Bulk Priming
Part I of a two-part article on priming and Kraüsening
by
INTRODUCTION
Why is priming important?
The amount of priming sugar added at bottling or kegging controls the final carbonation level of the beer. Carbonation is important for the overall presentation and appreciation of a beer. Carbonation gives beer its creamy head and at the same time brings the aromas of the beer to our nose. The carbonic tang also helps balance other flavours and gives beer that refreshing “thirst quenching” quality. On the other hand, the full malt and hop flavours of traditional English ales may be best appreciated with low levels of carbonation. This is obviously a matter of personal taste and everybody should determine the level of carbonation that they are most comfortable with. But bear in mind, in competitions the level of carbonation relative to style requirements is a judging characteristic that could make or break a potential champion beer.
So, whether you just want some assistance to consistently hit the level of carbonation that you personally prefer, or whether you want to give your painstakingly brewed beer its best possible chance of being a prize winner, this article should help you achieve your aims.
Application
Bulk
priming can be used whether you keg or bottle your beer. It
probably offers the greatest advantages to those who bottle because
it gives precise control over the amount of carbonation and allows
consistent carbonation within a batch, even if an assortment of
bottle sizes is used.
Keg priming is, by definition, bulk priming. The only real
advantage in priming kegs is that you can avoid using store-bought
CO2 to carbonate your beer. This may save some money,
but an added advantage is that many craft brewers report enhanced
foam stability and a smoother taste from primed kegs.
The Main Articles
To learn how to go about bulk priming and how to calculate the required amount of priming sugar to add, choose either the short and simple essential guide to bulk priming or our more detailed technical treatment. The two articles should be treated as separate chapters rather than as completely independent documents – users of the technical discussion may still need to refer to parts of the essential guide, especially Table 1.
Essential Guide to bulk
priming
Technical Discussion