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adding priming sugar
I am brewing my first batch of beer, I started out with 5 gallons, and during the first fermentaion I lost about a gallon. I was wondering if I still add 3/4 cups of priming sugar to the batch or do I add less?
I am not sure what the technical answer to this is, but the second batch I brewed I didn't top off to 5 gallons and lost a bit racking to the bottling bucket. I added 3/4 cup of priming sugar to a little less than 4 gallons and it carbonated just fine.
I'm with BrewRob on this one. My first batch lost about a gallon and I still used 3/4 cup of priming sugar and had no problems at all. If you are really concerned, you can probably reduce that to 2/3 and still be OK (if this is wrong and somebody knows it, feel free to correct me).
How.... exactly... did you lose a gallon? I can see SOME being lost to trub, even if you use two stage fermentation, but the most I have ever lost was a 1/2 gallon. I just don't see how you lost 20% of your beer, even with the yeast cake.
Even when I had 4 1/2 gallons, I still used 3/4 cup of corn sugar anyway.
I think I had the hose to low and it was sucking out the fluid. When I pulled the hose out to just bellow the neck it stopped taking the liquid out. This happened in the night while I was sleeping, so I didn't get to it until it had taken out so much.
cubx wrote:
How.... exactly... did you lose a gallon? I can see SOME being lost to trub, even if you use two stage fermentation, but the most I have ever lost was a 1/2 gallon. I just don't see how you can lost 20% of your beer, even with the yeast cake.
Even when I had 4 1/2 gallons, I still used 3/4 cup of corn sugar anyway.
When I lost a gallon it was simply because I didn't replace the water that was boiled off. Also, I spilled some of the water I was using (I use bottled water as I really don't like my home water - just a personal preference). It was a newbie mistake to not buy 6 gallons to make up for boil-off...
that one girl wrote:
I think I had the hose to low and it was sucking out the fluid. When I pulled the hose out to just bellow the neck it stopped taking the liquid out. This happened in the night while I was sleeping, so I didn't get to it until it had taken out so much.
I am not sure I undertsand what you mean by this. Are you referring to your blow off tube? If so, there is no reason why it should have been IN the liquid. If you are talking about your racking tube, why did you leave it in overnight while you were sleeping?
I'm talking about my blow off tube. Sorry I don't have the lingo down so good yet.
Don't worry about the lingo gal, it'll come to ya.
You want your blow off tub close to the top of your primer lid, which ever your using, glass or plastic, not in the wort.
As your brew ferments it creates gas, which builds up pressure, thats has to go
some place.
I'm surprised it didn't blow the lid off and make a great big mess, instead it pushed the wort out of the blow off tube.
You might want to back off on the sugar, to be on the safe side.
I don't really see much danger in using all the sugar. Up to you really.
Don't forget to boil the sugar in about a cup and a half of water for a few minutes before you bottle.
For now, if your using boxed kits, go with an airlock, you don't need a blow off tub for a boxed recipe kit, unless it's a wheat.
Boxed recipe kits
http://store.brewhut.com/index.asp?Page … tegory=223
I'm still fairly new to the hobby myself, so take my advice at your own risk.
Welcome to the board, and the hobby.
A few things. As has been discussed before, during fermentation, yeast consumes the fermentable sugars found in the base malts and converts it to co2 and alcohol. The only gas coming off the process is co2, unless you count the homebrew gas in the morning. 
This has been mentioned 100x, but I will say it again, because I want there to be no confusion, and I will put it in CAPS. DO NOT RELY ON YOUR AIRLOCK TO DETERMINE IF FERMENTATION IS DONE. THAT IS NOT A GOOD INDICATOR. FERMETATION IS MICROSCOPIC, AND CAN LAST DAYS BEYOND WHAT YOU SEE IN THE AIRLOCK. Use your hydrometer. (end of yelling)
Your fermentation should never blow off the tube if you use the typical 1" diameter version. I have had some serious fermentations and never once has my tube shot off. My airlocks have though. If in fact your fermenter is blowing off a 1" tube, there is something else going on. Seriously.
I must take a different side with boiling your sugar, obviously before bottling. There is no point in boiling it before adding to the BOIL, since it will be BOILING anyway... duh. While I have read that Papazian and Palmer recommend it (although I never saw that), I never once did, and had good results. I'm not dogging those who do it, I'm just saying you should try both ways. I don't find it necessary and an extra step.
My opinion is that boiling is not necessary. But those who swear by it and have had good results, I won't argue. I have had great results by using it straight.
As for when you need a blow off tube... well, Marv is on the right track. I have to give him credit. The type of wheat depends. It really depends on your grain bill. If you make a krystalweiss (??), which is a clear wheat beer, you may not need one. If you have 40% or less in your grain bill, you probably won't need it there either. If you have 60% or more, or use REAL FRUIT, not extract, then you need it! Fruit will clog your airlock, no question.
Marv gives some good ideas. He can be taught!
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