Coopers Carbonation Drops usage?

Customer_QuestionCustomer_Question Member Posts: 26
edited October 2011 in Frequently Asked Questions
Are Coopers Carbonation Drops suitable for all beers and how many do I use for UK style bottles?

Comments

  • HBO_StaffHBO_Staff Administrator Posts: 2,115
    edited March 2022
    Carbonation Drops are a handy way of 'priming' bottles and now come in packs of 80:

     https://www.home-brew-online.com/coopers-carbonation-drops/

    They can be used in any style of beer, from lager to stout and also in cider. Although the dosage is based on Australian sized bottles (375 or 750ml), you can use them in any size bottle. If using a 500ml bottle which is most common and nicely takes around a pint, we would suggest using 1 per bottle for bitter and 2 per bottle for lager and cider as that will give it a bit more fizz. For bigger bottles, the dosage can be adjusted in multiples, ie. for 1 litre bottles use 2 per bottle for beer, or try 4 per 1 litre bottle for lager or cider, etc

    The alternative Crafty Fox priming drops are UK made and the dosage is more suitable for the UK market, just search carbonation drops on our website:

    https://www.home-brew-online.com/crafty-fox-carbonation-drops/

  • hurmsonhurmson Member Posts: 3

    how many drops would i put in a pressure barrel????? thanks

     

  • HBO_StaffHBO_Staff Administrator Posts: 2,115
    The dose is usually one per 500ml bottle, or around 1 per pint, so you can as a guide allow one per pint in a barrel. However, the drops are easy to put into the neck of a bottle, so with a much wider neck on a barrel, it may be easier and cheaper to prime a barrel with sugar, or ideally brewing sugar. Whilst you can use drops for barrels, it is not the most economical way of doing it - they are useful to use so you don't get sugar all over when trying to pour it in through the narrow neck on bottles
  • eoyeoy Member Posts: 1
     hi i have bottled my cider last week / now i have sampled it and found it to be flat i have not put enough sugar in to carbonation it can i reopen the bottles /put more sugar in  /put in awarm place to secodary ferment  what is your advise thxs
  • HBO_StaffHBO_Staff Administrator Posts: 2,115
    Opening the sealed bottles would be a last resort, and may cause other problems, as long as you added sugar, either in drops or granulated into the bottles then the probable reason for it being flat is that it has only been in there a week and is not ready yet. It is best to leave to condition and secondary ferment for a few weeks, or as long as possible to ensure that the priming sugar dissolves and ferments, which is when the carbonation will be created. After another couple of weeks in the bottles it should improve, for the first few days it is best somewhere warmer to kick-start secondary fermentation and then move somewhere a bit cooler to help it clear. The temperature can really make it vary on how long it will take carbonate
  • HBO_StaffHBO_Staff Administrator Posts: 2,115
    Coopers do recommend 1 drop per 500ml bottle with their starter kit, but it is personal preference, we find lager drinkers sometimes want it a bit more fizzy so will add 2. It really is personal preference and may be worth experimenting with to get it how you like, some bottles with one and the rest with 2 drops. Just be aware that if you over prime your bottles the excess pressure has nowhere to escape like it would in a barrel, so store where no damage could occur if you were to have a problem. We have primed bottles with 2 with no problems at all, but it can vary from brew to brew and on the temperature etc.
  • SbHSbH Member Posts: 17
    The drops give you the fizz in your bottles and starts second ferm for you :):)
  • davemortondavemorton Member Posts: 40
    As for temperature to store at, I would go for 1 week at room temperature (18 - 22 Celsius) for a week then somewhere cooler like a garage until ready to drink (when clear). Also try and keep it in a box so that not a lot of light gets at it if possible.
  • robysocksrobysocks Member Posts: 25
    edited March 2013
    i have tried both i brewed a lager put one in most 1 and a half in most bottles and 2 in about six bottles to see if there was a difference.left them 6 weeks b4 trying the only thing i can say is it a bit of a better head on.i put 1 and a half in all my 500ml bottles anyway and thay have all been fine.
  • HBO_StaffHBO_Staff Administrator Posts: 2,115
    The initial fermentation times will vary often affected be temperature, there is no hard and fast rule so just leave it to it and the progress can be checked with hydrometer readings. As a guide many brews need around a week fermenting around 20 degrees C, then can be transferred to bottles or a barrel once the hydrometer reading is constant and nice and low, primed with sugar or drops and left in a warm place for a few days to help the sugar dissolve and secondary ferment, then moved somewhere a few degrees cooler to clear, condition and carbonate. Whilst some brews will be fine to drink after a short time in the bottles or barrel, all will much improve in taste, carbonation and flavour if left for a few weeks before drinking, a general guide is here;
  • MreddsterMreddster Member Posts: 60
    Yea at that lower temp it will take longer. But if it's bubbling then it is fermenting which is good. Just keep an eye on it.
  • batesy06batesy06 Member Posts: 1
    edited May 2013
    Hi everyone, I just got my home brew starter kit yesterday and looking Forward to starting my first batch. I'm going to do it down stairs and it can be quite cold down there so I went and got a belt heater to wrap around by barrel to keep control of the temp. My question is instead of bottling and adding the carbonation drops can I just carbonation drops to the barrel so I can control the temp a bit better?
  • HBO_StaffHBO_Staff Administrator Posts: 2,115
    You can add carbonation drops to a barrel and they do the same thing, but because it is easier to prime a barrel with sugar with the larger neck often people just use granulated sugar
  • Jimbob130Jimbob130 Member Posts: 15
    Can theses be used to carbonate wine to make it fizzy. Like champagne. ??
  • HBO_StaffHBO_Staff Administrator Posts: 2,115
    Wine is slightly different, often wines have fermentation stopper added to them which can then mean any sugar or drops you add to the wine may not ferment if the yeast has been killed off. If making sparkling wine sometimes the wine is bottled just before it has finished fermentation, but please make sure you use suitable strong bottles, as wine bottles are not strong enough to withstand pressure and will explode. This book may be of interest and has useful info and techniques etc:
    http://www.home-brew-online.com/books-c69/making-sparkling-wines-p1319
  • stones1969stones1969 Member Posts: 8
    cabonation drops ? what these for ?.do you still need to add bit sugar to bottle ?,thanks
  • BUDFORCEBUDFORCE Member Posts: 275
    Just use them instead of sugar.

