Corn Sugar Vs. Malt Extract Priming

Priming is the stage where sugar becomes carbonation.

Priming your beer is the last stage of homebrewing before bottling. The priming stage is when you add corn sugar or plain dried malt extract to your wort and then bottle. The sugar you have added is broken down by the yeast in your wort and creates carbonation.

Corn Sugar

Add sugar to your homebrew batch before bottling.

Using corn sugar is generally the most common way to prime your homebrew. If you are brewing with a kit, most will contain a premeasured amount of corn sugar. You should add the sugar to your batch before bottling. Corn sugar can be added as is or can be boiled in 16 oz. of water, cooled and then added. The amount should be 3/4 cup of corn sugar per 5 gallon batch.

Malt Extract

Adding malt extract should result in the same outcome.

If adding plain dried malt extract, the outcome of the priming should be the same. The ideal amount of malt extract is 1 1/4 cup per 5 gallon batch. The adding of dried malt extract could raise the alcohol content of your homebrew, but the amount would be negligible compared to adding a "kicker" batch of malt to your wort while brewing.

Adding To The Bottles

Adding sugar or malt to the bottles is not advised.

Adding corn sugar or malt extract to each individual bottle should be avoided, even though it is not unheard of for brewers of greater experience to do this. Adding your priming agent directly to the bottle could lead to inconsistent carbonation.

Too Much Sugar Or Malt

Bottle explosion is a risk.

If you add too much of your chosen primer to the batch or to each bottle, the risk of bottle explosion is much higher. If in doubt of your measurements, it would be best to hold off until you can get the proper measuring tools. A basic set of kitchen measuring cups works just fine.

Other Priming Methods

Sanitization is extremely important in homebrewing.

Other priming methods exist, such as using a saved batch of yeast from your original brew, or using a saved batch or wort from the brew you are bottling. These methods would lend a batch a more consistent or richer flavor but are not recommended for the casual brewer. Each method requires that the yeast or wort be properly stored and kept carefully sanitized.

References

• "The Complete Joy of Homebrewing, 3rd Edition"; Charlie Papazian, 1983