Using DME for priming

[brewsters millionths]

if you know where your FG is going to be you don't even have to prime, just stop and bottle/keg a few points before FG is reached and let it carbonate naturally.

[newbiebrew]

I plan to do an experiment with various priming methods once I can brew again (I'll be moving shortly). In this experiment I want to see for myself the difference between table sugar, corn sugar, DME and kraeusen. Until then I don't have further facts to continue this discussion.

I particularily prefer bottling with kraeusen since it doesn't change the recipe of the beer and guarantees fast carbonation.

Kai

Please post the results of your experiment. All this discussion has gotten me very curious to know if there is any noticable differences. Maybe try doing one with prime tabs too.

[brewsters millionths]

just read in an old brewing book that a method used by some old school brewers is (sterility must be important this way though) draw off 5% of the wort you make before adding yeast and keep in a sealed jar or bottle for use as priming later. simple for all of us really and you don't need to worry what effect your priming material will have as it's tha same wort you're using anyway. could easily just keep some more for your starter next time around. kept in the fridge.

[Push Eject]

You have to forgive Kai, Danno. He's really, really German. And although he rubbed me the wrong way at first, he grows on you like a fungus.

[Denny]

Have you ever primed beers with DME ?

Kai

Years ago, I did an experiement priming with table sugar, corn sugar, DME, honey, force carbing...I think maybe there were even 1 or 2 other things. I tried to match the carbonation levels as much as possible and gave the beers 2 months for the CO2 to go into solution. At a blind tasting, no one could tell which was which or had a preference for any over any other. The "myth" is that DME gives you "finer bubbles", but that's because it takes longer for DME to ferment out and go into solution than sugar. Given enough time, there will be no difference. And you use so little of any of them to prime that they have no impact on taste.

[seanhagerty]

That settles that!!

[Kaiser]

Well,

The experiment I mentioned earlier is coming along. I brewed a batch of my favorite APA. After primary fermenation the beer was dry hopped for 10 days at 50F. Then I bottled 3L each with different priming agents:

table sugar,
corn sugar,
dme,
speise (unfermented wort from brew day)
kraeusen (actively fermenting wort from brew day)

Currently the beer is conditioning in bottles and I hope that the 10 days at 50F didn't settle out to much yeast as only one batch of bottles had new yeast added to it. I assume that I have to let them sit at 68F for about 4 weeks, then plan to send one of each bottles to the Brewcasters so they can taste them blind. To facilitate that the assignment of letters (A-E) has been done randomly. The batch that has been primed with Kraeusen can already go to the beer fridge after one week since it will be fully carbonated by that time.

It is not that I don't believe Denny or the others that have conducted this experiment already, but I just want to see for myself.

Kai

[jaydub]

Excellent work! Thanks for following up on the earlier discussion, Kai. I'll be curious to hear the outcome.