Bulk priming

[Marty]

Hi all,

I'm thinking of bulk priming my current batch. Everywhere I have read, it says to rack and then bulk prime. I don't rack my beers. Can I just add sugar to my primary fermenter, stir (using sterilised spoon) and then bottle? Also, what's a good guide to the amount of sugar to use?

Thanks

Marty

[wombat]

don't add it to your primary and stir it up cause you'll mix up all your sediment.

bulk priming:
dissolve 180g dextrose into 500ml of boiling water and pour it into a second sterilized fermenter. then add your fermenter beer from your primary fermenter into your secondary and mix with your sterilized paddle during the process. now simply fill up your bottles, they're primed. too easy.

poor man's bulk priming:
first purchase a 25ml (or largest possible) syringe tube from the chemist and then dissolve 180g dextrose into 500ml of boiling water in a jug. next, prepare to bottle as per usual but divide your 500ml of priming solution up between 23L of beer (so, 500/23000). now, just before you fill your bottles up with beer, inject some of your solution into them to prime them. should be just over 17ml for an 800ml ([500/23000]*800), just over 16ml for a 750ml ([500/23000]*750) etc.

hope that helps.
-wombat

[Dogger Dan]

Wombat,

That is the most excellent way to do it I have ever heard. Two thumbs up, you have given me the way to prime off my extra 2 to 4 Litres when kegging into 19 Litres. 5 gallons US are not the same as 5 gallons Imperial.


And me using those 50 cc syringes as squirt guns on the dog, what was I thinking

Dogger

[Longbeach Brewer]

I used the syringe method when I had to RE prime two batches of stubbies, (120 of the little bastards...) and this was the only way to do it or the beer would foam out the top if I tried to add straight sugar...
But I much prefer to bulk prime, saves time, less messy, don't have to "shake" the bottles to dissolve the sugar, man I'll never go back!
Chris

[Marty]

So, is it at all possible to bulk prime without racking first? As far as strirring up sediment, with a sediment reducer on the tap will I get much sediment through?

Marty

[Longbeach Brewer]

The sediment reducer is only going to stop the sediment beneath the tap from getting in your bottles. If you stir the bottom up, it'll all just get sucked out through your tap and you'll end up drinking it. Not that there's anything wrong with that, but you know, nobody really needs to drink a muddy beer...
The effort required to rack and bulk prime, versus individually priming upto 60 stubbies by hand before filling, makes this question a no brainer. Just get out and get yourself a second fermenter and be done with it.
I promise you Marty, you will never look back! Good luck.
Chris