Absolutely fuming... any advice?

[jared1984]

Hiya all,

First time doing this, started ok except for being a bit eager with the sanitiser. Brewing a Milestones Raspberry Wheat which started at 1046 and was stuck at 1020 at 2 weeks. Tried giving it a good wobble to try and wake it up but no joy so added 5 TSP of Tronozymol and stirred gently. Now at 3 weeks today and its been at 1013-1014 for 3 days, its clear and and tastes really nice so just been and sanitised, rinsed and prepped everything ready for bottling.

BUT - when im adding the half teaspoon of sugar the beer is frothing over the top of the bottle and losing about 2CM of the neck in overflow. Any ideas? My thought is its not finished or infected but I seem to have exhausted all attempts and didn't think it would be that bad to bottle at 1013-1014 bearing in mind the consistent readings.

Im absolutely fuming. :evil:

Any ideas before I give up and drain it?

 

[RobWalker]

maybe add the sugar, let it overflow, and top it up afterwards? it's wheat so that's probably why it's going nuts.

 

[jonnymorris]

You could batch prime, i.e. add your sugar to your FV, mix it in and then bottle.

 

[jared1984]

I only have 1 bin which is why i'm bottle priming.

 

[xdaver]

I usually make a sugar solution and then divide it by the number of bottles using my measuring cylinder. having the sugar pre desolved works well for me, if not a bit more time consuming

 

[jared1984]

Im thinking of half filling, adding the sugar, letting it settle and then topping it up. Does that sound safe?

 

[xdaver]

I'd give that a go mate. I wouldnt want to lose a drop :-)

 

[Steve]

Not sure if I'm reading it right but are you adding sugar to the beer in the bottles or adding beer to the sugar in the bottles? If you put the sugar in the bottles first you can syphon in and let the flow mix up the sugar and then you have the control to stop the flow as the froth builds. Then you can go back when each has calmed down.

 

[Pakman]

I always make a sugar syrup (85gm for 23l) in 500ml boiled water and then use a syringe (unused spare from printer cartridge refilling) and put 10ml in the bottom of each bottle. This appears to work well with no frothing.

 

[jared1984]

Hiya,

Thanks for all your responses, I'm adding sugar to the beer. Adding the sugar when half full and refilling once settled seems to be working the best (and wasting the least!) I have high hopes based on the taste straight from the FV so hope I don't end up with a load of drain food due to bottle bombs!

This is harder than you fist think isn't it! :hmm:

 

[Steve]

I prefer to clean and streralise all my bottles then prime each one with sugar ready. That means the only two jobs left are syphon then cap and makes things a bit simpler. I always prime a few extra bottles than i expect to need because I'd rather waste 2 teaspoons of sugar than have to prime as I go.

 

[jared1984]

Im learning where I can cut time and be more efficient the hard way. Im really into the way the little bottler works and am going to get another new barrel with one fitted I reckon as It seems really quick and consistent.

 

[Ian...]

Each to his own, of course, but consider Kegging. It cuts all this faffing out.

 

[calumscott]

The 2nd bucket with the little bottler is absolutely the way to go. That way you can batch prime, dissolve all your priming sugar into a little bit of beer, siphon the whole lot on top then just bottle. No faffing around with measuring sugar into bottles...

...saves time and stress, you won't look back!