]

So with a little over a week to go before my St Peters Ruby red is hopefully finished and ready for bottling, i wanted to take onboard some further input from the masses specifically around adding sugar so i'm prepared
From reading up, there appear to be various options used (normal granulated, priming, demerara and likely others too) + the carbonation drops
Also, there are different application approaches from straight into the bottles, dissolving in water and adding to brew and stirring before bottling etc for differing reasons (speed, accuracy of amount etc)

Considering i'm brewing an ale, is there a more preferred sugar type and application that anyone has adopted based on your brewing successes to date please ?

Reason for asking is i recall someone mentioning carbonation drops might be better kept for lagers as they add more fizz
And finally, the amount of sugar to add
The box states half a teaspoon per pint whereas the carbonation drops that were sent by HomeBrewOnline, states to add 2 x drops per 500ml

Can anyone share their experiences and input please

Thanks again for all the valuable input on this and my other posts

 

[sifty]

I bottle condition 90% of the time and use dextrose (corn sugar) for all beer types. My routine is:

1. Calculate sugar required in grams *
2. Dissolve sugar in ~1.5 cups water and boil to sterilise
3. When cooled add to bottling bucket
4. Rack beer onto this, and gently stir
5. Bottle using a bottling wand and cap

Not saying this is the best way, but it works for me...

* Sugar required depends on:

• Volume of brew (eg 21 litres)
• Temperature of fermentation (for residual CO2)
• Style of beer (ale, lager, wheat etc, could be CO2 volumes from 1.5- 4.5)
• Type of sugar used (table, corn, syrup).

Lots of online calculators out there. This one works:

https://www.brewersfriend.com/beer-priming-calculator/
Good luck...

 

[devexwarrior]

Much like the above, though I use ordinary sugar and check what the instructions said - if they aren't available then I generally plump for about 85g for 20L.

 

[damienair]

I do the same as Sifty above. It’s simple really. I use a fermentation bucket and on bottling day I use a bottling bucket. Both are the exact same and both have taps. So on bottling day I boil the kettle and then pour 400ml of boiled water into a large plastic jug and add 100-120g of brewing sugar and stir until dissolved. I then place the bottling bucket under the fermentation bucket and run a tube from the tap into the bottom of the bottling bucket and pour in the sugar water. I then open the tap on the fermentation bucket and the beer transfers into the bottling bucket mixing with the sugar water. When transferred over I give it a very gentle stir and bottle using a bottling wand.
I used 100g of brewing sugar for Ales, 120g for IPA’s and 180g for Wheat Beers.
So far it has been great. I get consistent carbonation in every bottle. I find it quick and easy.

 

[Agentgonzo]

When it comes to priming, sugar is sugar and will be metabolised by the yeast to produce carbonation. Darker sugars will contribute the taste as well, but the amount going into the beer is small, so different sugars will almost be indistinguishable from eachother. If you want to know how much difference it makes, dissolve half a teaspoon (or whatever your priming quantity is) of your desired sugars in a pint of water and see if you can taste the difference.

Carbonation drops make it very easy to add to the bottles, and they are very consistent (but more expensive).

Dissolving the sugar in water allows you to do two thing. Measure accurately (if using a dosing syringe etc) to get a consistent level of carbonation in each bottle, and also to sanitise the sugar (by boiling) before adding to the bottle.

Personally, I use plain old granulated sugar from the shops (it's the cheapest form of sugar I can find). I use a carbonation calculator to tell me how many grams of sugar to add per bottle. This is where the accuracy of the dissolving method comes into play as you can dissolve the correct amount for the whole batch. But I like the convenience of not having to do this step. Many brews ago, I measured out how much a tablespoon of sugar weighed on accurate scales (a tablespoon is 3 teaspoons) so I then translate the weight from the calculator into teaspoons (for ales, this comes out at just under half a teaspoon). Beware that the weight of a teaspoon of castor sugar is different to the weight of a teaspoon of granulated sugar, so be careful if switching grain size if you do that for whatever reason (like you run out). "Just under" a half teaspoon is easy to eyeball with a half-teaspoon measure, as is "just over". Sure, it's not as accurate as other methods, but it's close enough and the carbonation is fine in the bottle (it's not like I measure it with a pressure gauge when drinking).

