Yet Another Priming Question

[math]

I'm asking about priming. Sorry. But bear with me! It'll be exciting.... honest...

Ok, so I'm a relatively new brewer (I've done 8 or so kits), and have thus far been priming with 1/2 Coopers carb drops in a 500ml bottle, except for one disaster with batch priming (and not enough stirring)

I'm currently brewing Coopers Australian Lager per kit instructions (the can plus 1 kilo brewing sugar), and will bottle prime. I've got domestic sugar cubes now, and was assuming they'd be one-to-one compared to a carb drop, equivalent to 1 tsp sugar.

I've mostly just brewed 'ale' so far (ok so I know this lager is technically an ale anyway!), and I like it at the fizzy end (hence sometimes using 2 drops). So after all this, all I'm really wondering is... how many sugar cubes should I use per 500ml bottle? I want it properly fizzy, but would two sugar cubes make it froth up too much?

Thanks!
Matt.

[cellone]

I batch prime with 160g to 20l for a nicely carbonated lager. I reckon you could divide that up for a good result.

[Cozzyb]

have you used sugar cubes before? I see one key issue, if you just pour sugar into each bottle it can have problems being dissolved i.e. why batch priming in boiling water is easier, so I would imagine sugar cubes would be even worse. Carb drops are designed specifically for the job of carb in bottle and dissolve fast.
As for lager priming, I also do 160g and my bottles (plastic ones) were super stiff and filled in 3 days so carb'd like mental, so thats is 4g per pint if I remember correctly, so almost one tea spoon, possibly one cube? I think two might be asking for trouble tbh.

[Cully]

I use a flat level teaspoon of sugar (6 grams)to each coopers plastic 500ml bottle, and the carbonation is just right.

[math]

Cheers all

Yeah I've used the cubes once before - not tasted the result yet but they carbonated fine (the bottles were firm in a few days, being as it's summer, allegedly), though that was an ale.

The reason I don't batch prime is that I syphon to bottles from the original fermentation vessel, which means I can't stir in the sugar solution without raising the sediment. I am a lazy brewer.

I'll have to weigh the cubes I suppose! (it's ok, I'm not going to weigh each one...)

[Haulton_Brewary]

Hi everyone

I have now done 5 batches of brew.

(1) Coopers Larger with a pot of honey - (BOTTLED) (thanks to GraigTube.com), turned out really tasty, BUT FLAT. 330ml Bottles X 74 WITH 1/2 carb drop in each bottle. "not enough carb drops in bottle I put it down to", but drunk them all anyway

(2) Coopers Pills - (PRESSURE BARREL) Not ready until 3rd September. I am willing to wait 3 months for that one. Better be worth it

(3) Coopers Lite Ale - (BOTTLED) 330ml - Not ready until 13th August. I put 1 level teaspoon of white sugar into each bottle, don't know if that is enough, can't wait to get stuck in.

(4) Coopers Larger - (PRESSURE BARREL) Ready since 3rd August. tried purring it, no gas, so bought gas and gave it an injection for about 1 1/2 secs. Started coming back out of top of barrel, but apparently normal. purred another glass and yet again FLAT after about 5 minutes and tastes like eating an apple core; but as clear as it can be in a glass; Yuck!!! What is going on there? HELP.

(5) Coopers Larger - (Fomenting bin) - Not ready until 29th Aug. What sugar should I use and how much for each 330ml bottle? HELP

I have another householder living here with me and I feel that I am in the pressure barrel not the beer on this one. I am not too impressed on the way things are going at the moment. So I really need some help here.

Many thanks for reading this article

Robbie

[Stomach]

Hi everyone

I have now done 5 batches of brew.

(1) Coopers Larger with a pot of honey - (BOTTLED) (thanks to GraigTube.com), turned out really tasty, BUT FLAT. 330ml Bottles X 74 WITH 1/2 carb drop in each bottle. "not enough carb drops in bottle I put it down to", but drunk them all anyway

(2) Coopers Pills - (PRESSURE BARREL) Not ready until 3rd September. I am willing to wait 3 months for that one. Better be worth it

(3) Coopers Lite Ale - (BOTTLED) 330ml - Not ready until 13th August. I put 1 level teaspoon of white sugar into each bottle, don't know if that is enough, can't wait to get stuck in.

(4) Coopers Larger - (PRESSURE BARREL) Ready since 3rd August. tried purring it, no gas, so bought gas and gave it an injection for about 1 1/2 secs. Started coming back out of top of barrel, but apparently normal. purred another glass and yet again FLAT after about 5 minutes and tastes like eating an apple core; but as clear as it can be in a glass; Yuck!!! What is going on there? HELP.

(5) Coopers Larger - (Fomenting bin) - Not ready until 29th Aug. What sugar should I use and how much for each 330ml bottle? HELP

I have another householder living here with me and I feel that I am in the pressure barrel not the beer on this one. I am not too impressed on the way things are going at the moment. So I really need some help here.

Many thanks for reading this article

Robbie

Hi mate

With regard to the highlighted above, whats your priming level? As you should never put lager in a pressure barrel, as the barrel cant take the pressure required for lager!

I also found that the Coopers Lager needs a long time to come good. But once compared to the Euro lager, its no comparision, or even a true lager, but a good bridge from lager drinker to ale drinker, or other way round!

Cheers

[Haulton_Brewary]

Hi Peachy-Burn-Brewery

WOW!! I didn't know not to put lager into a pressure barrel; won't be doing that again. What do i do with the lager in the pressure barrel now? I take the Priming level would be the (OG)reading - 1035; (FG) 1012. I fomented it for about a week and then put it into the barrel and left it for a further 3 weeks. So, is the taste right, it tastes pretty powerful, even though it tastes like apple core?

Cheers mate for responding

[cellone]

Get that pils in to bottle straight away then drop and give me 20.

[Stomach]

Get that pils in to bottle straight away then drop and give me 20.

[Haulton_Brewary]

Would they be ok in 330ml glass bottles? Do I also put carb drop in as well or 1 level spoon sugar?

[Stomach]

I did write a long reply answering all your questions, but it has dissapered!

Here I go again! But shorter!

Priming rate is the amount of sugar added to carbonate your beer.
Approx 85g for a batch of ale
160 - 180g for lager.

If you have the bottles, get the Pils and Ozzy lager in them as soon as. Use the kegs as bottleing buckets and get your sugar in them and bottle away.

Your beer is approx 3.58 %ABV so not very powerful, but ok!
Calculation 1035 - 1012 = 23 /7.46 = 3.08 + 0.5 for the priming sugar = 3.58% Some folk though dont add the 0.5% though.

I think thats it!

[Haulton_Brewary]

Nice one Stomach. I'll get that sorted now.

Cheers to everyone and I will do 20 press ups with a belly of beer as I am the biggest numpty :-0

Enjoy your brew. I will by next week; dam it more waiting but now I know so thank you to all

[Stomach]

Nice one Stomach. I'll get that sorted now.

Cheers to everyone and I will do 20 press ups with a belly of beer as I am the biggest numpty :-0

Enjoy your brew. I will by next week; dam it more waiting but now I know so thank you to all

You are not a numpty. Its all a learning process! It was daft thing to do so give me 20 too!

You can shove your lagers in the fridge the as well! nothing worse than warm lager!

[cellone]

HB as Stomach says, it's a learning process. I've made far worse mistakes and one of those was recently. The more you learn the better your beer gets. This site has been a huge help to me over the last few years.