Priming sugar

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chiefsbrew1

chiefsbrew1

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Is the corn sugar to water ratio pretty much standard for all beer? What do most of you guys use?
 
calculators are great

bottle 5gal: 5oz corn sugar in 2 cups water
keg 5gal: 2.5oz corn sugar in 1 cup water

personally I'm moving away from using corn sugar in favor of standard sugar, cause it's cheaper and makes no difference, you'll want to use a calculator if you go this route as the measurements are slightly different than corn sugar.
 
Table sugar can make the beer taste like cider. Dextrose is the way to go. I usually use 4.3- 4.5 oz of dextrose for a 5 gallon batch.
 
dmashl said:
Table sugar can make the beer taste like cider. Dextrose is the way to go. I usually use 4.3- 4.5 oz of dextrose for a 5 gallon batch.
Click to expand...

You sound just like my LHBS. Personally I've never noticed a difference. If 5 oz of priming sugar is enough to give your beer off flavors, your beer probably sucks. but don't take my word for it:

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/showthread.php?t=158500
https://www.homebrewtalk.com/showthread.php?t=316316
https://www.homebrewtalk.com/showthread.php?t=185003
http://www.howtobrew.com/section1/chapter11-4.html
http://www.beeradvocate.com/community/threads/carbonating-with-table-sugar.22051/
 
chiefsbrew1 said:
Is the corn sugar to water ratio pretty much standard for all beer? What do most of you guys use?
Click to expand...

So, back to the original question. I don't think the amount of water matters, as long as it's enough to dissolve the dextrose. I think I usually only use about one cup of water for bottling 5 gallons of beer. For amount of sugar, I use a calculator and carb to style.
 
TxBigHops said:
So, back to the original question. I don't think the amount of water matters, as long as it's enough to dissolve the dextrose. I think I usually only use about one cup of water for bottling 5 gallons of beer. For amount of sugar, I use a calculator and carb to style.
Click to expand...


I just did this today.
I use 1 cup water and 1/2 oz of corn sugar/dextrose more than the calculator tells me.

Today I bottles 4.25 gallons of beer. The guide told me to use 3.4 oz.
I used 3.9
I once under carbed a batch of beer and will never do that again!
 
Pyg said:
I just did this today.
I use 1 cup water and 1/2 oz of corn sugar/dextrose more than the calculator tells me.

Today I bottles 4.25 gallons of beer. The guide told me to use 3.4 oz.
I used 3.9
I once under carbed a batch of beer and will never do that again!
Click to expand...

Yeah, but if you ever over-carb a batch, you'll never want to do that again either. Some of mine have been on the brink. Given the choice, I would rather have slightly under-carbed. As long as I have an accurate estimate of my volume, I go with exactly what the calculator says. Then give them a full 2-3 weeks to condition.
 
Pyg said:
attachment.php

Over carb once and I do my best to never do it again!
Click to expand...

Oh thats not overcarbed, you just need a bigger glass. By simply doubling the sugar you can turn 4 gallons of beer into 40 gallons of foamy beer. :tank:
 
TxBigHops said:
So I'm confused. If you have over carbed in the past, then why would you intentionally use 1/2 oz more sugar than the calculator called for???
Click to expand...


I should clarify (this is what I get for posting and drinking).
In the winter months I go slightly over the recommended amount, .
Last winter nothing seemed to carb to level it should have so I added a little more.
Now that the hot summer set in berthing seems to be foamy.
I am still a noob and working it out.
 
Pyg said:
I should clarify (this is what I get for posting and drinking).
In the winter months I go slightly over the recommended amount, .
Last winter nothing seemed to carb to level it should have so I added a little more.
Now that the hot summer set in berthing seems to be foamy.
I am still a noob and working it out.
Click to expand...

No worries! This is a drinking related site after all, and I still consider myself a noob as well. I know that my biggest problem has been waiting to drink a beer that I just brewed. I sometimes want to push the fermentation, then once it's bottled I can't wait to open one to see if it's carbed. Best advice for helping to develop patience - just keep brewing! Once that pipeline is churning and you have plenty of homebrews to drink, it's a little easier to wait on the newest one.

Here's my point on under vs over carbing. An under carbed beer, given enough time, will usually carb to at least a drinkable level. But I've had a couple of over carbed ones that once they're opened, half the beer gushes out and down the drain of the kitchen sink. And what's left wasn't very tasty. I've dumped some over carbed beers, but I've never dumped an under carbed one. Just add a bit of sugar solution and recap it! That's my take on why I use exactly what the calculator calls for.
 
TxBigHops said:
No worries! This is a drinking related site after all, and I still consider myself a noob as well. I know that my biggest problem has been waiting to drink a beer that I just brewed. I sometimes want to push the fermentation, then once it's bottled I can't wait to open one to see if it's carbed. Best advice for helping to develop patience - just keep brewing! Once that pipeline is churning and you have plenty of homebrews to drink, it's a little easier to wait on the newest one.



Here's my point on under vs over carbing. An under carbed beer, given enough time, will usually carb to at least a drinkable level. But I've had a couple of over carbed ones that once they're opened, half the beer gushes out and down the drain of the kitchen sink. And what's left wasn't very tasty. I've dumped some over carbed beers, but I've never dumped an under carbed one. Just add a bit of sugar solution and recap it! That's my take on why I use exactly what the calculator calls for.
Click to expand...


Great points.
I under carbed once and it was a thin carb. I never want that again.

Next batch I will follow the chart specifically.

Of course I always find it funny that Brewers Best and other LHBS directions always tell you to use 5 oz!
 
Hoping someone still reads this thread :p

I batch primed with 3.5oz dextrose for 17.5liters to reach carb level of 2.0 as per Northern brewer calculator. Some of you are saying the calculator under carbs .... Am I in trouble?
 
SippinSudz said:
Hoping someone still reads this thread :p

I batch primed with 3.5oz dextrose for 17.5liters to reach carb level of 2.0 as per Northern brewer calculator. Some of you are saying the calculator under carbs .... Am I in trouble?
Click to expand...

I use the Brewer's Friend calculator. For 17.5 liters at 20C it recommends 87.6g for 2.0 volumes. What did you brew? Only thing I've ever carbed that low was an imperial stout and I wasn't happy with that level.
 
I usually use around 0.8-1.0oz corn sugar per gallon. So somewhere between 4-5oz for 5 gal. I've been using 4.5oz mostly and it seems to work well.
 
My bottles are sitting at 20° and it was actually 3oz of dextrose for 17.5litres. I was following Northern Brewers for a standard stout of 2.0 CO2
This stout isn't dry, nice silky mouth feel with 6% ABV
 

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