There is 'apparently' the risk your sugar contains bugs/bacteria etc that you are introducing into your beer at this stage, but to be honest, I've never had a spoiled batch ever. The exact same argument could be made for the carbonation drops in fairness, and no-one complains about those. Alcohol is pretty good at killing stuff (the whole reason beer was invented). Sure, if I was doing it commercially or keeping it for over a year, I might consider it, but for the short homebrew timescales I've never had a problem. I did for a while sanitise the sugar in the over when my wife sanitised jam jars (~150°C IIRC) which doesn't caramelise the sugar, but will sanitise/sterilise it - but for the reasons above I've stopped doing this as it made no difference.

 

[AJA]

Be careful, there's some bad advice on the internet on mainstream brewing websites regarding priming volumes. If you use table sugar, you'll need about 10% less than than if you use dextrose/corn sugar/brewing sugar. This is because the corn sugar contains water, whereas table sugar is anhydrous.
The brewers friend link is good though.

You can boil some water and dissolve the sugar in beforehand if you like. This serves two purposes. Most importantly is guarantees an even distribution of your sugar, so you don't get overcarbonated and undercarbed bottles. Secondly it kills bugs, but its safe to assume that sugar is sterile for the purposes of avoiding infection. Whatever you do, don't add unboiled water to your brew at this stage as it will have too much dissolved oxygen.

My process is:
Sanitise a bottling bucket with a tap.
Add priming sugar to bottling bucket
Siphon (rack) beer into bottling bucket - avoid splashing at this stage and ensure the end of the pipe stays in the beer
Use the tap with another length of pipe to bottle, using a wand if you have one that isn't broken.

 

[Jim Brewster]

I've been using the syringe method recently as I've been getting inconsistent carbonation when adding sugar to the bottles. But now I think I'm detecting some oxidation, and wonder if the splash of it hitting the bottom of the empty bottle is adding oxygen. I don't know, but next time I'll syringe the solution at the end into full bottles to see if there's a difference.

 

[Agentgonzo]

I've been using the syringe method recently as I've been getting inconsistent carbonation when adding sugar to the bottles. But now I think I'm detecting some oxidation, and wonder if the splash of it hitting the bottom of the empty bottle is adding oxygen. I don't know, but next time I'll syringe the solution at the end into full bottles to see if there's a difference.

I wouldn't have thought that would make much difference. The beer is going to do the same anyway. And there will be oxygen in the top of the bottle too. The carbonation/refermentation should take care of most of the oxygen dissolved in the priming solution/beer anyway.

Worth a try though. Let us know.

 

[Subtle Duck]

I syringe my sugar syrup in at bottling (getore consistent carb) and haven't noticed any oxidation. Don't do too many high hopped beers so might not notice it too much. Guessing the yeast soaks up the excess oxygen when secondary fermenting in the bottle.

 

[shd]

I bottle condition 90% of the time and use dextrose (corn sugar) for all beer types. My routine is:

1. Calculate sugar required in grams *
2. Dissolve sugar in ~1.5 cups water and boil to sterilise
3. When cooled add to bottling bucket
4. Rack beer onto this, and gently stir
5. Bottle using a bottling wand and cap

Not saying this is the best way, but it works for me...

* Sugar required depends on:

• Volume of brew (eg 21 litres)
• Temperature of fermentation (for residual CO2)
• Style of beer (ale, lager, wheat etc, could be CO2 volumes from 1.5- 4.5)
• Type of sugar used (table, corn, syrup).

