Forgot Gravity Reading before priming sugar

[bowend3c]

Hello,

I was in a rush this morning when bottling, and I completely forgot to take a FG reading before adding my priming sugar.

I took a gravity reading immediately after realizing this, and got 1.008 (corrected for temperature). Is there any way of determining how many gravity points the sugar added in order to estimate my actual FG?

I added 6.73 oz of sucrose for the priming sugar.

-- Brent

 

[duboman]

Its negligible but out of curiosity, how much beer did you bottle, that's a lot of priming sugar for a 5 gallon batch...

 

[Yooper]

Hello,

I was in a rush this morning when bottling, and I completely forgot to take a FG reading before adding my priming sugar.

I took a gravity reading immediately after realizing this, and got 1.008 (corrected for temperature). Is there any way of determining how many gravity points the sugar added in order to estimate my actual FG?

I added 6.73 oz of sucrose for the priming sugar.

-- Brent

Nearly 7 ounces of priming sugar (sucrose) is a LOT! That is about 3.6 volumes of c02, depending on if you had 5 gallons. I would be hesitant to cap bottles at that, but it really depends on if your bottles can handle it. At the very least, it will be significantly overcarbed.

But as to your question, yes, you can do some math backwards to get your FG. 6.75 ounces (best I can do, as I hate math) will give you approximately 4 points in 5 gallons.

 

[bowend3c]

Duplicate post.

 

[bowend3c]

I used the Priming Sugar Calculator over at Northernbrewer: http://www.northernbrewer.com/priming-sugar-calculator/?siteID=TnL5HPStwNw-q6POy8eLxPgNrieXO.IOUg&ls_affid=TnL5HPStwNw&utm_campaign=TnL5HPStwNw&utm_medium=affiliate&utm_source=linkshare

I am brewing a Saison, so the recommended carbonation is 3.2 vol (per the website). I have 5.5 gallons of beer at 80 degrees. It spit out 6.73 ounces of sucrose.

-- Brent

 

[duboman]

Is that a finished volume of 5.5 gallons? I would suggest you use heavy Belgian bottles or at least place all the bottles in some sort of covered tub while they condition in case they explode. The average beer bottle is rated to 3.0 volumesof co2 I believe, yours will be higher than that easily. Be careful

 

[flars]

FG should be established before the day you bottle. If this beer would have finished at 1.006, given enough time, you are going to have a problem.

 

[dnslater]

The average beer bottle is rated to 3.0 volumesof co2 I believe, yours will be higher than that easily. Be careful

Really? This seems to be cutting it really close, given that many commercial beers are around 2.5 volumes. Assume that there is a factor of safety to this? I suppose given that commercial beer is not bottle primed, there is actually less pressure. I don't think absorbed CO2 contributes to bottle pressure.

 

[duboman]

Really? This seems to be cutting it really close, given that many commercial beers are around 2.5 volumes. Assume that there is a factor of safety to this? I suppose given that commercial beer is not bottle primed, there is actually less pressure. I don't think absorbed CO2 contributes to bottle pressure.

3.0 volumes is the typical rating for the average beer bottle and there are actually quite a few commercial breweries that do bottle condition their beers but as you stated, typically to about 2.5vol co2. This is also for new bottles, home brewers typically recycle bottles over and over so their rating over time can actually decrease.

Certain Belgian bottles rate up to 4 vol co2 and they are a much thicker glass.

There is actually a very noticeable difference between 2.5 and 3.0 volumes of co2 as well so at 2.5 vol it is not really cutting it close as you question.

 

[takkforalt]

Just reading the above. I've often been anxious about bottle bombs. However my in laws kindly brought over two crates of empty Jupiler bottles. Are these likely to have a higher pressure threshold than perhaps some less carbonated ale bottles? Sorry to jump on the thread

 

[bowend3c]

While this debate is interesting, no one seems to be addressing the obvious question of why the priming sugar calculator on northern brewer would be recommending 3.2 vols for this particular style? If it isn't safe to bottle, then why would this recommendation be made?

