Coopers Carbination Drops

[Hazy]

Thinking about using them rather than the normal sugar prime, pros and cons ?
Cheers

 

[Bugglz]

It's just the same stuff, sucrose, crab drops are faster tho

 

[KGB]

^^^Hmmmm, crab drops eh?


Pro's:
- easy
- no mess
- easy
- reasonably consistent 'measure' should = consistent carbonation
- easy

Con's
- more expensive
- can't vary carbonation depending on beer type and preference
- slightly slower to carb up and hence mature due to reduced surface area compared with granulated sugar

Main advantage is ease of use, main disadvantage is cost compared to sugar. Next time you're at a cafe, steal all the little sugar sticks on the table and just use them - consistent measure and easy to tip down the neck of a bottle. I have a box of 2000 on their way home to me tonight...

 

[Reon]

^^^Hmmmm, crab drops eh?


Pro's:
- easy
- no mess
- easy
- reasonably consistent 'measure' should = consistent carbonation
- easy

Con's
- more expensive
- can't vary carbonation depending on beer type and preference
- slightly slower to carb up and hence mature due to reduced surface area compared with granulated sugar

Main advantage is ease of use, main disadvantage is cost compared to sugar. Next time you're at a cafe, steal all the little sugar sticks on the table and just use them - consistent measure and easy to tip down the neck of a bottle. I have a box of 2000 on their way home to me tonight...

Great idea. Might try to source some

 

[Pollux]

Didn't BribieG use regular woolies brand sugar cubes with his 2L PETs??

Surely that's a cheaper option. I have 1 and a half packs in a tin in the brewery, just incase I ever run out of dex for priming, had them for ages, I keep eating the half pack though....

 

[Bribie G]

I've migrated (love that buzz word) a lot of my brews to glass but still do 2L goonies and 750ml home brew PETs and use sugar cubes. A sugar cube will fit precisely through the top of all PETs. I use one cube for a 750 and in the case of the 2L PETs I use two cubes for an ale and three cubes for a lager style requiring higher carbonation. Sure it makes the ales a bit fizzy in the 750ml bottles but I serve to a jug and let it gas off a bit before drinking. Cheap, easy and quick and they disintegrate in the bottle so they carb a bit quicker than the lolly drops. As well as being a third of the price.

 

[flattop]

I'm a supporter of bulk prime

 

[peas_and_corn]

The ones that came with my kit were tasty.

 

[mwd]

Give the bottles a good shake to dissolve them.

Just buy a priming measure and a kilo of dex from Woolies no fuss and cheap too.

Bulk priming is just another PITA for those people who have to use lots of different sized bottles. But they claim it is easier and faster. Keep on dreaming . Got to keep Bunnings in business. :lol:

P.S. that will get them going huff huff.

 

[BitterBulldog]

i didn't even wait for them to dissolve & shake em, just dropped em in & filled her up, & my beer has been coming out with great carbonation.

 

[Nick JD]

I use a very technical piece of equipment called a "funnel". By inserting it into the top of the bottle I can pour in teaspoons of sugar without the inherent complications usually associated with highly complex tasks like getting some sugar into a bottle.

 

[Scruffy]

Sucrose, dextrose, corn sugar, Bundaberg Raw cane, Dried malt extract, honey, Saccharin (i'm joking)...

What's the difference? Is one more 'gassy' than the other? I can guess at which are less fermentable, and add a bit more 'character'. And i realise that you don't want champagne fizz in a mild...

In all my brewing years, i've never really had an F1 podium finish...

 

[svyturys]

I use caster sugar, measuring scoop and a funnel. I find I'm priming the bottles just as fast, if not faster than with carbonation drops and it costs about 40cents a batch.
The money saved is more than enough to cover the cost of a yeast packet.

Cheers

 

[tommystarr]

Hi!

I'm about to start my second brew. I have collected a mix of stubbies - some 375ml and some 330ml.

Could I still use 1 carbonate drop per 330ml bottle or is there a risk they will explode? As in will I need to use normal sugar and adjust the amount for the smaller bottles?

any advise much appreciated!

 

[Renegade]

I use a very technical piece of equipment called a "funnel". By inserting it into the top of the bottle I can pour in teaspoons of sugar without the inherent complications usually associated with highly complex tasks like getting some sugar into a bottle.

And where might one source some such mysterious tool you call a 'funnel' ? It sounds complicated, but captivating nonetheless. Off to Google i shall go.

Cmon all you lazy bums, just bulk prime ! It's what all the cool kids are doing this season, apparantly.

For those newer brewers..... Honestly, its really easy, all it takes is another fermenter and a flexible tube, and some dextrose or even sugar. You can then use whatever sized bottles you want, you can ensure an even distribution of priming through the whole batch, and probably most importantly you can control the amount of carbonation that suits the style of beer you're brewing by adjusting the measure once, and once only.

 

[tommystarr]

And where might one source some such mysterious tool you call a 'funnel' ? It sounds complicated, but captivating nonetheless. Off to Google i shall go.

Cmon all you lazy bums, just bulk prime ! It's what all the cool kids are doing this season, apparantly.

For those newer brewers..... Honestly, its really easy, all it takes is another fermenter and a flexible tube, and some dextrose or even sugar. You can then use whatever sized bottles you want, you can ensure an even distribution of priming through the whole batch, and probably most importantly you can control the amount of carbonation that suits the style of beer you're brewing by adjusting the measure once, and once only.

So how long would you leave it in the second fermenter and would it need to be at the same temperature?

 

[Renegade]

Prime, then bottle straight away. You dont want the yeast to start eating your sugars. Well you do, but you want this to happen in the bottle, the trapped gasses produced by this feasting is what give you carbonation.

 

[tommystarr]

Prime, then bottle straight away. You dont want the yeast to start eating your sugars. Well you do, but you want this to happen in the bottle, the trapped gasses produced by this feasting is what give you carbonation.

OK...so transfer the beer to the second fermenter which will have the correct amount of sugar then bottle straight away from that fermenter?

Sounds straight forward enough...I do actually have two fermenters.

 

[Renegade]

Have a read of this excellent beginner's guide to bulk priming.

http://www.aussiehomebrewer.com/forum/inde...;showarticle=68

Edit: I dont bother doing the 'tap to tap' method described, mine just gets tubed straight into another fermentor from the top. Be sure to keep the outlet immersed so you dont have wort splasing around and aerating it.

Also make sure you mix your sugar/dex with a little bit of water or you might end up with undissolved clumps 9not good, and your beer will not be primed properly).

Here's a calculator you might find handy as well.

http://www.geocities.com/lesjudith/Alcohol...Calculator.html

 

[tommystarr]

Cheers for that!