Lots of online calculators out there. This one works:

https://www.brewersfriend.com/beer-priming-calculator/
Good luck...

hey Sifty, thanks for the reply

so fyi, i'm doing a St Peters Ruby so from that link, i'm treating it as a British ale so 1.5-2.0 volume
its a 23 litre batch and the brewing temperature is 18-20c and my Inkbird is holding at pretty much smack on 20c

so if i'm using the calculator right and if i use table sugar, it says i can add anything from :
1.5 = 58.7g
2.0 = 104.7g

is that correct ?

i'm still undecided whether to make a solution or for my first attempt, use my Crafty Fox carbonation drops as i already have them and purely for ease
as you can see, the Crafty Fox says add 2 x drops for a 500ml bottle

 

[shd]

Much like the above, though I use ordinary sugar and check what the instructions said - if they aren't available then I generally plump for about 85g for 20L.

cheers devexwarrior

so using the calculator shared by sifty, and the following :

23 litres
british ales = 1.5-2.0 volume
table sugar
1.5 = 58.7g
2.0 = 104.7g

....your 85 seems pretty much smack in the middle of 58.7-104.7g
the instructions on the box say half a teaspoon per pint

 

[sifty]

Yep numbers correspond to the app I use...

Also gives the slight increase in ABV which is handy. Just choose a carbonation level you're happy with.

If you need to cut carb drops in half it's easy to do with the heel of a good knife too. (I use them sometimes when bottling the excess if kegging)...

 

[shd]

I do the same as Sifty above. It’s simple really. I use a fermentation bucket and on bottling day I use a bottling bucket. Both are the exact same and both have taps. So on bottling day I boil the kettle and then pour 400ml of boiled water into a large plastic jug and add 100-120g of brewing sugar and stir until dissolved. I then place the bottling bucket under the fermentation bucket and run a tube from the tap into the bottom of the bottling bucket and pour in the sugar water. I then open the tap on the fermentation bucket and the beer transfers into the bottling bucket mixing with the sugar water. When transferred over I give it a very gentle stir and bottle using a bottling wand.
I used 100g of brewing sugar for Ales, 120g for IPA’s and 180g for Wheat Beers.
So far it has been great. I get consistent carbonation in every bottle. I find it quick and easy.

thanks damienair for sharing your approach also

 

[shd]

When it comes to priming, sugar is sugar and will be metabolised by the yeast to produce carbonation. Darker sugars will contribute the taste as well, but the amount going into the beer is small, so different sugars will almost be indistinguishable from eachother. If you want to know how much difference it makes, dissolve half a teaspoon (or whatever your priming quantity is) of your desired sugars in a pint of water and see if you can taste the difference.

Carbonation drops make it very easy to add to the bottles, and they are very consistent (but more expensive).

Dissolving the sugar in water allows you to do two thing. Measure accurately (if using a dosing syringe etc) to get a consistent level of carbonation in each bottle, and also to sanitise the sugar (by boiling) before adding to the bottle.

Personally, I use plain old granulated sugar from the shops (it's the cheapest form of sugar I can find). I use a carbonation calculator to tell me how many grams of sugar to add per bottle. This is where the accuracy of the dissolving method comes into play as you can dissolve the correct amount for the whole batch. But I like the convenience of not having to do this step. Many brews ago, I measured out how much a tablespoon of sugar weighed on accurate scales (a tablespoon is 3 teaspoons) so I then translate the weight from the calculator into teaspoons (for ales, this comes out at just under half a teaspoon). Beware that the weight of a teaspoon of castor sugar is different to the weight of a teaspoon of granulated sugar, so be careful if switching grain size if you do that for whatever reason (like you run out). "Just under" a half teaspoon is easy to eyeball with a half-teaspoon measure, as is "just over". Sure, it's not as accurate as other methods, but it's close enough and the carbonation is fine in the bottle (it's not like I measure it with a pressure gauge when drinking).

