Bulk Priming question

[bookers]

After adding the sugar solution to the FV, how long should I wait before bottling?
Thanks in advance peoples

 

[shacked]

Hi mate, I just cool the sugar solution down, rack the beer on top and then pretty much bottle straight away.

I usually rack between cleaning the bottles and sanitising, so maybe 10 mins between racking and bottling; but I don't think it really matters if you do it straight away.

 

[rude]

Bottle straight away as above

 

[TheWiggman]

Are you (OP) saying you intend to add the sugar to the fermenting vessel? Noooooo, you want a second vessel. This is how I do it, has worked 100% of the time.

1. Sanitise racking vessel
2. Add sugar to vessel, NOT fermented beer
3. Pour about 200ml of water in and swirl around until the sugar is dissolved
4. Transfer fermented beer into vessel using a hose, ensure there is no splashing
5. Once all transferred, stir in slowly to mix the sugar evenly.
6. Bottle.

No need to wait until the sugar solution cools, just rack away when you're ready.

 

[antiphile]

Are you (OP) saying you intend to add the sugar to the fermenting vessel? Noooooo, you want a second vessel. This is how I do it, has worked 100% of the time.

But you also don't need a second vessel. If you usually cold crash before bottling, another method that works 100% of the time is to add the priming sugar while you are cold crashing or when it is at your target CC temp. If doing it just when you turn down the temp controller, you only need to use the most gentle surface stir and the priming sugar will be evenly distributed in solution within 24 hours. (In basic scientific terms, Brownian motion is your friend). The yeast doesn't have sufficient time to wake up and ferment the sugars before the temp drops far enough to make it go dormant again.

If you wait until you nearly reach your target CC temp, again you need a very gentle surface stir, but from my experience you should wait 48 hours before bottling to ensure the priming sugar is evenly mixed.

 

[SBOB]

Are you (OP) saying you intend to add the sugar to the fermenting vessel? Noooooo, you want a second vessel. This is how I do it, has worked 100% of the time.

1. Sanitise racking vessel
2. Add sugar to vessel, NOT fermented beer
3. Pour about 200ml of water in and swirl around until the sugar is dissolved
4. Transfer fermented beer into vessel using a hose, ensure there is no splashing
5. Once all transferred, stir in slowly to mix the sugar evenly.
6. Bottle.

No need to wait until the sugar solution cools, just rack away when you're ready.

I follow a similar process,
1. Sanitise racking vessel/bottling bucket
2. Boil up required dextrose in a cup of water, and then let cool (this ensures the added solution has been somewhat sterilised)
3. Cool and add to racking vessel/bottling bucket
4. Transfer fermented beer into vessel using a hose, ensure there is no splashing
5. Bottle. I sometimes stir with a sanitised spoon to make certain that the priming solution has been evenly distributed

 

[killspice]

I follow a similar process,
1. Sanitise racking vessel/bottling bucket
2. Boil up required dextrose in a cup of water, and then let cool (this ensures the added solution has been somewhat sterilised)
3. Cool and add to racking vessel/bottling bucket
4. Transfer fermented beer into vessel using a hose, ensure there is no splashing
5. Bottle. I sometimes stir with a sanitised spoon to make certain that the priming solution has been evenly distributed

Yep, this is pretty much what I do - 2 is pretty important imo.

I do a tap-to-tap transfer which I read (probably on here) a few years ago. Basically you attach the hose to both taps of the fermenter, and transfer that way (via gravity). Tilting the destination fermenter at the start so the sugar/water covers the bung-hole ensures as little splashing as possible. If I had a keg setup i'd push some CO2 into the destination fermenter too (but I don't, so I don't).

I don' bother with a stir, I figure the transfer provides enough agitation to mix the sugar well enough.

 

[TheWiggman]

Whoops, I meant add boiled water, not just water.
Never tried that method antiphile and to be honest never heard of it. I'm not big of cold crashing so doesn't suit me.

 

[bookers]

Thanks all

 

[Killer Brew]

But you also don't need a second vessel. If you usually cold crash before bottling, another method that works 100% of the time is to add the priming sugar while you are cold crashing or when it is at your target CC temp. If doing it just when you turn down the temp controller, you only need to use the most gentle surface stir and the priming sugar will be evenly distributed in solution within 24 hours. (In basic scientific terms, Brownian motion is your friend). The yeast doesn't have sufficient time to wake up and ferment the sugars before the temp drops far enough to make it go dormant again.

