Carbonation in bottles

[ashbyp]

I'm having quite mixed results carbonating in bottles. I've been using brewers sugar (aka corn sugar/dextrose) for batch priming, about 120g per batch - which I think is quite high?

Some batches have been nicely carbonated, some haven't. I understand this is down to how much yeast is left in suspension, and also temperature control, mainly, but how do you really know how much yeast there is left? Experience I guess.

I'm thinking that for more consistent results I should always try to clear the beer before bottling (using secondary and finings if required) and then add yeast back to the bottling bucket - at least that would be more controlled.

Any comments appreciated.

Cheers

[ashbyp]

Some batches have been nicely carbonated, some haven't. I understand this is down to how much yeast is left in suspension, and also temperature control, mainly, but how do you really know how much yeast there is left? Experience I guess.

yes and it will change with the yeast, you'll probably find you don't have the same problems with liquid yeasts, they seem much healthier on the whole and have a greater longevity.

I'm thinking that for more consistent results I should always try to clear the beer before bottling (using secondary and finings if required) and then add yeast back to the bottling bucket - at least that would be more controlled.

crash cooling is probably the best way to clear a beer for bottling although not as effective as finings but finings leave an unstable sediment not suited for bottling and even if you allow it to fall bright after adding finings a small amount of undesirable unstable sediment can form after bottling.

Pitching fresh bottling yeast should ensure consistancy though. Ringwood beer is filtered before reinocculating with the Hop Back strain and bottled at the Hop Back brewery for bottle conditioning...filtered! but it's still bottle conditioned and still considered a real ale, somethings wrong there I reckon

OK - I have the power to crash cool so I'll try that and see how adding yeast back pans out. The beer waiting to be bottled was fermented with Nottingham - don't have any of that but I do have Saflager and Safale... one of those would be OK right?

And yes, something does seem a bit off about that process, but if they got their CAMRA badge - so be it

[ashbyp]

Saflager would probably be the best method if you are crash cooling. Crash cooling will help retain the residual carbonation of fermentation and saflager will cope with the colder temperatures.

Sounds like a plan - will be interesting to see the results.