 

[flars]

Just reading the above. I've often been anxious about bottle bombs. However my in laws kindly brought over two crates of empty Jupiler bottles. Are these likely to have a higher pressure threshold than perhaps some less carbonated ale bottles? Sorry to jump on the thread

Haven't never seen the bottle, but the glass may not be any heavier than other bottles. Single use bottles are lighter to hold down shipping costs and they are filled with beer that is already carbonated, rather being designed for bottle carbonation.

 

[flars]

While this debate is interesting, no one seems to be addressing the obvious question of why the priming sugar calculator on northern brewer would be recommending 3.2 vols for this particular style? If it isn't safe to bottle, then why would this recommendation be made?

Some bottles are made from much heavier glass for anticipated higher pressures and for the option to bottle carbonate. I have some 500ml German bottles and the difference in weight is very noticeable.
http://www.northernbrewer.com/documentation/AdvancedBottleConditioning.pdf

 

[jbob7171]

What I would like to know is why the big disparity between recommended amounts from different websites...

Let's take Saisons for this particular example:

Northernbrewer - 3.2 vols
Tastybrew.com - 1.9-2.4 vols
BrewersFriend - 1.9-2.4 vols (for Belgian Ales)
HowtoBrew.com - 1.9-2.4 vols (for Belgian Ales)
HomebrewDad - 2.5-3.2 vols
Homebrewing.com - 1.9-2.4 vols (for Belgian Ales)

Who do we believe? I use tastybrew, but that is probably because that was the first hit when I first started and now it's just habit. What does everybody else typically use?

 

[balrog]

It's preference, like whether you like sours. I prefer less carbonation in general, and also prefer English styles which are way less carb by style.

I have to agree that getting differences and ranges is tough as a beginner; but I learned that I prefer less carbonation and always tend to the lowest end of any recommendation. You have to make that decision yourself--if you used the mid range and liked it, stick with that general area.

 

[flars]

I carbonate to my personal preference. Low carbonation for a stout, 2.0 to 2.2. Moderate for an cream or amber ale type, 2.4 to 2.6. High for a French saison, 2.6 to 2.8, the same for a Hefeweizen.

 

[jbob7171]

It's preference, like whether you like sours. I prefer less carbonation in general, and also prefer English styles which are way less carb by style.

I have to agree that getting differences and ranges is tough as a beginner; but I learned that I prefer less carbonation and always tend to the lowest end of any recommendation. You have to make that decision yourself--if you used the mid range and liked it, stick with that general area.

I agree, I definitely prefer less carbonation as well! Just crazy to see such a big difference. 1.9 to 3.2 vols is a huge gap.

 

[peterj]

What I would like to know is why the big disparity between recommended amounts from different websites...

Let's take Saisons for this particular example:

Northernbrewer - 3.2 vols
Tastybrew.com - 1.9-2.4 vols
BrewersFriend - 1.9-2.4 vols (for Belgian Ales)
HowtoBrew.com - 1.9-2.4 vols (for Belgian Ales)
HomebrewDad - 2.5-3.2 vols
Homebrewing.com - 1.9-2.4 vols (for Belgian Ales)

Who do we believe? I use tastybrew, but that is probably because that was the first hit when I first started and now it's just habit. What does everybody else typically use?

I don't really go by the numbers that are recommended based on style when I'm bottle carbonating. I've found that it doesn't really work well to carb anything less than about 2.0 volumes in the bottle. And anything around 3 volumes or higher just ends up way overcarbed and hard to pour. So for low carb beers like British beers and stouts and stuff, I'll carb to around 2-2.2 or so. And for American, Belgian, etc. beers I'll usually go to around 2.5 maybe up to 2.7.

Kegging is another story though. For kegging I'll carb to any amount I need, but bottle carbing just doesn't work that way for me.

 

[Yooper]

While this debate is interesting, no one seems to be addressing the obvious question of why the priming sugar calculator on northern brewer would be recommending 3.2 vols for this particular style? If it isn't safe to bottle, then why would this recommendation be made?

That's one of the reasons I hate priming calculators. Some of them suggest a weizen at over 4 volumes, while a stout at 1.5 volumes is recommended. So, one is a bottle bomb, while the other is totally and completely flat. TastyBrew suggests a lambic at 4.5 volumes, and a dunkelweizen at 4.48 volumes!