There is 'apparently' the risk your sugar contains bugs/bacteria etc that you are introducing into your beer at this stage, but to be honest, I've never had a spoiled batch ever. The exact same argument could be made for the carbonation drops in fairness, and no-one complains about those. Alcohol is pretty good at killing stuff (the whole reason beer was invented). Sure, if I was doing it commercially or keeping it for over a year, I might consider it, but for the short homebrew timescales I've never had a problem. I did for a while sanitise the sugar in the over when my wife sanitised jam jars (~150°C IIRC) which doesn't caramelise the sugar, but will sanitise/sterilise it - but for the reasons above I've stopped doing this as it made no difference.

thanks for your comprehensive reply also gonzo !

based on the output of the online calculator :

23 litres
british ales = 1.5-2.0 volume
table sugar
1.5 = 58.7g
2.0 = 104.7g

....the back of the Crafty Fox carbonation drops reads :

Typical Values per 100g

Energy 1557 KJ
365Kcal
Fat 0.0g
of which saturates 0.0g

Carbohydrate 97g
of which sugar 77g

Fibre 0.0g

Protein 0.0g

Salt 0.18g

Is it as simple to read the carbonation drops as being within the 1.5-2.0 range also ?

 

[shd]

Be careful, there's some bad advice on the internet on mainstream brewing websites regarding priming volumes. If you use table sugar, you'll need about 10% less than than if you use dextrose/corn sugar/brewing sugar. This is because the corn sugar contains water, whereas table sugar is anhydrous.
The brewers friend link is good though.

You can boil some water and dissolve the sugar in beforehand if you like. This serves two purposes. Most importantly is guarantees an even distribution of your sugar, so you don't get overcarbonated and undercarbed bottles. Secondly it kills bugs, but its safe to assume that sugar is sterile for the purposes of avoiding infection. Whatever you do, don't add unboiled water to your brew at this stage as it will have too much dissolved oxygen.

My process is:
Sanitise a bottling bucket with a tap.
Add priming sugar to bottling bucket
Siphon (rack) beer into bottling bucket - avoid splashing at this stage and ensure the end of the pipe stays in the beer
Use the tap with another length of pipe to bottle, using a wand if you have one that isn't broken.

thanks Aja for your input and guidance also

 

[shd]

Yep numbers correspond to the app I use...
View attachment 78349
Also gives the slight increase in ABV which is handy. Just choose a carbonation level you're happy with.

If you need to cut carb drops in half it's easy to do with the heel of a good knife too. (I use them sometimes when bottling the excess if kegging)...

thanks again sifty

how many carbonation drops for a 1.5-2.0 would you typically use please ?

 

[sifty]

They're probably brand specific, but I would use 1.5 Coopers drops per 500ml bottle. That is for around 2.4 vol CO2 though. We don't really get cask ale here so any beer I carbonate to 1.5 would be sneered at for being 'flat' by the philistines I hang around with...

You might just want to use one per bottle? Might have to look up your brand for guidance/instructions.

The other option is to do some with one drop, 1.5 drops, or 2, and see what you prefer...

 

[Agentgonzo]

thanks for your comprehensive reply also gonzo !

based on the output of the online calculator :

23 litres
british ales = 1.5-2.0 volume
table sugar
1.5 = 58.7g
2.0 = 104.7g

....the back of the Crafty Fox carbonation drops reads :

Typical Values per 100g

Energy 1557 KJ
365Kcal
Fat 0.0g
of which saturates 0.0g

Carbohydrate 97g
of which sugar 77g

Fibre 0.0g

Protein 0.0g

Salt 0.18g

Is it as simple to read the carbonation drops as being within the 1.5-2.0 range also ?

I guess so. I'm curious as to what the non-sugar carbohydrate is. I just assumed they were solid sugar, like a boiled sweet.

 

[shd]

I guess so. I'm curious as to what the non-sugar carbohydrate is. I just assumed they were solid sugar, like a boiled sweet.

yep, exaclty....just like boiled sweets gonzo (here you go)

 

[damienair]

yep, exaclty....just like boiled sweets gonzo (here you go)

I used these drops for my first brew. They worked perfectly. Good luck and enjoy. There is nothing like drinking your own beer. Better again is sharing with friends and family. You’ll be very popular with your neighbours.