Really Fizzy

[BrotherMalice]

Just planning ahead here, the last brew I made (about 2 years ago) was really fizzy when I opened the bottles. I had very little experience back then and had not found this forum, from memory I think I put a litle extra sugar in each 2 litre bottle than I should have believing that it would make my brew more potent....

Do you think this would have been the cause or possible more to do with potentially less than sterilised process at some point during the brewing process, the hole I made for the bubbler was not s tight fit and from memory I think I may have opened it a few times to look at it.

I have been far more carefull this time & am not disturbing the brew this time either, I will be butting this brew in a keg that currently does not have a Co2 adaptor, will it be worth fitting one?

Thanks
Colin

 

[Laurin]

It probably has to do with how much sugar you put in and also if your beer finished fermenting. About 1tsp per pint is normal, but varies for personal preferences. It also has to do with what yeast you are using some create more fizz than others.

 

[pittsy]

hi , if your brewing wasn't clean it would make no difference to the fizz just would of had a foul beer etc , now as far a how much sugar to add depends on 2 different things, first of all what brew is it , just as a bitter only wants a small fizz and a lager will require a good fizz and secound if its in glass bottles you can add a reasonable (not lots) of sugar for a good fizz where as plastic kegs can't handle as much so less sugar is required . Now if its a lager then you really should (glass) bottle it as a keg can't handle the amount of c02 thats wanted where a ipa or bitter etc is fine in kegs , so if its a keg you could use 85g or as much as 120g of sugar if its a king keg and if you have lager in bottles then you may want to use as much as 200g of sugar (all is for a 23l batch) so thats between 5 to 10 g per litre depending on your beer , hope that helps and p.s i think DME is better for plastic kegs use g for g as same as sugar :

 

[graysalchemy]

The best way to prime you bottles is to batch prime. Basically you are adding the sugar in bulk then bottling. First you have to determine how much beer you have in litres. Then you need to work out how much fizz you want, I use 5-6g per Litre for ale and 7g per litre for cider (and probably lager if I did it). You then need to multiply you dosage rate by volume example 30l of beer x 5 = 150g of sugar. Now mix this sugar in a little hot water to dissolve and place it in the bottom of a clean sterilized bucket or spare FV. Now you need to transfer your beer carefully into this clean Fv and give it a gentle stir with a sterilized spoon. Now you have beer ready primed, all you now have to do is bottle. This way it doesn't matter if you have bottles of differing sizes, as long as it is well mixed each bottle will be perfect.

Once they are all bottled leave for a week at 18-21c then leave somewhere cool for about a month and you should have perfectly carbonated beer.

:thumb: :thumb:

 

[BrotherMalice]

I think it was a bitter that I made but I cant really remember but the whole experience put me off till now, the beer was pretty grim as well Cant remember how much sugar I used either so I guess it may well have been down to that, I think it may well have been a geordie kit so whatever yeast was in the tin would have been used and it was definately normal sugar that I used, have used 50% brewing sugar and 50% light malt extract this time so hopefully I will have better results :)

This forum is a fantastic resource, thanks for all the advice in various threads so far :)

I am brewing an IPA at the moment and do not really want a fizzy beer but would like it to have a decent head when poured, would it be worth fitting a gas injection system to the keg and using these in it:

http://home-brew-online.myshopify.c...t/products/no2-nitrous-oxide-bulbs-pack-of-10

Very new to all this and have millions of questions, just trying not to ask them all at the same time!

 

[pittsy]

yes i would , follow instructuons for batch priming then only when beer slows or stops flowing out of keg use a bulb to refresh pressure

 

[jonnymorris]

...would it be worth fitting a gas injection system to the keg and using these in it...

You may struggle to get it all out of your barrel if you don't. I tend to use at least one bulb about half way through the barrel.

 

[BrotherMalice]

Would you suggest Co2 or nitrogen?

 

[BrotherMalice]

Am thiking bout staying away from the barrell now, thinking plastic bottles till I can afford glass ones, does the beer "work" better in a keg or bottles?

 

[pittsy]

bottles for sure if lager etc

 

[BrotherMalice]

brewing IPA at the moment, not sure what will be next though, prob not lager though...

 

[graysalchemy]

Start collecting glass bottles, visit the bottle, befriend the barman ( or barmaid) in your local. Once you find a reliable source you will have bottles coming out of your ears. :lol: :lol: