Residual Sugars and Bottling---Must we add sugar?

[The Grand Yordle]

Hey there! So 2 weeks ago I brewed my first batch of beer using dry extracts. I plan on bottling (possibly tomorrow!) depending on what my final gravity reading is. However, from what I've read, it appears most people will add a "priming sugar" right before getting ready to bottle. The concern out there regarding final gravity is, if the residual sugar and the priming sugar combined is too great, then there could be bottle bombs. On the other hand, not having enough sugar can result in lack of carbonation in your finished product.

My question is (for my next batch), if I calculate how much residual sugar there would be say, 3 or 4 days prior to my final gravity reading, can those sugars be used to generate carbonation, thus eliminating the need to add a priming sugar altogether?

On an extension to that, does anyone do that now?

 

[The Grand Yordle]

Oh, and here's the recipe I used for what it's worth. I got it from a local homebrew supply store!
http://www.brewersfriend.com/homebrew/r ... erican-ipa

 

[Ozarks Mountain Brewery]

if you ferment correctly, there shouldn't be any sugar in the wort after fermentation which is why you add sugar to carbonate, wait until fermentation stops, 7 to 10 days and you shouldn't have to worry

recipe is fine, should be tasty! ... but one suggestion since your starting gravity is 1.064 you will need a starter or 2 yeast for that gravity

 

[sbaclimber]

My question is (for my next batch), if I calculate how much residual sugar there would be say, 3 or 4 days prior to my final gravity reading, can those sugars be used to generate carbonation, thus eliminating the need to add a priming sugar altogether?

The short answer, yes.
The long answer, see the reply from OMB.
I had some serious issues with much higher than expected attenuation with WLP007, with the fermentation continuing well after bottling. In an attempt at preventing gushers, I tried bottling w/o priming sugar. It only partially worked... :?
As OMB said, if you have your fermentation 100% under control, then it should be done by the time you bottle. At the same time, if you have it that far under control, you *can* theoretically bottle just before fermentation has finished.
BUT!!! Remember, by bottling, you are pulling the beer off the yeast. So any further fermentation in the bottle afterwards will be somewhat more unpredictable...or at least take longer.

 

[The Grand Yordle]

if you ferment correctly, there shouldn't be any sugar in the wort after fermentation which is why you add sugar to carbonate, wait until fermentation stops, 7 to 10 days and you shouldn't have to worry

recipe is fine, should be tasty! ... but one suggestion since your starting gravity is 1.064 you will need a starter or 2 yeast for that gravity

Thanks for your input! Unfortunately I already started this so I can't do a starter hehe. The fermentation started 14 days ago from now. Tomorrow I'm getting a refractometer in the mail, and since I failed to take an original gravity reading, I'm going to use that and a hydrometer to estimate my original gravity with a calculator/converter I found online. Hopefully it'll be close to my recipe and if it's ready I'll bottle this weekend!

 

[Ozarks Mountain Brewery]

if you had this fermenting for 14 days it should be done, unless your trying to settle the solids in the same vessel, I don't recommend that for an ipa. I would say start bottling any day now and condition in the bottles

most fermentations actually only last 5 days, the rest is just trying to get things to drop to the bottom and keep your wort clear, any time after that will only give you 1 or 2 points lower in gravity

 

[The Grand Yordle]

if you had this fermenting for 14 days it should be done, unless your trying to settle the solids in the same vessel, I don't recommend that for an ipa. I would say start bottling any day now and condition in the bottles

most fermentations actually only last 5 days, the rest is just trying to get things to drop to the bottom and keep your wort clear, any time after that will only give you 1 or 2 points lower in gravity

Wow that quick? I haven't been taking readings yet, today will be the first day, but that's good to know!

 

[nzbrew]

I don't worry about the whole testing on multiple days to check fermentation is finished. The beer stays in the fermentor for 2 weeks, then I take the FG and as long as it's where I think it should be for the recipe then I move it along.

If you start trying to estimate residual sugars and use them for carbonation you're asking for trouble I think. I'm sure it is possible, but would be pretty hit and miss.

 

[Nosybear]

Answering the original question: Too much room for error and a serious danger in trying to predict final gravity. If you miss by too much, you have little bottle bombs throwing glass shrapnel in your conditioning area. Miss by less and you have gushing beers from excess carbonation. Wait until it's fully fermented then prime, only then do you have complete control over how much carbonation will result.

 

[coffeeguy]

Another "yes" to the question. When I first started, I'd have a lot of gushers. I finally figured out that I was priming correctly, BUT I was getting impatient. As soon as the airlock activity stopped, I'd prime and bottle but it was likely the primary fermentation wasn't finished yet so that plus the priming sugar pushed things over the top.

I now leave the brew in the fermenter for a few days after bubbling stops and FG stabilizes, which doesn't hurt flavor as the yeast hasn't autolyzed yet at that point. I suppose you could rack to secondary and let it sit too, but bottom line is that the safest way is to let it sit regardless and make sure the fermentation is complete. The priming sugar (or wort if you're krausening) is enough to re-awaken the suspended yeast and carbonate the beer once it's bottled.

One other concern is mostly cosmetic, and if you're krausening it's a non-issue, but if you're bottling early and forgoing the priming sugar then you'll have that residue ring inside your bottles. Still, if you're consistent enough and can predict your fermentation that accurately, and if it works for you, then by all means continue. One less step equals an easier brewing experience, right?

 

[Nosybear]

Yeast under beer is stable for months. Don't worry about the few days after the airlock stops bubbling.