Bottling Soon Yay!!!!!

[ucflumberjack]

this weekend im going to bottle 5 gallons Stout, 5 Gallons brown ale, and possibly 3 gallons cyser.

(im excited and had to tell somebody since my girlfriend and my room mates dont care)

i do have a question though, they are both partial mash kits from the local brew shop and the recipes both say to use 3/4# corn sugar for priming.....

i want the stout to be slightly less carbonated,

and i am considering using brown sugar for priming the brown ale(its actually "hazelnut brown ale").

should i use the same amount of brown sugar as i would use corn sugar?

should i just follow directions and carbonate the stout with what the recipe says?
(if its undercarbonated will it still be drinkable?)

 

[ucflumberjack]

also should i age it(after its done carbonating) in my fridgerator or at room temp(70-80F)?

 

[kace069]

I'm not 100% here but I don't think Brown Sugar is 100% fermentable, it may leave some residual sweetness in the brew. I have only used it in cider musts. I would suggest either regualar corn sugar or just plain table sugar for priming.
I typically let my beer age at room temp after carbonating, But I have a basement and come winter time it will hang around 50 degrees. I am big on cellar temps for aging and drinking beer so my view is a little slanted.

Undercarbonated beer is drinkable, but you won't really be happy with it. Not as happy as if were fully carbonated. Nothing I love more than flat beer. ;D

I have always went with 3/4 cup and been happy. Maybe measure it out and then remove a tablespoon or so.

BTW, Let your cyser bulk age for as long as you can stand it. This year I am hoping that I will be able to sit on a batch for a year before bottling. Guess it all depends on how badly I need the carboy space.

 

[Angus]

ucflumberjack,

Couple of quick questions. Why do you want the Stout undercarbonated? Guinness is highly carbonated with Nitrogen, which gives it that creamy mouthfeel. Short of buying a Nitrogen system, you will have to make do with natural carbonation. Personally, I would stick with the 3/4 cup of corn sugar, or a little less, to get the 1.7 to 2.3 CO2 level for this style of beer.

Are you looking to add some flavor from the brown sugar? If not, then use corn sugar. If yes, then are you going for more of a British Nut Brown result? This style is usually lower in CO2 volume, around the 1.5 to 2.0, so 3/4 cup of brown sugar may give you what you want. A little less if you are using corn sugar.

Hope this helps,

Angus

 

[HomeBrew]

ucflumberjack,

I agree with you wanting to keep the carbonation level lower in stouts. The mouthfeel of higher carbonation levels just doesn't mesh well with the style, imo. You can get away with higher gas volumes if you are using nitrogen, but the nitrogen produces smaller bubbles than CO2 so you don't lose any smoothness. FWIW, I keep my levels at 2 to 2.25 volumes for stouts, porters and brown ales. The rather loose "3/4 cup to 5 gallons" rule is fine for most brews, but you do lose some of the style characteristics if you do not carbonate appropriately.

Brown sugar is a viable option for priming. Most people consider it 1:1 replacement for corn sugar (same fermentability). The brown sugar will affect your flavor due to the fact that it is not fully processed. You may or may not like the flavor that it imparts. Most brewers stick with corn or table sugar due to the fact that it ferments well and has no affect on flavor. Personally, I have never bottled with brown sugar...I like to add any flavor contributers during mashing, boiling or secondary and limit priming to gas production only.

As for measuring the volume of sugar to add, I like to use weight measurements instead of volume. I find that I get more accurate and consistent results this way. Brewing software like Beersmith or Promash have built in calculators that are really handy for determing the amount of priming sugar needed. If you don't have the software, free demos are available on line. You can also check out this link for information: http://www.bossbeer.org/tips/priming_primer.html

I should mention that I usually do not account for the dissolved CO2 in my beer before priming. Between racking, sugar addition, mild stirring and bottle filling, most of the CO2 should be liberated. The exception would be if I am bottling early or if my secondary temps are low (<65F).

As far as ageing after carbonation, cooler temps mean better stability and longer shelf life. If your basement temps are under 70F, it is probably good for as long as your beer will last...Which will not be long if it is yummy. If you choose to store in the fridge, be sure that you are okay with your carbonation levels before dropping the temp. Regardless of where you choose to store the brew, keep the temp as consistent as possible until you are ready to chill and drink...Temperature fluctuations can wreak havoc on beer flavors.

Peace.

 

[ucflumberjack]

the cyser has cleared completely and there is a small amount of sediment, should i rack again to get off teh sediment or is it ok? its in a 3 gallon carboy and i only have one so if i rack it it will beinto something with way to much headspace so which creates more of a problem, aging on some sediment or aging with headspace?

 

[ucflumberjack]

the gravity of teh beer is 1.02 is that about normal for stout final gravity? or did the yeasties die out to early?