Anyone ever heard of this???

kfgolfer · 12-06-2006, 06:18 PM

has anyone ever added 1-2 oz. of priming sugar to your beer as you are racking to the secondary fermenter??? I hear it's supposed to add alcohol to your beer and also reduce oxidation??

BeanPot Brewery · 12-06-2006, 06:25 PM

I'm sure someone around here can answer this better than I, but I've never heard of it. In theory, it should add alcohol bc you're adding sugar and increasing fermentation...it would also reduce oxidition since the act of fermentation releases CO2, which pushes out oxygen.
I have reservations about this, though. Primarily why you would want to add sugar and not add more DME, if getting more alcohol is the end goal.
Also, I would be careful if you are going to bottle condition to get carbonation, adding too much sugar may not leave enough hungry yeasties to do the job properly.

**the_bird** · 12-06-2006, 06:25 PM

I don't know about the oxidation, but if you add a fermentable sugar you're bound to increase the alcohol content. Why not just add it to the boil, though?

Theoretically, I suppose re-starting fermentation would do a better job of creating a CO2 "blanket", so it might not be a bad idea.

One or two ounces in a five gallon batch isn't going to do jack for the alcohol content, though.

feedthebear · 12-07-2006, 01:57 AM

I added 2 Tbsp. of sugar to my Peach Cream Ale when i racked to the tertiary. I was really paranoid that the yeast had either died off or settled out. But as fermentation started up within 15 minutes of transfering, I really didn't have anything to worry about.

Sir Humpsalot · 12-07-2006, 02:23 AM

My purely academic viewpoint: From all that I've read, the act of racking to a secondary, by itself, is going to reinvigorate the yeast and upturn enough fermentable sugars to get some airlock activity. So I don't see how adding a little sugar is going to hurt anything, although I also don't think it's really necessary.

Kaiser · 12-07-2006, 02:27 AM

I can see oxidation being prevented (somewhat at least) by reactivating the yeast with the sugar. The now active yeast is able to absorb oxygen that has been picked up during racking.

I started racking my beers when they are almost but not completely done. At this point most of the reast settled, but the yeast remaining in suspension should be active enough to absorb O2 that had been added as well as produce enough CO2 to purge the head space. I'll see if that makes a difference or not.

Kai

dantodd · 12-07-2006, 09:27 AM

I doubt it will make a discernible difference. The act of racking itself will mix up the beer enough to release some of the CO2 that is in solution. This will likely release more CO2 than a tablespoon of sugar will and it will be done at the time of racking and not after a couple hours of fermentation.

boo boo · 12-07-2006, 10:36 AM

By starting fermentation again you are defeating the purpose of secondary fermentation which is to let the yeast settle and clean up the products it produced in the initial fermentation.

The act of racking will bring out of suspension enough co2 to blanket the wort and protect it from oxyidation as long as you rack without splashing or otherwise aerating your wort.

Desert_Sky · 12-07-2006, 12:36 PM

most of the time simply racking to the secondary is going to stir up the yeast and release enough CO2 to form a nice blanket to prevent oxidation anyways.

Ol' Grog · 12-07-2006, 12:48 PM

My observations have been that with Chimone. After racking and the air lock is put on, there is usually some bubbler activity, not a lot, but enough to leave a good blanket of CO2 on top of the brew. I've read that that is why it's good to only use a 5.5 gallon secondary, less air in there versus a 6.5 gallon one.