Sugar

[Mastersmithson]

About to make it my first brewo Young harvest lager. The instructions say to mix 1kg bag of sugar into hot water.

Later on it says to add half a teaspoon of sugar into the bottles. Is this the first type of sugar I used initially meaning I should get 2 bags?

How can you measure half a teaspoon sensibly? For example at my place we have to two different size teaspoons! Is there a special tool we can use to get the exactly same amount each time?

 

[DavidDetroit]

It's the kg of sugar for the beer and additional sugar for each pint. You can use regular sugar or priming sugar/corn sugar--same thing--for bottling. A sanitized funnel works well if you have one that's small enough to fit the bottle opening.
If this helps, it's a measuring teaspoon.
The instructions aren't clear on how to get the beer from the FV to the bottles. It's an auto-syphon that could/should be used. You can Google what that looks like. You shouldn't start a syphon by mouth which is why the auto-siphon.
Edit: the instructions seem to be written for someone who already knows how to do the kit so don't fret. Ask lots of questions and good luck.

 

[Keats]

You could get a set of measuring spoons that includes a half teaspoon size. They tend to be a “standard” size, mine say 2.5ml for a half.

Alternatively you could batch prime by putting the total amount of sugar, dissolved in water, into a second bucket. Then siphon your beer on top of the sugar solution and bottle from there.

 

[Mastersmithson]

You could get a set of measuring spoons that includes a half teaspoon size. They tend to be a “standard” size, mine say 2.5ml for a half.

Alternatively you could batch prime by putting the total amount of sugar, dissolved in water, into a second bucket. Then siphon your beer on top of the sugar solution and bottle from there.

I did get a second barrel to bottle from. Could I just not put the dry sugar into that (2.5ml over 50 bottles would be 125ml) into the bottom of the barrel then add the liquid from the main fermenting barrel into it?

Surely adding more water to this with dilute it?

 

[DavidDetroit]

Heat the sugar with some water (or beer) on the stove to boil. 250ml or so should do it. Let it cool a bit and then continue with adding the unfermented beer on top.
It won't dilute enough to make a real difference.

 

[Mastersmithson]

Heat the sugar with some water (or beer) on the stove to boil. 250ml or so should do it. Let it cool a bit and then continue with adding the unfermented beer on top.
It won't dilute enough to make a real difference.

May I ask why? I'm not arguing I'm genuinely interested. On the instructions it says to put the sugar straight into the bottles without diluting it first.

with what you said, do I add extra water or do I take the mixture out of the main fermenting barrel?

 

[Keats]

I think it is to get the sugar properly mixed throughout all the beer. If you put the sugar straight in the bucket it would mostly sink and not dissolve as easily meaning you would get some very fizzy bottles and some quite flat.

I put hot water from the kettle onto the sugar to dissolve it. As David said the amount you use won’t dilute the beer noticeably.

 

[Oneflewover]

There's quite a few threads on here about bulk Vs bottle priming. You pays yer money....

For what it's worth I bottle primed for a couple of years just putting sugar straight in using a set of those measuring spoons and a funnel. Works perfectly fine. I've since moved onto using a sanitised sugar solution for several reasons, but still bottle prime.

 

[Banbeer]

The reason it is best to dilute with a small amount of boiling water is so it is already diluted, I just put a sugar cube in a 500ml bottle and then bottle, works for me.

 

[Keats]

Just to add to my previous post, it is fine to add sugar directly to the bottle as you will be adding a consistent amount to each one if you measure it out.

 

[terrym]

Generations of homebrewers have primed their beer using half an ordinary teaspoon of sugar into the bottle via a funnel. And its works fine. But because you cant exactly measure half an ordinary teaspoon some bottles are a bit more fizzy than others. Thats OK too. But if you want to prime into a bottle using measuring spoon, or batch prime, or syringe sugar solution into the bottles thats also fine. They all work . In the end you just pick something that suits you.
However I would be more concerned about using 1 kg of table sugar with a 1.5kg kit and making it up to 23 litres. That method is stuck in the 1980s and you can do better than that. At least use half DME, half sugar or 1 kg of brew/beer enhancer instead of the table sugar

 

[Mastersmithson]

Generations of homebrewers have primed their beer using half an ordinary teaspoon of sugar into the bottle via a funnel. And its works fine. But because you cant exactly measure half an ordinary teaspoon some bottles are a bit more fizzy than others. Thats OK too. But if you want to prime into a bottle using measuring spoon, or batch prime, or syringe sugar solution into the bottles thats also fine. They all work . In the end you just pick something that suits you.
However I would be more concerned about using 1 kg of table sugar with a 1.5kg kit and making it up to 23 litres. That method is stuck in the 1980s and you can do better than that. At least use half DME, half sugar or 1 kg of brew/beer enhancer instead of the table sugar

I was going to use either dextrose sugar or brew enhancer sugar for the main part and dextrose sugar for the bottles.

What do you recommend? This is my first brew

 

[terrym]

I was going to use either dextrose sugar or brew enhancer sugar for the main part and dextrose sugar for the bottles.

What do you recommend? This is my first brew

Table sugar is fine for priming. It does the job. In my view you don't need to use anything else, since its cheap and predictable.
You kit comes with only 1.5kg LME which really is the basic amount of malt you need for 23 litre brew if thats what you intend to do. Some kits provide twice that. As I suggested I would use 1kg brew enhancer (which will contain some more malt, perhaps as much as 50% depending on what you buy), or 500g DME and 500g dextrose. And another option available to you with the same ingredients is to brew short, say 20 - 21 litres, which will concentrate the flavours a bit more although it will be slightly higher ABV, , roughly 10%, if that concerns you.

 

[Mastersmithson]

Table sugar is fine for priming. It does the job. In my view you don't need to use anything else, since its cheap and predictable.
You kit comes with only 1.5kg LME which really is the basic amount of malt you need for 23 litre brew if thats what you intend to do. Some kits provide twice that. As I suggested I would use 1kg brew enhancer (which will contain some more malt, perhaps as much as 50% depending on what you buy), or 500g DME and 500g dextrose. And another option available to you with the same ingredients is to brew short, say 20 - 21 litres, which will concentrate the flavours a bit more although it will be slightly higher ABV, , roughly 10%, if that concerns you.

Sorry to sound dim but what does LME and DME mean?

 

[terrym]

Sorry to sound dim but what does LME and DME mean?

LME=Liquid Malt Extract
DME= Dried Malt Extract (alias spray malt)
Acronyms R US!

 

[Chippy_Tea]

https://www.thehomebrewforum.co.uk/threads/forum-abbreviations-and-glossary.80863/

 

[Mastersmithson]

Last question... When mixing with cold water, do I use tap or spring water?

 

[Ashman]

I forget what the maths for sugar and boiling water was. I just dispensed with the sugar solution in sterilised calpol syringe because it’s graduated and it was to hand.

I’m Off to post about bottle bombs.

 

[Banbeer]

Choice is yours, both do the same job mate

 

[Mastersmithson]

Choice is yours, both do the same job mate

Regarding the water?