Coopers Carbination Drops

[petesbrew]

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!

Well, you could sort out the smaller ones from the larger ones in each pack. But with mixed bottles of 330mls, 500mls, 640mls and so on, I learnt to bulk prime. Too easy.

 

[Hazy]

Carbonation drops it is, thanxs all

 

[WitWonder]

Carbonation drops it is, thanxs all

If you don't care for the final product, go for it.

Try this thread.

 

[Bribie G]

I think the individual prime versus bulk prime is going to be forever a Ford vs Holden thing. I've tried both and find that bulk priming is like cranking up the Mack Semi Trailer to pop down to the corner for a loaf of bread.

It's just so easy to use my funnel (I have one with a side handle that makes it easy to use). Takes about two minutes to dose the glass bottles, another two minutes to sugar cube the PETs then jam in the bottling cane and away I go. No tubes and extra vessels to clean up and sanitize, and no extra racking.

 

[mwd]

If you are using standard sized bottles using Carb Drops will have absolutely no bad effects on the final product.

Use whatever you are happy with there are one hundred and one ways to skin a cat.

Carb drops are just one way of doing it. Not the cheapest but one of the simplest.

Shake the bottles to dissolve them don't believe the crap that they disperse naturally.

+1 for Bribie's comments if you use mostly a one size bottle then bulk priming makes little sense unless you have the spare equipment available. A funnel and a sugar measure or even sugar cubes could not be easier. Why make life difficult ?

 

[WitWonder]

If you are using standard sized bottles using Carb Drops will have absolutely no bad effects on the final product.

Sorry, have to disagree here. The literature I have read and, through personal experience, suggests that the best method for giving the best results for the beer (not speed, simplicity, or any other possible motive) is to not use carbonation drops but to employ some other method of priming (preferably high quality dextrose).

The carbonation drops are great if you know of no other method for carbonating your bottles. I personally try and make the best beer I can and, when I do need to prime bottles instead of kegging, steer away from carbonation drops like the plague.

 

[KGB]

^^^ I will politely disagree, in my experience the small amount you are using in each bottle to prime makes bugger all difference to the flavour. I've used carb drops, raw sugar, white sugar, dex as well as one time I tried honey (not with a good result).

I got a pack of carb drops in my coopers kit way back when but I think I ended up eating half of them.

To the poster who asked if a drop in 330mL bottles would be ok, I am confident it would. Leave a little extra head space if you like and just make sure the wort is finished fermenting properly. If you want to be accurate and have the same carbonation level for all bottles, no matter what size, you can't go past bulk priming IMO.
For what its worth I mostly keg my beer these days and only bottle the leftovers or the very occasional brew.

 

[mwd]

Sorry, have to disagree here. The literature I have read and, through personal experience, suggests that the best method for giving the best results for the beer (not speed, simplicity, or any other possible motive) is to not use carbonation drops but to employ some other method of priming (preferably high quality dextrose).

The carbonation drops are great if you know of no other method for carbonating your bottles. I personally try and make the best beer I can and, when I do need to prime bottles instead of kegging, steer away from carbonation drops like the plague.

Why is that ? they are only sucrose and dextrose mixed


I cannot tell the difference from bottles primed with raw sugar, white sugar, dextrose, caster sugar,honey etc. less than one teaspoonful for a 750ml bottle makes jack all difference in final taste.

Edit: KGB beat me to it disregard this post. or add comment

 

[Scruffy]

I cannot tell the difference from bottles primed with raw sugar, white sugar, dextrose, caster sugar,honey etc. less than one teaspoonful for a 750ml bottle makes jack all difference in final taste.
or add comment...

What about treacle?

:blink:

 

[BitterBulldog]

You don't even need to dissolve & shake with carb drops.

My beers have turned out great by just dropping them in, filling it up & capping it.