I was reading online some suggestions to carbonate the batch of beer before bottling, and would like to get some details on quantities and method. I do love my home brewed beer, but I don't like the dregs in the bottle from adding sugar for carbonation before bottling.
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2The amount of dregs will be less if you get better at making wort with less solids in it, such as break material. Using a high flocculating yeast, an extended (14 day) primary, and a cold crash will leave less yeast in suspension. All this adds up (or subtracts) to less solids in the bottle. Thats just my advice, not an answer to the question. – brewchez Jan 30 '12 at 0:31
To carbonate the batch, you need a sealed container that can withstand at least 60psi pressure. Many homebrewers use 5 gallon corny kegs. These are stainless containers, rated to 125psi and make it easy to either prime and naturally carbonate, or to force carbonate from a CO2 tank. Once carbonated, any sediment can be poured off in the first glass or two.
Most just leave it there and serve directly from the keg - but if you want to then bottle the beer, for taking to parties etc., you can do that using a counter pressure bottle filler/"beer gun", either bought or home made.
All in all, the kegs, disconnects, CO2 tank etc.. can end up costing upwards of $150 so this isn't a cheap option. But after bottling a couple of batches you might feel that life's too short to bottle, and the ease and convenience of kegging justifies the expense.
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1Yep, if you really can't stand the sediment in the bottles the ONLY way to get around that is to force carbonate a keg with C02, and then use a beer gun device to fill the bottles. – Graham Jan 30 '12 at 14:01
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Couldn't he avoid buying the CO2 and regulator by naturally carbonating in a keg? Then he'd just need the bottling apparatus. – Dustin Rasener Feb 1 '12 at 23:31
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yes, he could, and I mention natural carbonation in my answer. But unless you've got a very tight fitting lid, you usually need a burst of co2 to hold the lid in place initially to get a hermetic seal - or the natural carb just leaks out. – mdma Feb 1 '12 at 23:42
There is no way to avoid sediment in bottles if you prime your beer, whether you do it in bulk or per bottle. I prefer doing it in bulk. On average, I used 1 oz. of sugar for each gal. of beer. You can adjust that for your desired level of carbonation. Boil the sugar with as little water as possible. I usually use around a cup. Add it to the bottling bucket and rack your beer on to it. That helps with mixing it thoroughly. Give it a gentle stir with a sanitized spoon. Don't stir so hard that you add air to the beer. Bottle as normal.
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I'm pretty sure the OP asked about bulk carbonation not bulk priming – Dustin Rasener Feb 1 '12 at 23:32
As an alternative, there is an Australian company that makes a special cap that traps the sediment:
http://sedexbrewing.com/index.html
I haven't used them myself, but there is a YouTube review here
If you google "priming sugar calculator" (I believe its Tastybrew.com) has a simple priming sugar calculator, and you can customize by BJCP style. For instance a porter is going to have less carbonation than a weiss, which will have less than a saison. You will need a kitchen scale, but these are a GREAT pickup even if you brew seldomly.
Also, I DO NOT CARE what all the forums say, I can tell the difference between beer primed with corn sugar (glucose - simpler sugar) and beers primed with table sugar (sucrose - more complex chain). Have not done a straight side by side, so it could have been another process flaw. All I know is the two beers I primed with cane sugar were the worst I made and were not carbed properly.
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1Try splitting a batch and priming 1/2 with corn sugar and 1/2 with cane. Be sure to use 5% more cane. Wait 4-6 weeks, then do a blind triangle tasting. If you can tell which is which at that point, I'll buy ya a beer! – Denny Conn Jan 31 '12 at 23:53
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