Priming Sugar Questions

[Scott Miller]

I have a few questions about the use of priming sugar, I never used the real stuff, I did use table sugar in plastic soda bottles, a-la Mr. Beer. When I started doing real extract kits, I got a tap-a-draft. Then I just force carbonated with the Co2 charges. It took alot of cartridges to do so. I'd like to naturally carbonate my IPA in the t-a-d bottles, with priming sugar, but I don't have a bottling bucket. Can I just put a couple tablespoons into the bottle before I rack into it? Or does it need to be boiled first... I am under the impression that boiling it is just to get it dissolved and easily stirred into the bottling bucket if you are going to bottle. Also, If I did have to boil it ,could I heat a pyrex measuring cup on the stovetop? That would be handy to pour into the t-a-d bottles with....

[HogieWan]

the boiling is to make sure there are no living bacteria present when you pour it into your brew

[corkybstewart]

Go to a local camping supply store, or possibly Wally World and look for a 5 gallon collapsable water container. It has a screw on lid with a spigot. When I first started brewing many, many years ago the guy who sold HB supplies used these for secondary, and I used them for bottling. They're clumsy to use, since they're not rigid, but they're cheap.

[Mad Scientist]

If you do the math, the amount of priming sugar per bottle comes out to about 1/8 tsp (which is not a whole lot) per bottle. So if you elected to use a couple of tablespoons per bottle, you'd need to make sure to give the beer to someone you don't like.

[Mad Scientist]

Now that I think about it, it may be much less than 1/8 tablespoon....I don't remeber, but there is a thread from about four to six months back where I worked out the numbers.

[danno]

16 tablespoons to a cup, 3 teaspoons to a tablespoon, so 48 tsp to a cup. so, if you use 3/4 cup of sugar, you need 3/4 of a teaspoon per bottle based on a 48 bottle batch... (and, 3/4 times 1/3 = 1/4, so 1/4 tablespoon per bottle...)

[Scott Miller]

Originally posted by danno
16 tablespoons to a cup, 3 teaspoons to a tablespoon, so 48 tsp to a cup. so, if you use 3/4 cup of sugar, you need 3/4 of a teaspoon per bottle based on a 48 bottle batch... (and, 3/4 times 1/3 = 1/4, so 1/4 tablespoon per bottle...)
Thanks Danno. I'm pretty sure you meant 1/4 cup...right?

I have'nt had a beer all night, so my thought processing skills are not up to their usual below average level, but if it takes 3/4 of a cup to do 5 gallons, it seems it would take 1/4 of a cup into each of the three 6 litre t-a-d bottles??

[danno]

Originally posted by Scott Miller
Thanks Danno. I'm pretty sure you meant 1/4 cup...right?

I have'nt had a beer all night, so my thought processing skills are not up to their usual below average level, but if it takes 3/4 of a cup to do 5 gallons, it seems it would take 1/4 of a cup into each of the three 6 litre t-a-d bottles?? the 3/4 cup of sugar is standard measurement when bottling into 12oz bottles. so, 1/4 tablespoon, or 3/4 teaspoon, is what I meant per 12oz bottle. however, if you're carbonating in a larger vessel, you need to cut down on the amount of sugar. (there's a relationship between volume and surface area, I don't know the math, I just know it's there somewhere...) for example, Northern Brewer (http://www.northernbrewer.com/documentation/Hi-Res/kegging-system.pdf) recommends 1/3 cup of sugar for a five gallon batch. so for three 6L TAD's, I wouldn't go more than 1/2 cup sugar for the entire 5 gallon batch... so divide that out into thirds if you're planning on adding sugar to each individual TAD...

[Mad Scientist]

Thanks danno, that sounds like what I came up with, just couldn't remember, not enough beer.

[fuji6100]

Before I moved and accidentally crushed my TAD system under another heavy box, I used it frequently for parties and picnics. The instructions at the time I bought it claimed that 1 heaping tablespoon of corn sugar would carbinate the 1.5 L tap a draft bottle. 1/4 cup is WAYYYY too much ( I didn't believe them when I did it the first time) Anyway, keep the bottle upright and condition as you would a regular bottle of beer for 2-3 weeks, then chill. After it is chilled, quickly swap the cap out for your TAD dispensor, pop in your cartridges and enjoy. This typically saved me about 2 co2 carts. per bottle.

HTH

[Scott Miller]

So this seems to fall under "less is more", because there is more ale hence more residual yeast in the t-a-d bottles, you need to use just a small bit of priming sugar to wake them up. Makes sense now that it has been explained. I was under the more = more theory . So if I primed a five gallon batch as if I were to 12 oz bottle the whole lot, then t-a-d bottled, I'd have three nice bottle bombs! Thanks for the tips fellow hop heads.

[HogieWan]

actually the reason to use less sugar is there is a LOT less total headspace. If you added up the headspace in each bottle, it would be way more than in you TAD or a corny. Also, the headspace is going to have more co2 in it than beer of the same volume

[M.K. Jeeves]

Coopers makes a product that looks like hard candies for priming. One lump for 12 ozs, two lumps for 22oz bottles. no fuss, no muss. Don't know where to tell you to look for them though.

[Otis_The_Drunk]

Jesus, y'all got me scratching my head.:p

[Scott Miller]

Originally posted by Otis_The_Drunk
Jesus, y'all got me scratching my head.:p Me Too! I finally racked this thing today into the T-A-D bottles, and added a couple teaspoons of (1 pint of water with 3/4 cup priming sugar,boiled) into each bottle. If it's not enough to fully carbonate, it will at least be enough to keep blanketed. I'll have to get it drank quick anyways, to ready for my american wheat. I'll see how well it naturally carbonates, I'ts been 1 week primary and 4 weeks secondary.

[fuji6100]

Coopers makes a product that looks like hard candies for priming. One lump for 12 ozs, two lumps for 22oz bottles. no fuss, no muss. Don't know where to tell you to look for them though.

Coopers Carbination drops. I get them sometimes at Northernbrewer.com

Great for bottling a six pack from each batch I keg...but gets expensive if you try and use them to carbinate entire batches.