# Bulk Priming - Do I Need To Rack?



## Interloper (30/4/08)

Hi All, I have a lager brew ready to bottle that is sitting in the fermenter clearing up a bit.

I am keen to bulk prime to save some time as I am so sick of hand sugaring my bottles and I think the fact the primer is dissolved may produce a brew with less sediment.

Is it essential to rack to do this? 

Has anyone simply poured dissolved dextrose/sugar into the wort, given it a gentle swirl and then bottled?

My local home brew shop guy says this is fine and there's no need to rack, but I have googled the topic (which lead me here!) and everyone seems to pour the dissolved primer into a 2nd container, then pour the brew onto that and then bottle.

Experts I welcome your advice, so:

Do I Need to Rack to Bulk Prime?


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## maltedhopalong (30/4/08)

> I am keen to bulk prime to save some time as I am so sick of hand sugaring my bottles and I think the fact the primer is dissolved may produce a brew with less sediment.



Sorry, this isn't the case.



> Is it essential to rack to do this?



Especially considering you want to have less sediment, then it is definitely essential.



> Has anyone simply poured dissolved dextrose/sugar into the wort, given it a gentle swirl and then bottled?
> 
> My local home brew shop guy says this is fine and there's no need to rack, but I have googled the topic (which lead me here!) and everyone seems to pour the dissolved primer into a 2nd container, then pour the brew onto that and then bottle.
> 
> ...



If anything, you need to give it a vicious swirl constantly. My previous experience with bulk priming is unless you are very quick at bottling, the sugar will settle lower in the fermenter and you'll get some bottle bombs and some flat beer.

So, no. You COULD do it but you'd have HUGE amounts of slurry in the bottom of your bottles because in order to bulk prime effectively, you need to disperse the sugar evenly throughout the whole fermenter, which will stir ALL of the yeast through ALL of the beer. :icon_vomit:


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## Cortez The Killer (30/4/08)

Best to put your dissolved + boiled priming sugar into an empty vessel then rack onto it with a racking hose

The swirling effect of racking should mix the sugar through the whole batch

That's the theory anyway

Cheers


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## mickoz (30/4/08)

I would recommend boiling your sugar\dextrose in 500mls of water for 10 mins (then cooling) before adding to your bottling bucket\2nd fermenter then racking onto it. Try to get a bit of a whirlpool going with the way the racking hose sits in the bottom. Then trying not to spash too much, get a sanitised long spoon and sort of lift the bottom to the top of the mix.


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## Kleiny (30/4/08)

+1 for racking it mixes the wort and prime and doesn't disturb the yeast cake


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## reVoxAHB (30/4/08)

Cortez The Killer said:


> Best to put your dissolved + boiled priming sugar into an empty vessel then rack onto it with a racking hose
> 
> The swirling effect of racking should mix the sugar through the whole batch
> 
> ...



Yep, I've found this has always been the case for me, too. To be safe, give it gentle swirl once or twice during the bottling process as well.


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## Steve Lacey (30/4/08)

I have done it and done it successfully. Got the sugar solution evenly distributed without stirring up the sediment to any major degree. You just have to swirl the beer gently and with a kind of roundhouse motion so that you get the sugar distributed. But it needs to be gentle so that you don't stir up the yeast. I am sure there is some extra yeast dislodged and you'll get a bit more yeast in your bottles, but probably not enough to really notice. It depends to a large extent on how tightly packed your yeast cake is, and for that you need to be working with a yeast whose behaviour you know pretty well.

One other consideration is that racking has the effect of knocking out some of the super-saturated CO2, and that can help you to get the carbonation level you would expect from the amount of sugar being used.

While I don't think that racking is essential, it is probably recommended. Be as careful as you possibly can during racking to avoid oxygen pickup.


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## albrews (30/4/08)

Interloper said:


> Hi All, I have a lager brew ready to bottle that is sitting in the fermenter clearing up a bit.
> 
> I am keen to bulk prime to save some time as I am so sick of hand sugaring my bottles and I think the fact the primer is dissolved may produce a brew with less sediment.
> 
> ...




hi, bulk priming works fine.

kangabroo machine is great for quick bottle sugar dosing after you become sick of manual bottle dosing.

multiple racking could remove yeast and not allow proper secondary fermentation for gassing, i.e beer could be undergassed.

cheers


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## Screwtop (30/4/08)

Assuming you are a newb from the joining date Interloper, apologies if you are not.




