Are these worth it?

[vance71975]

Are these products worth buying? My biggest fear in home brewing is that my priming sugar will be to "strong" and cause exploding bottles, these seem to be a bit safer, or at least they seem that way.

Muntons CarbTabs Or Coopers Carbonation Drops


Muntons CarbTabs

CarbTabs are a convenient tablet form of priming sugar containing dextrose, Muntons dry malt extract and heading powder. With CarbTabs, different bottles of the same batch can have different carbonation levels, customizing for personal preferences.

* Contains no sucrose or fructose fillers
* Use 2 PrimeTabs per 12 ounce bottle for a low carbonation level, typical of a true British draught beer
* Use 3 PrimeTabs for a more moderate carbonation level
* Use 4 PrimeTabs for a typical carbonation level
* Use 5 PrimeTabs for a higher level

Coopers Carbonation Drops

Designed to make bottling a breeze for all levels of homebrewers. Simply add one drop to each 12 oz bottle (2 drops if using 22 oz bottles) prior to filling. Fill bottle to within 1-2" of the top & cap as normal. Store at fermentation temperature & your beer will be fully carbonated within 3 days. Contains 60 drops.

[Mikegobrew]

Any unfiltered beer with yeast in suspension bottled too soon will result in a bomb. Priming sugar vs. the carb tabs would not make a difference.

[vance71975]

Any unfiltered beer with yeast in suspension bottled too soon will result in a bomb. Priming sugar vs. the carb tabs would not make a difference.


Ok but are they worth the convience?

[hockeynut]

I tried them once and it seemed to increase the sedimentation in the bottles of that batch. May have just been the brew. I prefer the priming sugar as you can adjust weight, with the carb tabs you are confined to what they think is the appropriate levels of carbonation.

[Mikegobrew]

Convenience? Having to put a tablet in every bottle isn't convenience to me. Bringing water to a boil with priming sugar in it and adding it to the bottling bucket seems easier. And as Hockeynut said, you can adjust the amount to fit your desire.

[vance71975]

Convenience? Having to put a tablet in every bottle isn't convenience to me. Bringing water to a boil with priming sugar in it and adding it to the bottling bucket seems easier. And as Hockeynut said, you can adjust the amount to fit your desire.

ehhh guess its just me, i personally think dropping a tab in a bottle and going is easier than getting out a pan,filling it with water, adding sugar(hoping you didnt get to much or to little) bringing it to a boil, dumping it in the bottling bucket, waiting for it to cool, then filling the bucket and bottling. See while your doing all that i have half my beer in the bottles and capped. Just me i guess

[vance71975]

I tried them once and it seemed to increase the sedimentation in the bottles of that batch. May have just been the brew. I prefer the priming sugar as you can adjust weight, with the carb tabs you are confined to what they think is the appropriate levels of carbonation.

See sedimentation in the bottles doesn't bother me a bit. i just drank a Harvie Stoun Brewery Old Engine Oil Beer and was pleased to find that it was bottle conditioned and had yeast floating in the beer, it was yummy if you can find it locally and you like really really dark beer give it a try.Its imported from Scotland and oh so good! Packs quite a punch too!

[Mikegobrew]

ehhh guess its just me, i personally think dropping a tab in a bottle and going is easier than getting out a pan,filling it with water, adding sugar(hoping you didnt get to much or to little) bringing it to a boil, dumping it in the bottling bucket, waiting for it to cool, then filling the bucket and bottling. See while your doing all that i have half my beer in the bottles and capped. Just me i guess

Tuche, seems you got the process down. Except you don't have to wait for it to cool and you can buy the sugar in 5 oz packets if you don't want to have to weigh it out. If carb tabs are your preference, doesn't hurt to try em out. I already have to boil water for the bottlecaps, so what's another pot I guess.

[vance71975]

Tuche, seems you got the process down. Except you don't have to wait for it to cool and you can buy the sugar in 5 oz packets if you don't want to have to weigh it out. If carb tabs are your preference, doesn't hurt to try em out. I already have to boil water for the bottlecaps, so what's another pot I guess.

To each there own right? I do like the fact that the muttons tabs have heading powder in them as well, but i guess you could add that to your boil.And i do like the fact that you can be different in the boil method, such as using Molasses instead of priming sugar for an added depth. Hopefully tho either way we go may be both get great beer with a great head!

[BrewDog]

ehhh guess its just me, i personally think dropping a tab in a bottle and going is easier than getting out a pan,filling it with water, adding sugar(hoping you didnt get to much or to little) bringing it to a boil, dumping it in the bottling bucket, waiting for it to cool, then filling the bucket and bottling. See while your doing all that i have half my beer in the bottles and capped. Just me i guess

But not worrying whether those carb tabs introduced any bacteria into your batch is worth the bother. Besides, how do you prime your batch of Ordinary Bitter so it is 1.8 volumes, versus the CAP that is 2.75 volumes, vs the Hefeweizen which is 3 volumes, vs the American Pale Ale which is 2.5 if you are using prime tabs?

[vance71975]

But not worrying whether those carb tabs introduced any bacteria into your batch is worth the bother. Besides, how do you prime your batch of Ordinary Bitter so it is 1.8 volumes, versus the CAP that is 2.75 volumes, vs the Hefeweizen which is 3 volumes, vs the American Pale Ale which is 2.5 if you are using prime tabs?

i think you just went WAY over my head.and thank you for pointing out the bacteria angle i never thought of that.

[BrewDog]

"Volumes" refers to volumes of CO2 dissolved into the solution. If you have a pint of beer at 2.5 volumes, then that means that a 2.5 pints (by volume) of CO2 are dissolved in to give you the carbonation.

English Bitters need low carbonation. Hefe's need high carbonation. With a single serving sized carbonation tab, you can't adjust how much CO2 gets generated to match the expected levels of CO2 for that style.

[vance71975]

"Volumes" refers to volumes of CO2 dissolved into the solution. If you have a pint of beer at 2.5 volumes, then that means that a 2.5 pints (by volume) of CO2 are dissolved in to give you the carbonation.

English Bitters need low carbonation. Hefe's need high carbonation. With a single serving sized carbonation tab, you can't adjust how much CO2 gets generated to match the expected levels of CO2 for that style.

Thats why i was looking at the muttons tabs, it says use 1 to 5 depending on the level of carbonation you want. But i didn't think of the bacteria angle, and the last thing i want is to get it all brewed up and ruin it at bottling by takin a short cut ya know!

[CATpAW Brewing]

I religiously use Coopers drops (2 per 740ml long neck). It takes me all of 3 minutes to prime my 60 bottles from go to woa. Never had a bottle explode, and the level of carbonation seems to be very much like your middle of the road commercial beer. Cheap, easy, reliable, mess free. Get's my vote.