[shaggywhodey]

Hey all,
I'm a new brewer and am wondering the benefits to adding yeast when bottling.  And how much to add?  So far I've just stirred in the 3/4 cup corn sugar and bottled it up, but I've been reading about adding new yeast.  Any comments?

[morticaixavier]

Really only an issue with big beers. I suppose with lagers that have been lagering a long time it might be a good idea as well. For most normal gravity ales it is really not needed, there is still plenty of yeast in suspension when you bottle.

As a side note it's not a bad idea to get into the habit of measuring priming sugar by weight like you do with other ingredients, it is far more consistently accurate as changes in density of the sugar and humidity can effect the actual amount on sugar you are adding when you measure by volume.

[oscarvan]

As a side note it's not a bad idea to get into the habit of measuring priming sugar by weight like you do with other ingredients, it is far more consistently accurate as changes in density of the sugar and humidity can effect the actual amount on sugar you are adding when you measure by volume.

Are you saying that any absorbed moisture doesn't add weight?

[morticaixavier]

As a side note it's not a bad idea to get into the habit of measuring priming sugar by weight like you do with other ingredients, it is far more consistently accurate as changes in density of the sugar and humidity can effect the actual amount on sugar you are adding when you measure by volume.

Are you saying that any absorbed moisture doesn't add weight?

I am sure it does add some weight. but more so it reduces volume/weight ratio. it's not a big deal with regular crystallized table sugar a cup pretty much always weighs 6 ounces. but with more powdery sugar like priming corn sugar the level of humidity will have more effect on the... compactness?... texture? Density i guess of the sugar in a measuring cup. More than the humidity though is the inconsistency of the scooper. If  you go to a bag of priming sugar, DME, or (as bakers well know) flour with a measuring cup and scoop ten cups out and weigh each cup you will get different weights pretty much everytime. The humidity is just one more factor.

[shaggywhodey]

I live in Denver at 5350 ft, so humidity would rarely be an issue for me I guess.  Super dry air.

[morticaixavier]

I live in Denver at 5350 ft, so humidity would rarely be an issue for me I guess.  Super dry air.

If it is working for you then no worries. Like I said humidity is just one factor, and not the most important, the main thing is that one scoop of 3/4 cup will not necessarily weigh the same as another. Mostly do to variations in density of that particular scoop of sugar.