Priming bottles directly vs priming solution

Northern Brewer General
1

I have done about 3 All grain kits and a handful of DME kits over the past couple years and am currently getting back into brewing regularly. The last few batches of all grain I added the sugar directly to the bottle and the carbonation and head on the beer was perfect; I should mention I used table sugar too. The last two batches, one was DME and the other all grain. I used corn sugar for both and they both turned out flat. I assume this was my error in calculating the amount of sugar to be used. Got a little off topic there but I’m wondering if mixing up a priming solution and mixing it into the bucket is more consistent? It seems a lot easier than adding each tsp into the bottle with a funnel. Would I have to rack the beer first? Or can I just add it to my fermenting bucket direct? As you can tell I’m quite green with the brewing thing so any tips or tricks would be much appreciated!

2

Well if you add it to the fermenter you would need to stir it up which would raise the trub. If you rack to a bottling bucket you can leave the trub behind. Standard procedure is calculate your sugar solution and add it to the bottling bucket and rack on top. This mixes the sugar as you rack. Then bottle from had bucket.

3

Sorry still new to the whole racking procedure. So you’re saying siphon from the fermenting bucket to a bottling bucket, then add my sugar solution to that, then siphon into bottles?

4

Yes EXCEPT:

  1. add priming solution to bottling bucket
  2. rack (siphon) beer to bottling bucket to assist in mixing
  3. stir VERY gently to reduce O2 uptake
  4. stir VERY gently every 6 bottles or so to ensure the priming solution remains in suspension.
5

OK awesome, thanks! I’ll try this on my next bottling day (currently have 80 litres fermenting) How much water is need? Just enough to dissolve the sugar?

6

Two cups of boiled water is sufficient for dissolving the priming sugar. I have never found a need to stir the beer before bottling. I’ve done it on occasion for security, but never had a problem as long as the siphon hose was curled in the bottom of the bottling bucket to create a gentle swirl.

1 Like
7

OK great thanks everyone! Going to order a carboy next round and retire my fermenting bucket into a bottling bucket.