I finally got to try my first batch of home brew. It is a west coast
pale ale with the Mr. Beer kit. After cracking open the first bottle i
noticed that it had little too no head after pouring into a glass, and a
seltzer water taste to it. I let it ferment for 2 weeks at around 66°
F. and primed the bottles with the specified amount of regular table
sugar and let them sit for 1 week at around 66° as well. And then cold
conditioned the beer in a mini frig for two weeks. At the bottom of the
empty bottle was a deposit of sugar. Does the sugar normally settle out
during carbonation in the bottles or should it be fully dissolved?

Phil wrote:[color=blue]
> I finally got to try my first batch of home brew. It is a west coast
> pale ale with the Mr. Beer kit. After cracking open the first bottle i
> noticed that it had little too no head after pouring into a glass, and a
> seltzer water taste to it. I let it ferment for 2 weeks at around 66°
> F. and primed the bottles with the specified amount of regular table
> sugar and let them sit for 1 week at around 66° as well. And then cold
> conditioned the beer in a mini frig for two weeks. At the bottom of the
> empty bottle was a deposit of sugar. Does the sugar normally settle out
> during carbonation in the bottles or should it be fully dissolved?[/color]


It should dissolve.
Most people find that adding priming sugar directly to the bottle is
fraught with hazard. A better method is to rack to a 'bottling bucket',
stir in the priming sugar thoroughly (but without splashing) then bottle
from there.

Your next will be better.

Sam.

The problem might be "regular table suger". Try priming sugar next time.


"Sam Wigand" <brewer@_REMOVE_redactive.demon.co.uk> wrote in message
news:drb2r7$kgc$1$8302bc10@news.demon.co.uk...[color=blue]
> Phil wrote:[color=green]
>> I finally got to try my first batch of home brew. It is a west coast
>> pale ale with the Mr. Beer kit. After cracking open the first bottle i
>> noticed that it had little too no head after pouring into a glass, and a
>> seltzer water taste to it. I let it ferment for 2 weeks at around 66°
>> F. and primed the bottles with the specified amount of regular table
>> sugar and let them sit for 1 week at around 66° as well. And then cold
>> conditioned the beer in a mini frig for two weeks. At the bottom of the
>> empty bottle was a deposit of sugar. Does the sugar normally settle out
>> during carbonation in the bottles or should it be fully dissolved?[/color]
>
>
> It should dissolve.
> Most people find that adding priming sugar directly to the bottle is
> fraught with hazard. A better method is to rack to a 'bottling bucket',
> stir in the priming sugar thoroughly (but without splashing) then bottle
> from there.
>
> Your next will be better.
>
> Sam.[/color]

[color=blue]
> ... primed the bottles with the specified amount of regular table
> sugar and let them sit for 1 week at around 66F as well. And then cold
> conditioned the beer in a mini frig for two weeks. ...[/color]

It's possible that the beer didn't carbonate in 1 week at 66F. Table
sugar will take a little bit longer than corn sugar (but does just as
well). I'd warm them up to the high 60s again until the carbonation is
right. In the future, I'd allow AT LEAST 2 weeks for carbonation (tho'
it usually will be done sooner).

[color=blue]
> ... At the bottom of the
> empty bottle was a deposit of sugar. Does the sugar normally settle out
> during carbonation in the bottles or should it be fully dissolved?[/color]

As the other poster said, prime in a bottling bucket, about 4 oz by weight
for 5 gallons. Boil the sugar in a little water to dissolve first and
stir it in gently. Never heard of sugar in the bottom before... are
you sure it was sugar and not yeast. It is normal for homebrew to have
yeast on the bottom of the bottles... Taste the sediment to see if it
is sugar or yeast... When you pour, just leave a tad of beer in the
bottle so that you disturb it as little as possible.

Derric

On Thu, 26 Jan 2006 17:30:37 GMT, Phil <pkifer@earthlink.net> wrote:
[color=blue]
>I finally got to try my first batch of home brew. It is a west coast
>pale ale with the Mr. Beer kit. After cracking open the first bottle i
>noticed that it had little too no head after pouring into a glass, and a
>seltzer water taste to it. I let it ferment for 2 weeks at around 66°
>F. and primed the bottles with the specified amount of regular table
>sugar and let them sit for 1 week at around 66° as well. And then cold
>conditioned the beer in a mini frig for two weeks. At the bottom of the
>empty bottle was a deposit of sugar. Does the sugar normally settle out
>during carbonation in the bottles or should it be fully dissolved?[/color]
Sounds to me the sugar never dissolved. Too cold for it. That's a
further reason to make a sugar syrup by boiling 5 minutes or so in
about a cup of water, then adding it to the wort as it's being racked
into whatever you're bottling from. Rule of thumb is 3/4 cup corn
sugar, or a bit less of table sugar per 5 gals. I usually adjust
that, tho, if I didn't get quite the 5 gals. I was shooting for,
and/or if I want a little less CO2. I've had very good results with
just 1/2 cup corn sugar.

--
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Brian wrote:[color=blue]
> The problem might be "regular table suger". Try priming sugar next time.
>
>
> "Sam Wigand" <brewer@_REMOVE_redactive.demon.co.uk> wrote in message
> news:drb2r7$kgc$1$8302bc10@news.demon.co.uk...
>[color=green]
>>Phil wrote:
>>[color=darkred]
>>>I finally got to try my first batch of home brew. It is a west coast
>>>pale ale with the Mr. Beer kit. After cracking open the first bottle i
>>>noticed that it had little too no head after pouring into a glass, and a
>>>seltzer water taste to it. I let it ferment for 2 weeks at around 66°
>>>F. and primed the bottles with the specified amount of regular table
>>>sugar and let them sit for 1 week at around 66° as well. And then cold
>>>conditioned the beer in a mini frig for two weeks. At the bottom of the
>>>empty bottle was a deposit of sugar. Does the sugar normally settle out
>>>during carbonation in the bottles or should it be fully dissolved?[/color]
>>
>>
>>It should dissolve.
>>Most people find that adding priming sugar directly to the bottle is
>>fraught with hazard. A better method is to rack to a 'bottling bucket',
>>stir in the priming sugar thoroughly (but without splashing) then bottle
>>from there.
>>
>>Your next will be better.
>>
>>Sam.[/color]
>
>
>[/color]

Regular table sugar (sucrose) works fine for me. I dissolve it in a
little boiling water first. It imparts no colour or flavour.

S.

> Phil wrote:[color=blue][color=green]
>> I finally got to try my first batch of home brew. It is a west coast
>> pale ale with the Mr. Beer kit. After cracking open the first bottle i
>> noticed that it had little too no head after pouring into a glass, and a
>> seltzer water taste to it. I let it ferment for 2 weeks at around 66°
>> F. and primed the bottles with the specified amount of regular table
>> sugar and let them sit for 1 week at around 66° as well. And then cold
>> conditioned the beer in a mini frig for two weeks. At the bottom of the
>> empty bottle was a deposit of sugar. Does the sugar normally settle out
>> during carbonation in the bottles or should it be fully dissolved?[/color]
>
>
> It should dissolve.
> Most people find that adding priming sugar directly to the bottle is
> fraught with hazard. A better method is to rack to a 'bottling bucket',
> stir in the priming sugar thoroughly (but without splashing) then bottle
> from there.[/color]

I only tried a bottling bucket once, never again. It goes against my grain
to stir your brew after fermenting. I keg my brews these days, but there is
always enough left over to bottle around 6 stubbies. I have used normal
sugar in my bottles for years, but have recently gone over to using
carbonation drops. Look a bit likes sweets. One for a stubbie, and 2 for a
longneck.