Beer Forum

Alright I bottled an ESB 2 weeks ago with 2.4 ounces of cane sugar and left it to condition at 55 degrees. I pour a bottle in a glass, and the beer is flat.
Did I not add enough cane sugar?
Did I condition it too cold? Should I warm it up?

Help would be much appreciated. I plan to enter this into a competition and it will be tough to win anything without my beer having a head.

warm them little gems up around the upper 60's for a week and then let us know what has gone on

Already ahead of ya, I turned my temperature controller up to 68. I'll keep ya updated.

Hmm... I remember one bottling day when I realized I didn't have any dextrose and my LHBS was closed.

I seem to remember asking my brewing mentor if I could just use table sugar and I was told no... although I don't recall why. I just seem to remember being told I needed dextrose or DME.

Maybe it was because of the complexity of cane sugar. I don't know. I'm not a doctor.

No, I've been told that you can prime with cane sugar. Many people have told me they have tried it with success. It even has a sucrose priming option on homebrew formulator.

How may gallons did you prime? 2.4oz. seems a little low.

But my guess is that your temp is to low. Bring it up to room temp. 68-72 and give it a week or two.

Do you have any carbonation at all? Did the bottle hiss when you cracked it?

table sugar is fine for priming...
Some people think that table sugar gives off flavors, they are on crack.
BUB

bub wrote:table sugar is fine for priming...
Some people think that table sugar gives off flavors, they are on crack.
BUB

AH HAH! So it is you! (I think qualifies as admission, my brewing brothas)... Bub is Mr. Table Sugga.

Table sugar does add some flavor. However, in the small amounts used in priming - it is probably not a big deal. If you have a very clean, simple beer I would not recommend table sugar. Corn sugar flavor is more subtle. You have to get up to 15-20 of fermentables before you get a lot of character from refined sugars.


Mylo