    Basically getting brewing sugar in to a bottle isnt that easy, you gotta faff around with a little teaspoons trying to get in in the neck and you end up getting sugar everywhere and uneven doses.

    The carbonation drops are very easy just to pop in to a bottle and job done.

    Wether to use one or two really depends on what you are brweing but I find for most ales a single drop is enough, I dont brew lager but people suggest two for that, for example.
    Beer League: 1. Young's - American Pale Ale 2. Bulldog Brews - Imperial Red Bad Cat 3. Young's - IPA 4. Young's - American Amber Ale 5. Bulldog Brews - Evil Dog Double IPA
  • stones1969stones1969 Member Posts: 8
    ok mate thanks,i used to have a little plastic funnel just used that for adding sugar n was easy no mess
  • Watery_SidWatery_Sid Member Posts: 2
    The drops are for using instead of loose sugar, it is a convenient way of adding sugar to bottles as they are in a solid form and make no mess
  • TolemacTolemac Member Posts: 4
    I will add 2 for lager and 1 for ale in 500 ml PET bottles as for keg i'll boil sugar in a little water and let it cool before adding it
  • roydboyroydboy Member Posts: 1
    HI , just brewing my first attempt at classic liquors have not seen any visible fermenting as in the wine I am brewing , just seems to sit there like a gallon of milk , should it bubble and froth the same as wine , it has been in the fermenter four days now , instructions were followed to the letter ,
  • HBO_StaffHBO_Staff Administrator Posts: 2,115
    It is often down to the temperature and wont always bubble away, take a hydrometer reading in a few days and it should show the fermentation is progressing nicely - this is the only true way to tell how the fermentation is doing
  • Chezzy1290Chezzy1290 Member Posts: 9
    I finished a Preachers Hefe a few weeks ago which has now conditioned in the bottle for over 21 days now.

    I used 1 coopers carb drop per bottle.

    There's loads of fizz, the beer actually tastes really nice too but there's virtually no head. When it pours it rises like fizzy coke being poured in a glass then disappears like fizzy coke does.

    Bit disappointed as I was expecting a big long lasting head with it being a wheat beer.

    Anyone else had this?
  • JaneJane Member Posts: 37
    edited October 2016
    Beer isn't my 'specialism' so as to speak, but what sugar did you use to brew? I have found the sparaymalts and Coopers enhancer have really helped to give that longer lasting creamy head.
    All the carbonation drops do, is add extra sugar for the yeast to ferment to give you the extra CO2 for the fizz - they don't ensure head retention.
    Cheers
  • chrisftmchrisftm Member Posts: 3
    I'm brewing Coopers Cerveza. Bottling with one litre bottles. Do you class this as a lager or beer. I'm asking because I'm not sure if I should be adding 2 or 4 carbonation drops per lite bottle? Thanks.
  • HBO_StaffHBO_Staff Administrator Posts: 2,115
    You can carbonate to your preference really, no more than 4 per 1 litre bottle though. 2 will lightly carbonate it, 4 will give it more fizz like a lager, this is more of a lager style often served cold. If you wanted to experiment then carbonate some bottles with 2, others with 3, and the rest with 4 drops, just label them up so you know which is which, then you know for next time which you prefer
  • chrisftmchrisftm Member Posts: 3
    Fantastic, thanks. I've been using two and was ok but could have done with a little more fizz, so I'll go with three (and a few with four). Cheers!
  • CustodianCustodian Member Posts: 5
    I use 1 carbonation drop per 500 ml bottle, wait a fortnight minimum,then test.
  • brianrollsbrianrolls Member Posts: 5
    turbo cider made some tc going to put in 1 litre bottles and back sweeten how much sugar should i add to carbonate or how many coopers carbonation drops should i a add thank u happy brewing
  • HBO_StaffHBO_Staff Administrator Posts: 2,115
    You can vary this to your preference, but as a guide for 1 litre bottles use 2 Coopers drops per bottle for beer, or try up to 4 per 1 litre bottle for lager or cider
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