Carbonation drops

[bonk1972]

I've been brewing since June and I have about 10 brews under my belt but I'm disappointed in carbonation I use coopers drops I've been adding 2 drops to 740ml as directed my question is has anyone tried 3 drops

 

[warra48]

Don't do it. You do NOT want bottle bombs.

Why use those expensive drops? Get yourself one of those carbonation sugar measures, and save yourself some $$$.

I use Caster Sugar, about 2/3rd of the standard measure, and my brews always carbonate properly.

 

[BrosysBrews]

Either that or get yourself a bottling bucket and bulk prime, so much better and will offset the cost within a few brews of the extra vessel as you use about 50c of Dex a batch vs $4

 

[BrosysBrews]

Also if you are finding that your brews are not carving at all? Or very little? Maybe because they are not stored warm enough for a few weeks when first bottled to restart the yeast

 

[drtomc]

+1 for bulk priming. I use table sugar usually, since I don't always have dex. It gives you much more control over the level of carbonation and allows you to bottle in to a mix of different bottles (e.g. some tallies and some stubbies, or even darwin stubbies if that's your thing).

T.

 

[panzerd18]

I think in the long run it would be more economical to use plain white sugar and a homebrew sugar measure plus a funnel.

 

[yum beer]

Sounds to me that your not getting as much carb as you want.
Are you letting the bottles sit for long enough?.
2 drops in a longie is plenty if left to do its thing.
Please tell me you are not drinking before bottles have aged a bit.

 

[bonk1972]

I'm aging 6 weeks but I've just had some from my earlier batch witch is 3 months and has the same carbonation so I might try using plain or raw sugar witch I used back when I first started brewing 20 odd years ago...
Thanks everyone for your ideas cheers ....happy new years..

 

[wynnum1]

Buy digital scales and measure the weight of the sugar used a small lid and a tea spoon .

 

[yum beer]

still very hard to believe that 2 drops is not getting enough carbonation, I've used 2/3 drop in 330ml and its over carbed.
Are your bottles capped properly, are they leaking gas.

 

[bonk1972]

You maybe onto something yum beer I have an old capper and I have been using screw top bottles may have to experiment and find some flip top bottles

 

[SJW]

I love what I was told when starting out brewing, and I asked about carbonation drops. I was told to feed them to the dog and bulk prime. Best thing I ever did, prior to kegs

 

[Nullnvoid]

Well before I was ready to start in home brew a head brewer from a brewery told me to use sugar sachets as they contain the right amount and are easy to put into a bottle. He wasn't wrong! Never had any issues .

I get some from work and buy the rest. Perfect.

 

[TheBigD]

home brew priming measurer is a couple of bucks 1kg of sugar is $1 you cant go wrong

 

[SJW]

Well before I was ready to start in home brew a head brewer from a brewery told me to use sugar sachets as they contain the right amount and are easy to put into a bottle. He wasn't wrong! Never had any issues .
I get some from work and buy the rest. Perfect.

Are you serious. How much would 30 sugar sachets cost compared with..........A $1 kg bag of sugar that u would only use about 300grams of for bulk priming? Waste of time, money and landfill imo

 

[Nullnvoid]

Are you serious. How much would 30 sugar sachets cost compared with..........A $1 kg bag of sugar that u would only use about 300grams of for bulk priming? Waste of time, money and landfill imo

Nah just joking. Ohh wait no I'm pretty serious.

I find it works out about the same. Couple of bucks for 50 sticks, a couple of bucks for 500g of sugar. Time and effort need to be taken into account.

As for the landfill I have two kids. Nothing compares with what they throw out. Packing for toys these days is horrendous. Not that they get much but it's still more than a few sugar sachets.

Just my opinion anyway.

 

[yum beer]

You maybe onto something yum beer I have an old capper and I have been using screw top bottles may have to experiment and find some flip top bottles

Might be worth getting a new bell for the capper and crown top bottles.
Bell not much $. bottles mostly free

 

[SJW]

Nah just joking. Ohh wait no I'm pretty serious.
I find it works out about the same. Couple of bucks for 50 sticks, a couple of bucks for 500g of sugar. Time and effort need to be taken into account.
As for the landfill I have two kids. Nothing compares with what they throw out. Packing for toys these days is horrendous. Not that they get much but it's still more than a few sugar sachets.
Just my opinion anyway.

All good
Keep up the good work, after all......it's just beer.
Have a great new year
Steve.

 

[tugger]

I have tried 3 tabs and it didn't explode my bottles.
I used the 750ml pet bottles with 3 tabs of coopers instead of the recommended 2. All went well just make sure your fg is stable for a few days before bottling. It had champaign carbonation but at 0.9 degrees c it poured nicely. Probly around 6.0 grams per litre of co2.

 

[brewermp]

You maybe onto something yum beer I have an old capper and I have been using screw top bottles may have to experiment and find some flip top bottles

Hey bonk happy new year first of all. This happened to me recently. I have been handing out my beers and some people have told me that it was flat and needed more carbonation. I just thought they didn't know what they were talking about lol. But then I opened one for myself and it didn't make that pfft sound. It was a was a screw top that wouldn't seal right. I have a mix of crown and screw atm. from now on I'm throwing my screw tops away. Not worth ruining beer for it.