Bit urgent... Young's AIPA kit - all the sugar or just 85g?

[dom]

Should have looked this up in advance, as it's time to barrel now and I'm standing here confused..

The Young's American IPA kit comes with 135g of priming sugar. The instructions, which are NOT specific to the kit, say use 2.5oz (70g). The FAQs on here say around 85g is normal. Other websites seem to indicate anything from this, up to using the full 135g. Any advice much appreciated..

It's a 5 gal / 40 pint IPA which I'm putting into a pressure barrel, for anybody who's not familiar but can offer a hand.

Many thanks!

 

[Slid]

Hi Dom

If your pressure barrel has a release valve on the cap, it makes no difference if you over-prime. if it is just a screw on top with no attachment for a gas cylinder, go with 85g.

 

[dom]

Hi Dom

If your pressure barrel has a release valve on the cap, it makes no difference if you over-prime. if it is just a screw on top with no attachment for a gas cylinder, go with 85g.

Thanks Slid! Ah, so does using "too much" priming sugar not actually affect the beer itself then, it's just a matter of pressure..? I have one of the valve tops which can be topped up with a canister. Thinking of going a wee bit over at the moment, maybe 95g or so..

 

[Slid]

No worries, Dom, the release valve will the protect the barrel from slight over-pressurising. A lot of barrel users ensure that the threads on the lid are protected from damage by using a tiny amount of vaseline, or similar, to reduce friction.

Yeast just eats incremental table sugar for priming at these amounts and no harm will be done.

 

[dom]

No worries, Dom, the release valve will the protect the barrel from slight over-pressurising. A lot of barrel users ensure that the threads on the lid are protected from damage by using a tiny amount of vaseline, or similar, to reduce friction.

Yeast just eats incremental table sugar for priming at these amounts and no harm will be done.

Cool, cheers again! Decided to go for a nice round 100g. Will take note of how it turns out, how the barrel handles, and adjust next time if necessary :

 

[ManseMasher]

http://www.brewersfriend.com/beer-priming-calculator/

For future reference!

 

[Tony1951]

I wonder if anyone has figured out a way of avoiding getting a glass three quarters full of foam for the first third of the barrel?

I use 85g to prime my cheapy kegs (youngs type, bottom tap) and I get foam almost to the point where the gas is going to run out. Then I get about three pints like you'd pour in a pub, and then we get into the flat as a pond category.

Incidentally, I have been experimenting with not using artificial c02, and when I get to that nearly flat territory (keg about half full). I make up another priming solution of 50g of sugar in a cup of boiling water, open the top and pour it in and then seal the top again. Four days inside the house and we are back to foam territory. My last keg was easily delivered all nice and frothy for the whole keg this way with one re-priming. I think old time inn keepers did the same thing with their wooden kegs in the cellar. Because I keep two kegs on teh go, one drinking and one conditioning, this works out quite well. I just use the conditioning keg while the other one is re-pressurising. and then swap back when the old one comes back to the garage (or cellar :) ).

Cheers

 

[Slid]

I wonder if anyone has figured out a way of avoiding getting a glass three quarters full of foam for the first third of the barrel?

I use 85g to prime my cheapy kegs (youngs type, bottom tap) and I get foam almost to the point where the gas is going to run out. Then I get about three pints like you'd pour in a pub, and then we get into the flat as a pond category.

Incidentally, I have been experimenting with not using artificial c02, and when I get to that nearly flat territory (keg about half full). I make up another priming solution of 50g of sugar in a cup of boiling water, open the top and pour it in and then seal the top again. Four days inside the house and we are back to foam territory. My last keg was easily delivered all nice and frothy for the whole keg this way with one re-priming. I think old time inn keepers did the same thing with their wooden kegs in the cellar. Because I keep two kegs on teh go, one drinking and one conditioning, this works out quite well. I just use the conditioning keg while the other one is re-pressurising. and then swap back when the old one comes back to the garage (or cellar :) ).

Cheers

This re-priming was the advised methodology with a Boots plastic keg circa 1980. At one time, I might even have owned two kegs. Complete with re-fillable CO2 cylinders. What a faff they were.