Carbonation Drops

[SJW]

Hi mate, just a word of warning. DON'T USE CARBONATION DROPS. These things are crap and I can almost guarantee that they will stuff up your beer.
Go to Bunnings and buy a 25 or 30 litre fermenter type drum and a tap. Boil up 180 grams of normal sugar or better, dextrose with about 200mls of water. Stick this in the second fermenter and drain all the beer from the first (primary fermenter) to the secondary via a length of clear pvc tube. Gently mix with a big spoon and then bottle into any size bottles you like.
If u are anywhere near Newcastle drop in and I can lend u a spare fermenter or even do if for you.

Steve

 

[brettprevans]

SJW thats a bit of a broad statement. Ive always used carb drops (or variations of) and never had a problem with them. is bulk priming better, well probably aws you have more control but there's nothing wrong with carb drops. but lets not start a carb drop war. there's plenty of other threads on this.

Dude - take up Steve's generous offer.

 

[SJW]

I can't understand carbonation drops. I think if u are going to all the trouble of brewing a beer, even a kit beer, which can also be exceptional beers, why would you bother using carbonation drops? All I can say is try bulk priming with dextrose and you will feed the carbonation drops to the dog (if he will eat them)
and yes I have used them, many many years ago. Back then they were too fat to even fit through the neck of a king brown. I hate em, and I would argue that that you could make an exceptional beer with them.

(Steve gets fitted for flame suit)

Steve

 

[Kleiny]

BULK PRIME

YOU CAN DO IT :lol:

Once you start bulk priming you wont even bother buying the carb drops.
Follow Steves advice above and you cant go wrong

 

[brettprevans]

i did say to go with your offer steve. bulk prime once and you wont go back (unless really pched for time). or miss avoid the whole issue and keg *CM2 dons on his flamesuit*

 

[QIK86]

I never wanted to start bulk priming as it seemed like so much extra work. But once I did it, I found how easy it was. And you have such great control over carbonation levels. It really is worth giving it a go. You won't look back.

 

[SJW]

I will even throw in a few roadies of what ever is on tap at the time.

 

[flattop]

Well i have 2 packs of candy to use up, bottle a brew today and used about 40 candies and plain white sugar in the rest... I'll sample and see.
I like the idea of racking and bulk priming at the same time, once the candy is gone.

Question Steve, when you are bulk priming it sounds like you are not racking for any length of time, do you leave it a few hours or is it straight out of the secondary and to bottling?

 

[SJW]

No, just rack it straight onto the sugar solution then bottle. Dextrose is much better than plain sugar, it gives it a finer fizz, more like beer should be.

 

[flattop]

Yeah my mate told me dex was better, i had some but it was packaged up in a 5 k bag and sugar was closer to hand. No harm done i will drink the sugar ones the same.

 

[Peaka]

You can also just whack the sugar into the primary fermenter instead of racking can't you? But it needs to be dissolved in boiling water first is that right?

 

[Goofinder]

You can also just whack the sugar into the primary fermenter instead of racking can't you? But it needs to be dissolved in boiling water first is that right?

You can... but you need to make sure it's mixed in well. One of the advantages of racking is that you can rack onto the sugar/dextrose solution and have it mixed for you. If you're just doing it in the fermenter, you'll need a sanitised spoon to mix and to be careful you don't disturb the yeast sediment too much.

 

[Peaka]

Cool thanks Goofinder, i will be trying that I think.

 

[flattop]

Problem with racking in the primary is getting the sweet solution mixed well with the beer without disturbing the yeast cake, otherwise you will get a cloudy beer and a possible re-ignition of the primary fermentation before bottling, you would probably have to wait until the whole shebang settled again.
I like SJW's process of racking into the solution and then bottling straight up, it makes sense, no disturbing the yeast and a probable even distribution of the sugar.
Downside, extra cleaning and sterilization of the secondary fermenter and hose

 

[Goofinder]

Racking to bulk prime is definitely my preferred option (and the only way I've ever done it), even though there is extra sanitation involved. For the sake of <$20 for a jerry can, tap and some hose there's really no reason not to go this way. Better yet, grab a pair of jerry cans and you can have a brew in primary (fermenter), one in secondary (jerry can) and a spare for priming.

But if you must, you can do it in the fermenter as described above.

 

[buttersd70]

If primary is finished, it won't re-ignite. If its finished, its finished. Adding the priming sugar will make fermentation start again....but its not going to happen in 5 minutes. Plenty of time to get it bottled, just don't leave it sitting around.

That being said, I rack all beers, always.

 

[Jase71]

I will even throw in a few roadies of what ever is on tap at the time.

Free face to face advice and beers to boot, now that's a good value deal for the novocastrains.

 

[flattop]

Ok if primary is finished then it means the yeast is finished, if the yeast is finished then it won't go off at all in the secondary.
Therefore, because yeast does go off in the secondary then it can't be completely exhausted in the primary....there must be good yeast left, just dormant or slow.
The sugar in the bottles and the stir up from the bottling kicks it in the guts.
Agreed if you don't let it sit then the fermentation will rekindle in the bottle instead of the fermenter.

 

[buttersd70]

Ok if primary is finished then it means the yeast is finished, if the yeast is finished then it won't go off at all in the secondary.
Therefore, because yeast does go off in the secondary then it can't be completely exhausted in the primary....there must be good yeast left, just dormant or slow.
The sugar in the bottles and the stir up from the bottling kicks it in the guts.
Agreed if you don't let it sit then the fermentation will rekindle in the bottle instead of the fermenter.

When I said it was finished, I didn't mean the yeast was dead.....if there is no sugar for it to consume, it will go dormant. If you feed it sugar again, it will start again. But it's yeast, not a bloody whippet. It won't jump out of the fermenter and run around the yard as soon as you give it some food. It will have a lag time. It won't start fermenting again in five minutes, it probably won't even have too much more activity in the space of a couple of hours. If it did, you could prime your bottles and drink it the next morning. Which you can't. How long does a bottle take to carbonate? 3 days to a month, depending on the yeast strain, the priming adjunct, the chemical composition of the remaining dextrins and other long chain saccharides, the pH of the beer, the health of the yeast, how many life cycles it has gone through, its alcohol tolerence, and several other factors.

<_<

 

[Brewtus]

I started with a sugar hopper. Crap.
I did the lollies, better.
I bulk primed, never to go back. (Ok I did use them once when I could not fit all my beer in the 2ndry so did 2 bottles)

Carb drops are for beginners, move on.