That might be "to style", but most people who drink commercial bottled beer don't drink flat beer (like cask ale can be). And I'm sure that they don't think to use champagne bottles, and wouldn't think of doing so with a weizen. So bottle bombs easily would result.

I understand that weizens should be 'spritzy', but bottle bombs and gushers aren't fun and so I wouldn't ever use a priming calculator.

For me, more highly carbed beers (about 2.5-2.7 volumes) like lagers and cream ales and pale ales get 1 ounce of priming sugar per gallon. Lower carbed beers, like a stout, get .75 ounces of priming sugar per finished gallon. So, 4-5 ounces of corn sugar per finished 5 gallons.

It's actually easier than those stupid calculators, since you don't have to think about the temperature of the beer (which is also flawed, so don't get me going there!), the style, etc. If you use 4-5 ounces of corn sugar per five gallon batch, it will never be overcarbed or undercarbed, and never a bottle bomb.

 

[TexanRudeboy]

To answer the OPs question, sucrose contributes 46 ppg. 6.75 oz gives you 19.4 pts, or 3.5 per gallon. You actually finished somewhere between 1.004 and 1.005.

 

[Owly055]

To answer the OPs question, sucrose contributes 46 ppg. 6.75 oz gives you 19.4 pts, or 3.5 per gallon. You actually finished somewhere between 1.004 and 1.005.

Nice to see someone actually addressing the question instead of carrying on about bottle bombs. 3.2 sounds like a lot, but I personally would not be afraid of bottle bombs if the beer was fully attenuated before adding it.

The easy way to calculate this is simply to use something like Brewer's Friend or Beer Smith, add the priming sugar into the recipe as an ingredient, and see how many points the OG changes......it saves the calculation.

The other thing you can do is check AFTER bottle conditioning is complete......... open a bottle and pour enough into your hydrometer tube and let it go flat.......... This number is just for the record anyway, and the fg after bottle conditioning is not going to be significantly different.

The real question is what do we do with these numbers? I write them down religiously, but they really don't effect the results, nor do they effect my recipes appreciably. I use FG only to decide if fermentation is complete.......... insurance against a stuck fermentation and inadvertently bottling at too high of gravity........ bottle bomb protection. I use a refractometer, so it's quick and easy and just takes a drop, but with my typical 2 weeks in the fermenter before going to cold crash, there seldom is any question.


H.W.

 

[Yooper]

Nice to see someone actually addressing the question instead of carrying on about bottle bombs. 3.2 sounds like a lot, but I personally would not be afraid of bottle bombs if the beer was fully attenuated before adding it.

The easy way to calculate this is simply to use something like Brewer's Friend or Beer Smith, add the priming sugar into the recipe as an ingredient, and see how many points the OG changes......it saves the calculation.

The other thing you can do is check AFTER bottle conditioning is complete......... open a bottle and pour enough into your hydrometer tube and let it go flat.......... This number is just for the record anyway, and the fg after bottle conditioning is not going to be significantly different.

The real question is what do we do with these numbers? I write them down religiously, but they really don't effect the results, nor do they effect my recipes appreciably. I use FG only to decide if fermentation is complete.......... insurance against a stuck fermentation and inadvertently bottling at too high of gravity........ bottle bomb protection. I use a refractometer, so it's quick and easy and just takes a drop, but with my typical 2 weeks in the fermenter before going to cold crash, there seldom is any question.


H.W.

Just as a point of fact, I answered the question in the second reply.

 

[Owly055]

Just as a point of fact, I answered the question in the second reply.

Pardon Me.............. Your response struck the right note..... question answered along with realistic word of warning about over carbing.


H.W.

 

[bowend3c]

UPDATE:

Today is day 20 of bottle conditioning. No "bottle bombs" to date.

I refrigerated a bottle this morning and opened it before dinner. The result was a little bit of over-carbonation. However it wasn't bad at all. A friend of mine who works at a local micro-brew says that the carbonation level is just about to style for a Saison.

Overall I am quite pleased with the result.