Steve Lacey said:


> You just have to swirl the beer gently and with a kind of roundhouse motion so that you get the sugar distributed. But it needs to be gentle so that you don't stir up the yeast. I am sure there is some extra yeast dislodged and you'll get a bit more yeast in your bottles, but probably not enough to really notice.



I wouldn't advocate this for a newb, if you know and understand your yeast and it's flocculation properties you might give it a go.



> would recommend boiling your sugar\dextrose in 500mls of water for 10 mins (then cooling) before adding to your bottling bucket\2nd fermenter then racking onto it. Try to get a bit of a whirlpool going with the way the racking hose sits in the bottom. Then trying not to spash too much, get a sanitised long spoon and sort of lift the bottom to the top of the mix.



This is good advice, keep any mixing down to a gentle stir, doubt if it's really needed using the above method. Use a priming calculator to calculate the amount of sugar/dex is required. Do a search there are plenty, there's one on this forum called the "BeerIsGood Priming Calculator". Choose your beer style to determine the volume of Co2 (Carbonation level), enter the beer volume and storage temp for your beer and it will calculate the correct amount of priming sugar/dex to use. I prefer calculators which take the gravity of the beer into account, but this is a good place to start. Racking goes a long way to improving your beer clarity, plus bulk priming is easy, can use any size bottle, even mixed sizes as the beer is primed prior to bottling.



albrews said:


> multiple racking could remove yeast and not allow proper secondary fermentation for gassing, i.e beer could be undergassed.



There is plenty of yeast for priming carbonation after racking, even multiple times.


Cheers,

Screwy


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## Interloper (30/4/08)

Ahh glad to see so many brewers are online during the day  

All good info, thanks for the replies. 

I'm not a beginner so I'm happy to take a risk and bulk prime for the first time and it looks like racking is the way to go. 

Where is this calculator you speak of? 

I don't know the storage temp as there's no thermometer in my shed.... What would people suggest as a guide on how much sugar/dextrose to use for:
22l of Lager kept in a kind of coolish shed?


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## Adzmax (30/4/08)

Don't stress out about the rackign thing too much. Sounds all complicated but as long as you're nice a clean and don't splash too much you'll be fine. 

Here is a handy link I used 

http://oz.craftbrewer.org/Library/Methods/...mpleGuide.shtml


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## jdsaint (30/4/08)

What would people suggest as a guide on how much sugar/dextrose to use for:
22l of Lager kept in a kind of coolish shed


160-180g disolved in hot water (500)ml let cool (freezer works quickly) add to second fermenter, add brew on top, seal, bottle away!

this has worked for me everytime, Its easier then it sounds, By my records it lowers the sediment alot.

I end up with a paper width layer on the bottem of my bottles, that is i also ferment my brew for 2 weeks in primary then rack to a secondary for another 2 weeks (4 weeks all up) then bulk primm into another fermenter and bottle.

Let bottles sit for 2 or more weeks and enjoy a crisp clean evenly gased beer..............


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## Screwtop (30/4/08)

Interloper said:


> Where is this calculator you speak of?


"

Do a search using advanced search options and enter "priming Calculator"including the quotes, click on show as posts and you will find some priming calculators, worked for me leastways.

Here is the Post with the link to the one I mentioned, the link is in Post #16 you can download and use it free. 


Try an average temp for your shed between the daily min and max.

Cheers,

Screwy


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## Interloper (1/5/08)

jdsaint said:


> I end up with a paper width layer on the bottem of my bottles, that is i also ferment my brew for 2 weeks in primary then rack to a secondary for another 2 weeks (4 weeks all up) then bulk primm into another fermenter and bottle.
> 
> Let bottles sit for 2 or more weeks and enjoy a crisp clean evenly gased beer..............



Now that is a lot of handling and a lot of containers! I've got two fermenters and a container I could rack into, but I don't think I could store in it (not even sure it has a lid anymore, but it does have a tap thankfully)

You don't have fears of contamination/oxidization with all that movement?


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