To prime or not to prime; that is the question........

[AndyBWood]

Evening All,

I’ve been reading Wheeler’s BYOBRA and have a question regarding priming. Wheeler quotes; “it should not be necessary to prime {and fine} bottled beers”

Wheeler recommends transferring the fermented product to ‘cask’, leaving for several weeks and then bottling at this point.

What I don’t quite follow is if the beer is well past fermentation by this phase what is to stop it deteriorating in the bottle if no CO2 is being produced ?

So, are you a primer or a non-primer ?

Cheers

A

 

[Baz Chaz]

I'm prime at low rates, batch priming as little as 40g (and never been more than 90g) for 23 ltr and there's still a 'smoking gun' and a hiss as the bottles are opened, the beer itself has a head but not much 'fizz' :

 

[Dunfie]

I read that too when I first started - I ended up with flat beer.

You should experiment with the levels of carbonation that suit you. I would just be wary that by not priming you run the risk of the beer having no condition (or at least very little).

 

[Newtons Shed]

As dunfi says trial and error to see what suits you. I think what wheeler was saying is for an all grain beer properly conditioned there should still be fermentable sugers left over to corbonate the bottle it just takes that much longer as its slower as the fermentables are harder for the yeast to convert it. I have no primed bottles that were aprox 8 months bottled condition and were lightly corbonated as should be it did feel more rounded less harsh compared to a primed bottle that had been opened at aprox 1 month

 

[ScottM]

I always prime, lagers and ciders to the max, but I hold back on the stouts. Only really looking for a head production with those beers. I also use an extra cold tumbler, one with the etching on it to agitate CO2. Using these with stouts and the likes gets all the CO2 out at the beginning leaving you with a cracking head with next to no fizz. Ideal :)

 

[AndyBWood]

Thanks All,

What about the infection risk though ???

If non primed bottles only condition slowly is there a risk ? :wha:

Cheers

A

 

[Dunfie]

Thanks All,

What about the infection risk though ???

If non primed bottles only condition slowly is there a risk ? :wha:

Cheers

A

As long as the bottles and caps are sterile then you will be fine.

 

[ScottM]

Thanks All,

What about the infection risk though ???

If non primed bottles only condition slowly is there a risk ? :wha:

Cheers

A

Yeah I doubt that would be the case. Oxidation is probably more likely. With a small head space I guess it would be minimal though, there will always be some CO2, even when not priming.

 

[Maffa]

sorry, beginners question. More priming sugar in bottles = more fizz in beer?

Just checking as the wife complains that although the beer is tasty, it seems fairly flat. If I wanted a more fizzy, pint then 2 teaspoons to prime a 500ml bottle? or 80-100g for 23 ltr batch prime?

 

[WelshPaul]

sorry, beginners question. More priming sugar in bottles = more fizz in beer?

Just checking as the wife complains that although the beer is tasty, it seems fairly flat. If I wanted a more fizzy, pint then 2 teaspoons to prime a 500ml bottle? or 80-100g for 23 ltr batch prime?

The generally accepted amount for most beers is approximately 5g per litre. Lagers, weizens and bocks can have a little more added.

 

[graysalchemy]

sorry, beginners question. More priming sugar in bottles = more fizz in beer?

Just checking as the wife complains that although the beer is tasty, it seems fairly flat. If I wanted a more fizzy, pint then 2 teaspoons to prime a 500ml bottle? or 80-100g for 23 ltr batch prime?

two teaspons would be more likely to be 12g a litre so way to much. better batch priming at 5g/l :thumb:

 

[Maffa]

Ok, that explains the kegg'd beer being less fizzy than the bottles. I think I'm spot on with the bottles but a bit under in the keg. Thanks Guys

 

[Baz Chaz]

sorry, beginners question. More priming sugar in bottles = more fizz in beer?

Just checking as the wife complains that although the beer is tasty, it seems fairly flat. If I wanted a more fizzy, pint then 2 teaspoons to prime a 500ml bottle? or 80-100g for 23 ltr batch prime?

two teaspons would be more likely to be 12g a litre so way to much. better batch priming at 5g/l :thumb:

...... but it wouldn't half be fizzy :lol:

For your first session of priming bottles why not do some @ 5g/l and a few @ 3g/l and compare them, easy enough to mark the bottle caps, then you can see which you prefer :idea:

 

[Maffa]

For your first session of priming bottles why not do some @ 5g/l and a few @ 3g/l and compare them, easy enough to mark the bottle caps, then you can see which you prefer :idea:

I'm more than happy with the fizz in the bottles, its the keg that has been down on gas - prolly just need to up the sugar in the keg in future :thumb:

 

[brewtim]

If you are using a keg/barrel for secondary fermentation and then plan to drink (or bottle) from that keg once conditioned then according to GW advice I would have thought that priming would be unnecessary if you racked from the Primary before fermentation had fully completed.

I am only brewing from kits at the moment but after reading GW's book I have just racked a St Peters Ruby to a Wilko barrel with gravity at 1.016 after 7 days in the FV (1.014 and below in the instructions for checking FG stability), I'm keeping it at fermenting temp until FG is reached and stabilised, then move it to the cool for at 2-3 weeks before starting to drinki or bottling.

I've done this to get it off the yeast cake and produce a final clearer result, hopefully. The fermentation has a little way to go and I'm expecting there to be some carbonation without needing to prime. I released some gas after 24 hours to clear remaining Oxygen and check pressure and there is plenty of CO2 pressure as expected.

I can also pressurise the Wilko barrel if I need to with more CO2.

Anyone any views on this method, GW seems to suggest that moving the beer to a Secondary pressure keg/barrel shortly after initial fermentation is the way to go and doesn't need priming (although it's not spelled out in his text)?

 

[Hawks]

I don't bottle much these days - it goes into cornies, and if there's a bit left I'll fill a few odd bottles. I don't prime these at all and have never had a flat one. They do get left for a long time to condition though - 3 months at the minimum I would say.