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Batch Priming - A Guide By An Idiot

Started by GrahamR, June 02, 2014, 11:10:20 AM

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delzep

I don't bother letting the sugar/water solution cool...I just pour it straight in hot and siphon the beer on top of it. Saves time

LordEoin

yeah, a pint of hot sugar water won't do any harm to a batch :)

Beerbuddha

Great post Graham. cheers for the guide
IBD Member

Boycott

Quote from: LordEoin on June 05, 2014, 12:48:07 AM
yeah, a pint of hot sugar water won't do any harm to a batch :)

I thought the risk of adding it hot is that it cools so quick that the sugar comes out of solution again and leads to a bunch of sugar precipitated at the bottom of the new bucket and hence unevenly dissolved sugar.

Parky

Bottled an English bitter today, so thought I'd take a few snaps of two more options that can be carried out while batch priming.

I pretty much follow the same procedure as GrahamR in the excellent guide above, transferring the beer from the fermentation vessel to a bottling bucket on top of the priming solution, and for this batch I used two additional steps -

The first, is to take a small amount of the yeast cake left at the bottom of the fermentation vessel -



Then mix this gently into the beer that has been transferred to the bottling bucket -



I use this method when I've added finings to clear the beer, as I want to ensure that there is enough viable yeast in the bottles to carbonate and condition the beer. I've read that finings can strip too much of the yeast from suspension, leaving a lovely clear beer, but not much yeast for carbonation. Whether that's correct or not I've found the method above to be successful in creating a consistently good carbonation.

The second option is to add beer heading liquid/powder, which is supposed to assist in head formation and retention.



Again, add gently to the beer and stir to mix thoroughly.



At this point I leave the beer to sit for 30 minutes, allowing any additions to mix and blend evenly throughout the liquid.

As a rule I tend to leave the bottling bucket sit for 30 minutes anyway, as I find this allows any bits of krausen that have inadvertently fallen into the beer, to settle to the bottom of the bottling bucket. I can then leave them sit at the bottom of the bucket and keep them out of the bottles.

Hope that's of use to some of you, and yes, would agree with OP - batch priming has some advantages over individually priming bottles.

JayMc

I only have one bucket, which my brew has been fermenting in. It needs to be bottled now. Do I need a second bucket or can I transfer straight from the FV to primed bottles? Any tips are greatly appreciated.

It's my first time  :-[
Head Brewer
3 Brewers, Toronto

irish_goat

Quote from: JayMc on September 25, 2014, 05:35:41 PM
I only have one bucket, which my brew has been fermenting in. It needs to be bottled now. Do I need a second bucket or can I transfer straight from the FV to primed bottles? Any tips are greatly appreciated.

It's my first time  :-[

You can transfer straight to the primed bottles, yes. The 2nd bucket would only mean you could leave behind more yeast and crud etc for a clearer beer; it's not essential though.

JayMc

Quote from: irish_goat on September 25, 2014, 05:44:14 PM
You can transfer straight to the primed bottles, yes. The 2nd bucket would only mean you could leave behind more yeast and crud etc for a clearer beer; it's not essential though.

That's great thanks! now I don't have to run out and buy more equipment straight away. I'll get a second one for the next brew though.
Head Brewer
3 Brewers, Toronto

RedWino

Thanks for this.

I've had some problems with batch priming - caused by not stirring the wort after siphoning the wort onto the sugar solution.

On my last batch - bottled just over a week ago - I put the last liter into PET bottles so that I could squeeze the bottles to check carbonation progression. Well, the bottles expanded so much the top almost blew off. I opened them and the foam was gushing out. It tasted very sweet. It seems the sugar solution didn't mix well into the wort and was left in the bottom of the bottling bucket. I am probably left with under-carbonated / uneven carbonated beer now.

On the next brew I'll definitely gently stir.   

molc

If you make up your sugar solution and then transfer on top of that from the fermenter, you'll get the two mixed quite well without having to stir.
Fermenting: IPA, Lambic, Mead
Conditioning: Lambic, Cider, RIS, Ole Ale, Saison
On Tap: IPA, Helles, Best Bitter

darren996

Great guide. 

The last few brews I have started to transfer to the bottling bucket first and then measure and add my priming sugar and give a gentle stir with a sanitised spoon.

I use stainless fermenters so it isn't too easy to see the exact volume but by transfering first I get the correct volume and avoid over priming.