If you wait until you nearly reach your target CC temp, again you need a very gentle surface stir, but from my experience you should wait 48 hours before bottling to ensure the priming sugar is evenly mixed.

This is the way i do it too. Hasn't let me down and no racking means less to clean plus less risk of introducing bugs / oxygen.

 

[kaiserben]

2. Boil up required dextrose in a cup of water, and then let cool (this ensures the added solution has been somewhat sterilised)
3. Cool and add to racking vessel/bottling bucket

I tend to bypass the cooling step. I dunno if it's bad practice or not (thoughts anyone?), but I just pour the just recently boiling priming solution into the bottom of a no-rinsed fermenter. Then pour the wort over the top of it.

I figure the 200ml or so of hot priming solution won't have much of an effect (plus it'll lose quite a bit of its temperature by the time the wort starts blending in with it).

 

[SBOB]

I tend to bypass the cooling step. I dunno if it's bad practice or not (thoughts anyone?), but I just pour the just recently boiling priming solution into the bottom of a no-rinsed fermenter. Then pour the wort over the top of it.

I figure the 200ml or so of hot priming solution won't have much of an effect (plus it'll lose quite a bit of its temperature by the time the wort starts blending in with it).

I usually do also, but left it in there for a more 'thorough' step list..
I usually boil it up, and then once finished go and get my bottling bucket ready and sterilized and then add the priming solution at whatever temp it happens to be by then.. its not boiling but its definitely not 'beer' temp (which is whatever cold crash temp it is at that time)

 

[Reman]

I add the bulk prime directly to the fermenter and give it a gentle stir and bottle 30 minutes later without issues.

 

[bookers]

Thanks, I'll try it next time

 

[Danscraftbeer]

I add the bulk prime directly to the fermenter and give it a gentle stir and bottle 30 minutes later without issues.

The primary fermenter with the yeast cake?
Only asking because the few times I,ve bulk primed to bottle its been hit and miss.
Its about the stirring. To evenly distribute the sugar needs to be thorough.
To disturb the finished wort is risky.
I except that its something for experts with comersial equipment.
Carb drops for bottling I say. :chug:

 

[Reman]

The primary fermenter with the yeast cake?
Only asking because the few times I,ve bulk primed to bottle its been hit and miss.
Its about the stirring. To evenly distribute the sugar needs to be thorough.
To disturb the finished wort is risky.
I except that its something for experts with comersial equipment.
Carb drops for bottling I say. :chug:

I add the sugar solution still boiling hot and I stir it rather gently and Brownian motion takes care of the rest.

 

[HalfWit]

I have a priming question. I crash chill my beer to 4C before bottling. This calculator... http://kotmf.com/tools/prime.php asks me what temp my beer is. Do I put the maximum temp during fermentation or the current temp? Thanks.

 

[killspice]

Maximum during ferment

 

[Alex.Tas]

I have a priming question. I crash chill my beer to 4C before bottling. This calculator... http://kotmf.com/tools/prime.php asks me what temp my beer is. Do I put the maximum temp during fermentation or the current temp? Thanks.

As Killspice mentioned above, you normally use the maximum fermentation temperature.
The reason for this is that during fermentation, as the yeast chews through your fermentable sugar, CO2 is produced and you can see this bubbling through your airlock or raising your gladwrap.

Cold water can hold more dissolved CO2 than warm water can so, if your beer was fermented at 12*C then some of that CO2 that your yeast produced will stay dissolved in the beer. If the same beer was fermented at 18*C then the beer can't hold as much CO2 as the colder liquid so it escapes through your airlock.
With me so far?
If you then raised your 12*C fermented beer up to 18*C then the beer can no longer keep all that CO2 dissolved anymore so it will be released to the atmosphere. Sometimes you will notice your brew bubbling when you raise the temperature, causing you to incorrectly assume that it is still fermenting. It is actually just the CO2 gas leaving the liquid and escaping from your fermenter.

How much CO2 is left dissolved in your beer makes a difference as you (the yeast actually) will need to generate less CO2 to get the correct level of carbonation into your beer.

So to answer your question, you should use the maximum temperature that the beer has been post fermentation.


My turn for a question though..
I've been lagering a german pils for around 6 weeks and wanted to know anyones thoughts on uptake of gas during prolonged exposure to air and ~1*C. Anyone have any rules of thumb or experience they want to share?