Should I let the priming sugar liquid cool before pouring it in the bottling bucket?

When I made my first batch I poured it in almost immediately into the bucket after the boil was complete and I noticed a plasticky after taste to the beer. I want to avoid that this time, I'm go easing I should wait until the mixture is completely cool? I put a lid on it as we speak, I hope the condensation from the lid is not infecting the sugar!

It's a small amount, but let it cool for a little while. I wouldn't trust the bucket with boiling water.

You should let it cool down a bit. I don't think that could contribute to the plasticky taste you describe. I'm not sure what would cause that.

james138 said:

When I made my first batch I poured it in almost immediately into the bucket after the boil was complete and I noticed a plasticky after taste to the beer. I want to avoid that this time, I'm go easing I should wait until the mixture is completely cool? I put a lid on it as we speak, I hope the condensation from the lid is not infecting the sugar!

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Priming sugar goes in after the fermentation and just prior to bottling. Do not add the priming sugar after the boil. It will all ferment out.

I boil with the lid on so that it is essentially steam sanitized and then let it cool in a larger pot of water. Just like I used to cool my partial mashes. I never liked the idea of introducing extreme temperatures to the beer I've been working on for three weeks. Granted its a small amount why risk all the hard work?

Yeah thanks guys, the taste is not totally noticeable...but it's there. Maybe I'll just call it my BPH pale ale!

I did sanitize all my bottles and they are on a rack upside down, since I have to wait for my sugar to cool will I need to re-sanitize the bottles or am I good letting them sit for an hour?

Special Hops said:

Priming sugar goes in after the fermentation and just prior to bottling. Do not add the priming sugar after the boil. It will all ferment out.

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He's adding it to the bottling bucket immediately after boiling the priming solution without allowing it to cool.



I usually let it sit for a few minutes before it goes in but it's still piping hot. About 30 seconds goes by between this and racking onto the priming solution. Now if you're boiling it with a large volume of water for whatever reason and it's high enough to hit the oring behind the spigot you might have a problem.

james138 said:

Yeah thanks guys, the taste is not totally noticeable...but it's there. Maybe I'll just call it my BPH pale ale!

I did sanitize all my bottles and they are on a rack upside down, since I have to wait for my sugar to cool will I need to re-sanitize the bottles or am I good letting them sit for an hour?

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Unless you have tons of bugs crawling all over them or an upward wind gust they should be fine. You don't need to wait an hour for the liquid to cool. Just how much water are you boiling with the sugar?

I add it pretty warm. I put about 1/3 of the wort in the fermenter and add half the priming sugar mixture, after 2/3 of my wort is added I add the rest then just pour in the rest of the wort. I use 2 cups of boiled water to 5oz. corn sugar (5 gallon batch).

I've put it in the bucket hot right after the boil, and I've put it in after it was in the fridge all night. Never had a problem either way. These days I almost always boil my priming sugar the day before and store it in a sanitized mason jar in the fridge.

I boil mine before I start sanitizing my bottles. When it is done I throw the whole (very small) pot in the freezer until I am ready to use it.

james138 said:

When I made my first batch I poured it in almost immediately into the bucket after the boil was complete and I noticed a plasticky after taste to the beer. I want to avoid that this time, I'm go easing I should wait until the mixture is completely cool? I put a lid on it as we speak, I hope the condensation from the lid is not infecting the sugar!

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http://morebeer.com/content/homebrew-off-flavors

Plastic or bandaid taste can be caused by chlorine or chloramines in the water. You also could have released compounds from the bucket by heating it to such a high temp. I typically start bottling by doing my sugar water. Once it is boiled I lid it and set in in the sink filled with ice water so the pot is almost floating. Then i start to prep and sanitize all my equipment, bottles, etc. By the time I'm ready to rack to my bucket the water is cooled. I toss it in the bottling bucket and away we go.

You might want to get a water report to see the chlorine or chloramine levels in your local water or just start using bottled.

I don't think either the fermentation bucket or the bottling bucket were intended to handle boiling liquid. It might release off flavors.

I cold crash my brew prior to bottling. When I make my primer, it is during the setup for bottling. As I fill by bottling bucket with very cold brew, I add a little bit of the primer, then a little bit more and still some more. Works pretty well for me.

I never let it cool, I have never had a problem. I use very little water, just enough to dissolve the sugar, less than I have seen most use. I am ready to push the auto siphon as soon as it is in though.

The amount of liquid in priming sugar vs the amount that is going on top it is a pretty big difference. It isn't going to overall affect the temperature of your beer much. I'm just of the idea and school that if something has been working, you don't need to change it, and better safe than sorry.

You boil the sugar in a small enough pot, just set it in your freezer for 15 minutes.

I usually boil the priming solution the first thing on bottling day. Put it in the fridge with a thermometer, then proceed to sanitize my bottles. By the time I'm ready to rack the solution is cooled sufficiently. I dump it into the bucket at anywhere south of 80F. warmer than the yeasties like but not a lot. I figure it helps weed out the weak ones

get a food grade plastic bucket= no plastic taste