[ynotbrusum]

Has anyone tried this product?

http://www.northernbrewer.com/shop/brewing/prime-dose-carbonation-tablets-200-count.html

I am using it on a blended, Oaked Flanders Red for a competition in advance of the NHC deadline....I thought I would try it, since it has some yeast in it and I didn't want to rely on the Brett in a Roselaere blend to finish in time.  I bottled last Sunday (2-16)  for submission by next Friday (2-28) and judging on 3-8.  Trying to find a warm spot in my house, without much success....hoping for the best.

Any insights would be appreciated.  BTW the flat beer was fantastic (for a flat beer - wine like, if you know what I mean).

[Joe Sr.]

I have not.  But I have found all of the other options for priming bottles directly (carb tabs, carb drops, whatever) to be lacking.

[Jimmy K]

I'm trying to figure out what it is. You say it has yeast and sugar, which would be neat, but the info on that page is vague and stuffed full of marketing keywords and puns.

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[erockrph]

I'm trying to figure out what it is. You say it has yeast and sugar, which would be neat, but the info on that page is vague and stuffed full of marketing keywords and puns.

+1 - It implies that there might be yeast in there, but it never mentions what the ingredients are. My guess is that it contains something like DAP or yeast nutrient instead of actual yeast. And DAP is something I'd never want to add to finished beer. Smells/tastes like ammonia or pee. I'm pretty leery of adding something to my beer if I don't know exactly what it is. I've never really had an issue with my yeast being able to carb a beer, even on big Belgians that spent 3 months in primary before bottling.

And, FWIW, the Coopers carb drops (the ones that look like a ball of sugar candy) have always worked exactly the way I've wanted them to. I use them for all my 1-gallon pilot batches.

[ynotbrusum]

It is specifically a bottling product, so I don't think yeast nutrient has anything to do with it, but I could be wrong.

I used it on a Flanders red blended - after 8 months of aging: 1/4th from an oak barrel and 3/4ths from a glass carboy of the same batch - ABV around 7%; Roselaere blend yeast, so Brett still working slowly.  I tried it since it had some yeast referenced as an ingredient and I was going to re-yeast with US-05, but this sounded easier for bottling a gallon while the rest continues to age in situ.

I intend to try a Solara style of aging and blending, so I will make a much smaller ABV batch for blending going forward.  I might try an all Brett batch, for example, if I can keep it warm enough.

I was hoping that this product would allow me to easily draw off smallish samples to blend and bottle - then carb with it.

[Joe Sr.]

And, FWIW, the Coopers carb drops (the ones that look like a ball of sugar candy) have always worked exactly the way I've wanted them to. I use them for all my 1-gallon pilot batches.

I've found them to over-carbonate in the recommended dosage.

[euge]

That capsule is gelatin based? Wonder if it clears up a beer?

I used to use a nutrient that was uric acid and DAP in the last 15 of the boil and it works well. Adding that smelly stuff to the bottling bucket doesn't appeal to me at all. As the devil's advocate: perhaps the pills have so little in them it doesn't affect the taste.

[Jimmy K]

I read a much better description in the Northern Brewer catalog this morning. It is priming sugar and dry yeast packaged in a vegan friendly capsule (so it's not gelatin).

[reverseapachemaster]

I don't have any experience with that product but before using it I would want to know the ph tolerance of the yeast in the capsule. Your sour beer might be too sour for the yeast they include in the capsule. I'd also be concerned about how many volumes of carbonation it will produce.

For my sour beers I add priming sugar to the desired carbonation and add some wine yeast. If I have dry wine yeast on hand then I just add a very small amount to each bottle. If I only have slurry on hand then I add the slurry in the bottling bucket as the beer is getting racked in so it mixes well.

[Steve L]

I just saw these in the latest Northern brewer catalog. I can see myself using them but only for beers that have extended lagering periods. That being said, i'd hate to find a capsule floatie or odd particulate in my doppelbock. I'm curious to hear of anyone's experience with these. I certainly don't mind doing a bit of math and mixing up some CBC-1 with my priming sugar, and it's cheaper; but the caps would certainly be easier. food for thought.

[Jimmy K]

I certainly don't mind doing a bit of math and mixing up some CBC-1 with my priming sugar, and it's cheaper; but the caps would certainly be easier. food for thought.

I'd hope they were smart and used a bottle conditioning yeast like CBC-1, but it doesn't say.

[Stevie]

I like the idea, but wish they were a bit less expensive. Maybe the price will go down if they work well and are well received. For me using a sanitized tea spoon and funnel is worth the extra $0.20-$0.30 per beer savings.

[ynotbrusum]

I like the idea, but wish they were a bit less expensive. Maybe the price will go down if they work well and are well received. For me using a sanitized tea spoon and funnel is worth the extra $0.20-$0.30 per beer savings.

Agreed as to a whole batch, but pulling just a few bottles off for a competition allowed me a no brainier on mixing - 2 capsules in each bottle.  Hoping for the best....

[euge]

Why not just use sugar cubes...? Uniform, consistent and easily fit down the neck of a bottle.

[Steve L]

I'd also be curious to see what the expiration dates run on this, being a yeast product. I can get about 4 batches out of one bottle since I do 2.5 gallon batches but I don't see any use in using this in the ales that I brew more often than lagers. Having said that, it would still be nice to be able to lager a beer for 3-6 months and toss in a couple of capsules and be done with it!