Do I Over Prime?

[Pjam]

I don't drink lager much but when I do I think it needs a good fizzzzzzzzzz and with the ale, I've been priming on the high side, about 100g for 23L.
Anyway, I did a little experiment. I batch primed one half of my brew the same as usual and the other half I halved the sugar. I just tried my beers from the test.
The first beer was good, just like my usual Wherry, my second tasted really different! less fizz but that wasn't what I first noticed ..... for the first time I could taste several subtle hop flavors I couldn't before.

Have I been over priming?

 

[Aethelstan]

I would say that's quite subjective. If you like it better having reduced the sugar, then yes you were over priming. If you prefer it with more gas, then no :)

 

[LeithR]

I think you may have been underpriming m8.

I prime at 5g/L for a normal beer so that's 115g for 23L, I did a Wilko's Mexican Cervesa a few weeks ago and primed at 200g for the 23L batch. Had one yesterday evening and it was just fine. These rates come from John Palmers How to brew.

 

[nobyipa]

here is the guide line that may help you decide

Carbonation Guidelines by Style
British Style Ales 1.5 - 2.0 volumes
Belgian Ales 1.9 - 2.4 volumes
American Ales and Lager 2.2 - 2.7 volumes
Fruit Lambic 3.0 - 4.5 volumes
Porter, Stout 1.7 - 2.3 volumes
European Lagers 2.2 - 2.7 volumes
Lambic 2.4 - 2.8 volumes
German Wheat Beer 3.3 - 4.5 volumes

volumes of dissolved CO2

use a priming calculator then you can mimic the fizz you like for your style of ale your brewing
http://www.brewersfriend.com/beer-priming-calculator/

:thumb: :drink:

 

[Pjam]

Hmmmmmm, interesting. so maybe that's why we home brew at all! so we can tailor the beer to our personal taste buds :idea:

Am I stating the obvious here ?

 

[LeithR]

CO2 by volume is not something I've had much involvement with nobyipa, how do you translate the volumes to weight per litre or gallon? I've just tried to understand it from the website link you gave us and it didn't really explain.

 

[Pjam]

The flaw with my test is I'm now too p***ed to make a valued judgement. I'll have to continue tomorrow. :whistle:

Good calculator though, I'd not spotted that one.

 

[nobyipa]

The flaw with my test is I'm now too p***ed to make a valued judgement. I'll have to continue tomorrow. :whistle:

Good calculator though, I'd not spotted that one.

yup works 100% for me

so really it gives you the minimum and maximum co2 acceptable to style
and hopefully if you do the maths it is very straight forward to use
you won't end up with flat or over-primed beer
:thumb:

 

[Strongarm]

I did an American IPA with 4.5gr (well 1.5 carbonation drops) per 500ml, so 180gr for 20L, and I wouldnt say it's over-carbonated.

For last batch I wanted to get rid of my carbonation drops prior to starting batch priming so stuck 2 (6gr, so 240gr for 20l) in each 500ml bottle of blonde ale I bottled this weekend. Looking at figures above this could be on the fizzy side.

 

[morethanworts]

'Volumes' is a unit in itself, and at least gives us a means of comparison. The Brewer's Friend list that noby quotes above is a guide, but I think it is too conservative (or generalised) for Belgian ales, some of which are primed to 3.5 vols and maybe more.

I don't like any style 'flat' as such, though I tread more carefully the darker the beer. In my experience, bottled beer and draught beer is quite different; priming less in the bottle will not necessarily make it like draught beer, especially if it's being compared to something that's been pulled through a sparkler. My minimum is 80g/23L, regardless of bottling temperature. I liked the Wherry at 100g, at least at the temperatures I racked and bottled at, but some would find it too fizzy. I've put 260g dextrose in 23L of tripel, which was around 3.5 vols.

Whatever you prime, make sure you give the bottles a good two weeks properly warm to condition (21C+ if poss) before storing cold. That way, you know you're judging it when just about everything has fermented out fully.

 

[Maffa]

I have to say from personal experience it also depends on if you bottle or keg. I've found when kegging, you get more co2 per pint poured. Of course as the keg empties, the co2 needs to be topped up.