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**Akavango** · 01-06-2012, 08:05 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GordonT

Actually there is one other thing I am going to change next time around. I got a great tip of sugar and how to best use it to ensure a low FG. Don't add the sugar/syrup during the boil. Wait until the head begins to drop a bit during primary and then add. Reasoning on this is that yeast eats the easy to digest sugars first and complex sugar later. Forcing it to eat the complex sugars during the first part of primary will ensure your FG is lower, making the beer more 'digestible'

Gordon,
Have you put this tip into practice? If so how did it turn out?
By doing it this way, you OG would not be representative, how would you go about measuring the ABV?

GordonT · 01-06-2012, 06:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Androclese

Hi!

I am going to give this one a shot on Saturday, but I had a question regarding the sugar. You state that you "wait until the head begins to drop a bit during primary and then add."

I have a few questions about that....

I am using plastic for my primary so I cannot see inside the bucket very well. Any guestimates on time/intensity of bubbling, etc,. i should be looking for before adding the sugar to the primary?

Did you warm the syrup or just put it in at room temp? Did you stir it in or just dump and seal?

Thanks!

I use a beer thief to pull some of the beer out of the primary and put it in a pan. You only need enough to cover the sugar plus an inch or two. I mix it in well and then heat it to a simmer for 10 minutes, long enough to kill any bugs that might be in it.

Taking the top off your plastic pail in the first few days should not be a problem as long as its clean. THere is so much CO2 being pushed out the chances of anything falling in are very small. Eye ball it every day for the first 3 or 4 days and as soon as you see any lessening of activity or drop of the head, that's when the sugar goes in.

The airlock is still going to be pretty active. If you think you can see a lessening of activity by watching it I suppose you could use that as your check point.

Hope that's clear and helpful.

Gord

Androclese · 01-07-2012, 11:01 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GordonT

I use a beer thief to pull some of the beer out of the primary and put it in a pan. You only need enough to cover the sugar plus an inch or two. I mix it in well and then heat it to a simmer for 10 minutes, long enough to kill any bugs that might be in it.

Taking the top off your plastic pail in the first few days should not be a problem as long as its clean. THere is so much CO2 being pushed out the chances of anything falling in are very small. Eye ball it every day for the first 3 or 4 days and as soon as you see any lessening of activity or drop of the head, that's when the sugar goes in.

The airlock is still going to be pretty active. If you think you can see a lessening of activity by watching it I suppose you could use that as your check point.

Hope that's clear and helpful.

Gord

Sounds good, thanks for the advice.

So what sort of ABV bump have you seen by doing it this way?

GordonT · 01-21-2012, 02:34 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Androclese

Sounds good, thanks for the advice.

So what sort of ABV bump have you seen by doing it this way?

I have only done this once and it was just one factor that I've changed so my lower FG's can't be pinned to one source. I had the problem of too high FG's on my Belgians, which should generally be drier that English, Scottish and Amercan Ales. T solve this problem I have been using a suite of new actions.

Always do a yeast starter, or make the first batch a sub 1050 beer.

Mash low varying the heat through the mash. 146 - 152 and back again over an hour.

Add any sugar or syrup to primary after the head begins to fall.

Don't be in a rush to end the ferment. Let it sit in primary, or secondary until all activity ceases.

Using these techniques I have managed to move my FG's down roughly 5 - 10 points.

CSRabe · 02-03-2012, 08:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GordonT

I have only done this once and it was just one factor that I've changed so my lower FG's can't be pinned to one source. I had the problem of too high FG's on my Belgians, which should generally be drier that English, Scottish and Amercan Ales. T solve this problem I have been using a suite of new actions.

Always do a yeast starter, or make the first batch a sub 1050 beer.

Mash low varying the heat through the mash. 146 - 152 and back again over an hour.

Add any sugar or syrup to primary after the head begins to fall.

Don't be in a rush to end the ferment. Let it sit in primary, or secondary until all activity ceases.

Using these techniques I have managed to move my FG's down roughly 5 - 10 points.

Gordon, I've got your recipe in the Primary as we speak. I added the Candi Syrup to the Primary as you suggested after the first Krausen. (That's the right term right?) Glad I kept the blow off tube on because a few days after that she was picking up again. Today is day 9 in the Primary and still bubbling every 2 seconds or so. Can't wait to try this one out.

Thanks for the recipe.

GordonT · 02-04-2012, 03:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CSRabe

Gordon, I've got your recipe in the Primary as we speak. I added the Candi Syrup to the Primary as you suggested after the first Krausen. (That's the right term right?) Glad I kept the blow off tube on because a few days after that she was picking up again. Today is day 9 in the Primary and still bubbling every 2 seconds or so. Can't wait to try this one out.

Thanks for the recipe.

Good luck with it. 9 days seems a bit long. Hope you were careful with the sugar addition.

This is being brewed again here tomorrow, then the Oaked Arrogant Bastard is up.

loomis02 · 02-16-2012, 06:13 PM

I'm looking forward to brewing this soon, one question I have is the 12lb lager malt, would that be like belgian pilsner malt or 2-row?

GordonT · 02-17-2012, 06:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by loomis02

I'm looking forward to brewing this soon, one question I have is the 12lb lager malt, would that be like belgian pilsner malt or 2-row?

I don't have access to Belgian Pilsner. If you do that is first choice for use. I use a Canadian Pils malt and it does the job nicely enough. The Belgians appear to be quite practical about their ingredient choices, they use what's readily available and what is cost efficient.

Being home brewers we may want to spend a little extra to make sure our beer is the best possible but I don't think its essential to making an enjoyable beer.

Androclese · 02-22-2012, 05:33 PM

So I am finally getting back around to post on how mine turned out.

I kept in the Primary (6.5gal bucket) for 7 days then moved it to a secondary for 7 more days, then to the keg. I got about a 8.7%ABV from it. It definitely needed a diacetyl rest because there were some harsh flavors on the back-end of the beer. I left it in the keg for a bout a month and tapped into it on Superbowl Sunday at my party. The worst of the hashness was gone and it proved to be a really smooth beer. I blew through all 5 gallons at that party.

I am doing it again, with a number of changes, and I am going to let this one bottle condition and rest for at least 3 months before tapping into it.

Thanks for the recipe and the input on how it brew it; it has really helped me out.

GordonT · 02-23-2012, 03:48 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Androclese

So I am finally getting back around to post on how mine turned out.

I kept in the Primary (6.5gal bucket) for 7 days then moved it to a secondary for 7 more days, then to the keg. I got about a 8.7%ABV from it. It definitely needed a diacetyl rest because there were some harsh flavors on the back-end of the beer. I left it in the keg for a bout a month and tapped into it on Superbowl Sunday at my party. The worst of the hashness was gone and it proved to be a really smooth beer. I blew through all 5 gallons at that party.

I am doing it again, with a number of changes, and I am going to let this one bottle condition and rest for at least 3 months before tapping into it.

Thanks for the recipe and the input on how it brew it; it has really helped me out.

10 gallons next time

That must have been a great party...