Beer : Bottle Priming

[Bertie Doe]

All the beer I've made in the past have been using Kits. I've primed each 500ml bottle with 1g of cane sugar.
I've just got hold of Graham Wheeler's BYO British Real Ale. My first attempt is his Theakston Old Peculier recipe. I haven't gone the full mash route but have substituted dried malt extract for the crushed pale malt. My gravities are close to his OG1058 and FG1015. I've racked after the FG remained constant for 3 days.
He does not recommend priming ".......and residual dextrins (carbohydrates) in the beer will slowly ferment and produce perfect condition."
Taste is obviously the paramount target, so should I expect a decent head on the beer?
Do all forum beer bottlers avoid priming, or does it depend on recipe ingredients and technique? TIA.

 

[richc]

I've always primed when bottling, and with significantly more than 1g/500ml, usually between 3g and 7g depending on style.

 

[BrewSage1985]

I always add priming sugar as insurance, if you didn't add sugar it would probably prime on it's own but you would probably have to leave it at room temperature for alot longer to carb up. Adding priming sugar won't harm it and it won't affect the taste.

 

[RobWalker]

If you're patient and want a real quality beer, then yeah you could just wait.

If you're like the other 95% of sensible home brewers, prime it and get drinkin'.

 

[Hawks]

I used to batch prime, now I keg most and the odd bits I bottle I don't prime at all - they condition perfectly I find, just take a little longer :thumb:

 

[eggman]

I always prime mine and if i'm doing alot of bottles i batch prime too. I use half a teaspoon of sugar as i do ales but if you're doing a lager you need 1 teaspoon :

 

[Bertie Doe]

Thanks all, my stash of Muntons Bock is getting low, so I'll batch prime and make the current brew available sooner. My next attempt will be my first all-grain, which I won't prime and therefore I can do a comparison.