carbonation drops

[brewmoore30]

hi everyone I have just started a home brew and on the instructions it says to use carbonation drops when bottleing up but I am doing coopers dark ale could someone please help as I am new to brewing and this is my first time many thanks.

 

[Banbeer]

hi everyone I have just started a home brew and on the instructions it says to use carbonation drops when bottleing up but I am doing coopers dark ale could someone please help as I am new to brewing and this is my first time many thanks.

Hi @brewmoore30, Firstly welcome to the forum and secondly you don't have to use carbonation drops (they recommend but are expensive) use just table sugar 1/2 a spoon per 500ml bottle or if you like it fizzier then 1 spoon per 500ml bottle. Some use spraymalt or brewing sugar (dextrose) but this is an expensive way to carb IMO.

 

[Arrakus]

Just drop two into your 750ml bottle then fill it up with the ale, leave it at room temp for 2 weeks to carbonate, leave for another 2 weeks to condition in a cooler place, then driiiiiiiiink!

 

[brewmoore30]

thanks for that would you use a table spoon or tea spoon

 

[Banbeer]

Teaspoon. the tip is to buy a very small funnel and I bought some measuring spoons that has 1/2 tsp in the set.

 

[brewmoore30]

many thanks for that how long would you normaly leave it for before you would drink it

 

[Banbeer]

Bottle the brew, leave the bottles in a warm place around 20°C if possible and then into a cool place below 12°C for a couple of weeks.

 

[brewmoore30]

many thanks for your advice and sorry for all the questions

 

[Banbeer]

Sorry, I meant to say in the warm for a couple of weeks.

 

[Fireside Ales Homebrewery]

many thanks for your advice and sorry for all the questions

This is the place for questions mate. No need to be sorry. If I may way in on the carbonation drop discussion here? I have just used them for the first time in my last brew and never will I use them again. They did the job very well indeed. Nice level of carb for my IPA. However, I noticed that they gave the brew a distinct aspartame sweetness that I have never come across before. Not to my tastes at all. I will go back to regular old sugar.

 

[Banbeer]

I noticed that they gave the brew a distinct aspartame sweetness that I have never come across before. Not to my tastes at all.

I think this will be because they are Glucose.

 

[Fireside Ales Homebrewery]

I think this will be because they are Glucose.

There you go then. I walked boldly into that trial of carb drops without even knowing anything about them I saw them going cheap at my local brew shop and thought, well they will do. Didn’t even read the package.

 

[Banbeer]

There you go then. I walked boldly into that trial of carb drops without even knowing anything about them I saw them going cheap at my local brew shop and thought, well they will do. Didn’t even read the package.

When I used to bottle (I now have 4 cornies) I used to buy sugar cubes and add 1 per 500ml, only downside was sometimes I only needed 1/2 a tsp.

 

[Fireside Ales Homebrewery]

When I used to bottle (I now have 4 cornies) I used to buy sugar cubes and add 1 per 500ml, only downside was sometimes I only needed 1/2 a tsp.

I like to bottle. I am often sharing my ale amongst family and friends. I have thought about getting a couple of 5 litre growler set ups, but I am not sure about the quality. They often cost about £100 or so from Amazon—- Rockyin 5L Mini Stainless Steel Keg with Faucet Pressurized Home Brewing Craft Beer Dispenser Set:Amazon.co.uk:Kitchen & Home They look cool though.

 

[Banbeer]

I like to bottle. I am often sharing my ale amongst family and friends

I usually bottle a few just to see how it tastes compared to the keg and I also gave them away to colleagues before covid-19 just to see how I'm doing (no one died), I even bottled a stout today as I want it for Autumn/Winter and didn't want to tie up a corny but I love my cornies.

 

[Fireside Ales Homebrewery]

I usually bottle a few just to see how it tastes compared to the keg and I also gave them away to colleagues before covid-19 just to see how I'm doing (no one died), I even bottled a stout today as I want it for Autumn/Winter and didn't want to tie up a corny but I love my cornies.

The cornies do look fantastic. I am not sure I can run to the price of one right now, but I just remembered the 5litre kegs by Dark Farm. How could I forget. Legendary bit of kit. I think I will have to pick one up at some point to replace my cheap plastic keg. Bottle a few, keg the rest. Just like your good self, having the best of both worlds.

 

[AlDaviz]

Hi
I used carbonation drops when I first started with little success. Then went straight onto sugar(boiled and dissolved into water) and mix with my beer when bottling. There’s lots of help on here and online. I’ve added a calculator that will hopefully help
Priming Sugar Calculator

 

[Scottyburto]

Carbonating bottles is one of those areas of homebrew that hasn't got a definative answer, everyone has a preferred method and it's best to try a few to find your own.

If I'm transferring to secondary for clearing/cold crashing or want to get another batch going. I'll batch prime. 100-120g grams first and angle the syphon so the beer swirls into the keg and mixes evenly.

If I'm going straight from FV to bottles I'll put 115g (5gx23) in a small jug and top up to 230ml with boiling sugar. (It's important to top up to 230ml rather than add 230ml!) Then using a Calpol syringe add 5mls to my 500ml bottles before filling with beer. This method can be scaled depending on your bottle sizes fairly easily.

I tried sugar in a funnel and lost my rag when it kept getting blocked, this may have been more my ineptitude than anything else.

Also I cannot overstate the benefit of no rinse sterilization when bottling, it's a game changer.

 

[brewmoore30]

when do people take there first barometer reading before or after you put your yeast in

 

[Banbeer]

I don't use a barometer when I'm brewing as I brew indoors, I use my hydrometer before I pitch the yeast tho'