After boiling priming sugar solution, I know it needs to be cooled down. But, what is the max temp you can get by with when adding it to your bottling bucket?
Thanks in advance for your help.
I would say 75 degrees give or take. Adding it too warm may have some negative impacts on the yeast in suspension. Granted, you are adding a small amount to what I assume is 5 gallons of cooler beer so, there is some wiggle room in my opinion.
Cheers!
It’s been a long time since I bottled, but I’ve always thought that cooling the priming sugar solution wasn’t necessary. Since the volume of sugar solution (maybe a cup or so) is so small compared to the 5 gallons of beer the temperature of the beer+solution will stabilize very near the beer’s original temp without affecting the yeast needed to carb. Just toss the sugar solution into the bottling bucket, rack in the beer (which mixes in the sugar) and go.
I normally let it sit covered while setting other stuff up. It’s still steaming when I add it.
I only let it cool for 5-10 minutes. It really doesn’t matter at all since the volume difference is so huge. Go ahead and add it as quickly as you feel comfortable with.
I don’t let it cool at all. There’s only a cup or so of hot liquid and when you siphon the beer in it cools down immediately.
I just let it cool for 5 minutes or so. I figure the warmer it is the better it will mix in. Also I rack onto it in the bottling bucket so it probably messes with the first few ounces of beer but then is cooled off quickly so no harm done. I have consistent good results with this method.
+1 - I do the same thing. Plus, the hotter it is the better it will mix. I usually start my siphon, then add the priming solution once there’s about an inch or so of beer in the bottling bucket. It cools almost instantly, and the swirling motion of the beer mixes it in pretty well. I still give it a gentle swirl with a sanitized spoon at the end just to be sure that it mixes in evenly.
Me too ^^^
Don’t worry about it. You’re adding a small amount of hot liquid, less than 2% of the total volume. It won’t make a significant difference in the overall temperature of the final solution.