Priming Amount

[Schiraboy]

Hi, I'm ready to bottle a Cream Ale, but i'm not sure how much dextrose to add for priming. I would rather put it all in my primary fermenter and mix it with the beer, rather than add it to each individual bottle. I'm not sure how all this works, (if there's an unsafe amount to be careful for when it comes to priming)?? also, should i dissolve the dextrose in hot water? I've had brew instructions with other kits tell me to do that.

My O.G. was 1.051, and my F.G. is 1.009. Does this matter when it comes to priming?
I also added a clearing agent (Super-Kleer) when i transferred the beer to my carboy, would this affect the priming amount?

When it comes to my specific gravity, i'm not sure how to calculate it correctly when i've added water. My gravity was 1.012 when i transferred to the carboy, then i added 3 1/2 cups of water to top it up. This brought the gravity down to 1.010. Obviously the water didn't make my alcohol % higher, so is there a way to adjust this to get an accurate F.G./alc. percentage? Thanks!

 

[bignath]

i'm not sure how much dextrose to add for priming. I would rather put it all in my primary fermenter and mix it with the beer, rather than add it to each individual bottle.

Please don't bulk prime into your primary fermenter.

If you put in your primary and then mix it all in, you'll get all of the trub in the bottom of the fermenter in your bottles. That wouldn't be a good scenario.

What you need is a separate vessel, whether it's a food grade jerry can/plastic cube, or a bucket with a tap doesn't matter.
You then boil up a sugar solution of boiling water and the total sugar you would normally use for the recipe to go in bottles and stir until the sugar dissolves.
Add this to the second vessel you've purchased/acquired.
Then carefully transfer your beer from primary into the second vessel on top of the sugar solution.
Then bottle straight from that vessel. Don't need to mix it in the secondary as the transfer process will take care of that.

All you need to know is how much sugar you want to prime with based on your recipe, and you definitely need a second vessel with a tap. I guess you could always use your carboy and a siphon for getting it into the bottles...

I have bottle from primary many times, but that's if i'm not bulk priming.

If at all unsure on the process, a search on "bulk priming" will turn up shedloads of info.

As far as rate goes, i typically brew 20L into fermenter as i usually keg my beers, but if bulk priming, i usually go with around 100g for my 20l batch. Not sure on the stylistic carbonation for recipe though.

Cheers,

Nath

 

[manticle]

These two articles will help

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

http://www.aussiehomebrewer.com/forum/inde...;showarticle=79

FG will influence the priming amount only in so far as you want to have actually hit FG before bottling (eg don't bottle early).
Finings shouldn't affect the amount

Yes there is an unsafe amount - what you are doing is creating gas related pressure inside a sealed container. Most builk priming calculators should give you an indication of how much carbonation the type of beer you have made commonly has. You can then calculate how to get that into your beer.

I use this one: http://hbd.org/cgi-bin/recipator/recipator/carbonation.html

 

[beerandgarden]

Please don't bulk prime into your primary fermenter.

If you put in your primary and then mix it all in, you'll get all of the trub in the bottom of the fermenter in your bottles. That wouldn't be a good scenario.

I've read in some guides that bulk priming in primary is an acceptable approach and I've done it myself and didn't have any problem. A gentle stir shouldn't significantly disturb the trub and letting it sit for 20 mins should help settle and minor trub disturbance. Or have I got it wrong?

How do I do Straight Addition?
For straight addition you need to sanitize a large stirring spoon. Remove the lid from the fermenter. Gently pour the solution in as you gently stir the beer. Avoid stirring up the trub or splashing. A small amount of oxygen will be consumed by the yeast but excess will affect the flavour. When stirred in, wait 20 min and bottle as normal.