Included with a one gallon extract kit, I received a bottle of Fermenter’s Favorites Fizz Drops. Are they worth using, or should I use corn sugar or something similar?
Ive never used them but ive heard they can leave a film on the top of your beer. The film is left behind by whatever bonds the drops together.
2cents
Jeff
I wouldn’t buy them. But if I got them for free, I’d definitely use them. At the least, you’ll know exactly why you should or should not use them in the future. The experience is worth a gallon of beer to me.
these ones appear to be different than the muntons carb tabs though. those are a white tablet these look more like a little chunk of rock candy. I’d give them a try.
I haven’t tried that brand, but all the other ones I’ve tried have been disappointing.
I am going to order one of these next time I place an order with Williams. I don’t order from them much (twice in the past four years), so it could be a while.
http://www.williamsbrewing.com/CORN-SUGAR-MEASURE-P1720.aspx
Saw just last night that northern brewer has some new carbonation pills.
If it’s not too much of a PITA for you, maybe fill a couple clear bottles prior to mixing in your priming sugar and test out the Fizz Drops. Then you could monitor the appearance of the beer as it conditions and let us know how the results compare to traditional priming with sugar.
I have used the Fizz Drops in my 1 gallon batches and have no problem whatsoever. To me this is easier than using corn sugar and creating a solution for such a small batch.
I really hope this is some sort of typo or mistake. 33 mL would be roughly one ounce…
If they meant 3.3/5.0/7.5 mL, those would be 2/3 teaspoon, 1 tsp, and 1.5 tsp measures respectively. That still seems like a lot though. Maybe it assumes the sugar is sifted.
[quote]This corn sugar measures enough priming corn sugar for one bottle of beer. It features 33ml (12 oz.), 50ml (16 oz.) and 75ml (22-24 oz.) measuring cups for dry granulated corn sugar.
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Or they mean mg?
I’ll report back if I ever order it, but I think I will go with the sugar cube method.
Those would be itty bitty amounts. I think the misplaced decimal is more likely, but that still means it’s targeting something like 2.8 vol of CO2.
You are correct!
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I think they mean 330ml, 500ml and 750ml as the corresponding bottle sizes for 12, 16, and 22 oz. Rough conversion, but it’s close.
FWIW, my experience is the same as Denny’s with the carb drops/tabs/whatever. Disappointment. Planning to try the sugar cubes someday.
They didn’t fit in my bottles. So I tried the Prime Dose. First batch was undercarbed. Got dinged in a comp for low carbonation. Live and learn, I guess.
Any other updates?
I’m wondering if it would be less work for me to bottle four to six bottles of beer with carb tabs or their ilk when I’m packaging and to keg the rest, rather than kegging all the beer and then bottling a few bottles off the keg. Your thoughts?
I have done this on occasion. I just made a simple syrup of known gravity and measured it into the bottles but same idea. put the beer in the keg, hook up the co2 and push flat beer into primed bottles.
I used to do this regularly. My experience (and I may be repeating myself) is that the Munton’s Carb Tabs left white waxy chunks in the beer that were particularly unappealing. Especially when you’re picking them out of your teeth. They did the job on carbing though and give you a good degree of control. The Cooper’s Carb Drops (and Brewer’s Best, I think they’re the same thing) over carbonate at the recommended dosage. Since the dosage is one drop per 12 oz bottle, it’s hard to get any control. Two drops in bombers and/or champagne bottles also overcarb.
I’d go with a method like Mort suggests that gives you more control. But that’s a little more work.
I’m planning to try sugar cubes, but I haven’t found them locally just yet. Only checked at Target. Need to check Jewel.
This is what I use to carbonate my bottles. So far I have had no problems and after 2-3 weeks, the beer taste great and the carb is just right.