Few simple silly questions?

Hello everyone I just have a few questions to ask? While boiling or at some point before I add yeast does the more sugar in it mean the higher the alcohol percent? Also what are the core requirements to be considered a beer? Do hops always have to be used? or are there substitutions for hops? (and yes i know there are different types of hops)

You don't need hops to have a beer, but many styles are unapproachable to produce without them. Here is an article on Gruit...http://www.homebrewing.com/articles/gruit.php

The more sugar, the more alcohol - to a point. Yeast strains can only survive to certain aocohol levels, so if you go crazy high, you'll have boozy sugar water.

Do note that while some styles do use some normal sugar (many Belgians, for example), you want the bulk of your sugars to come from grain - either grain you mashed, or malt extract that is preprocessed for you. Otherwise, you won't end up with beer - see boozy sugar water above.

Pretty much all beer recipes consist of water, malted barley (or the extract from it), yeast, and hops. Hops balance out the sweetness of your grains; at least some hops are required for beer. From here, lots of recipes add other ingredients, but these four are your core.

You can of course make alcoholic beverages without hops or grain, but you are no longer making beer.

homebrewdad said:

The more sugar, the more alcohol - to a point. Yeast strains can only survive to certain aocohol levels, so if you go crazy high, you'll have boozy sugar water.

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What is the highest percentage you can have before it turns into sugar water? In other words whats the highest percentage a beer can handle before it cant be considered a beer anymore?

homebrewdad said:

Do note that while some styles do use some normal sugar (many Belgians, for example), you want the bulk of your sugars to come from grain - either grain you mashed, or malt extract that is preprocessed for you. Otherwise, you won't end up with beer - see boozy sugar water above.

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What is the difference between using refined sugar and sugar from a cane which i think is considered table sugar?

Generally speaking. Most yeast strains have trouble getting above 10%.
You want to be using corn sugar. read more about it here

I just made a dubbel that used 20% sugar. It was 4lbs. table sugar made into invert by boiling for 3 hours in water, then added to the boil with 20 minutes remaining. You'll want to mash higher to accomodate for the drying out that will occur.

Chris, it's hard to answer all your questions without knowing what you are trying to accomplish. You know, something like:

"I'm trying to make a __%ABV beverage using _______ and ________, which hopefully tastes like _______." Fill in the blanks for us. And while you're at it, as a formality, confirm that you are 21 or older, and not just trying to concoct an alcohol delivery system. Thanks.

frazier said:

Chris, it's hard to answer all your questions without knowing what you are trying to accomplish. You know, something like:

"I'm trying to make a __%ABV beverage using _______ and ________, which hopefully tastes like _______." Fill in the blanks for us. And while you're at it, as a formality, confirm that you are 21 or older, and not just trying to concoct an alcohol delivery system. Thanks.

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Best response yet

Guys he's admitted in another thread he's under 21..you couldn't tell by the questions? Reported to mods.

Revvy said:

Guys he's admitted in another thread he's under 21..you couldn't tell by the questions?

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Didn't see the other thread. There are a lot of people who come on here with only secondhand knowledge of brewing, but I guess I don't assume they're all underage.

tre9er said:

Didn't see the other thread. There are a lot of people who come on here with only secondhand knowledge of brewing, but I guess I don't assume they're all underage.

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This. Some folks don't read anything,just go on what they hear. Don't remember another thread myself,but hey.

Well, usually when someone's asking about sugar dumping, I don't know about you, but I check the age out on his profile, especially in June, when school is out. And now in the new version of the forum the last few posts are shown... and THIS.

chriscorapi said:

Posted in thread: Long Island, New York! on 06/25/2012 at 8:37PM
Hello everyone! I'm 19 from Suffolk County....

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But even Frazier was suspicious....

frazier said:

Chris, it's hard to answer all your questions without knowing what you are trying to accomplish. You know, something like:

"I'm trying to make a __%ABV beverage using _______ and ________, which hopefully tastes like _______." Fill in the blanks for us. And while you're at it, as a formality, confirm that you are 21 or older, and not just trying to concoct an alcohol delivery system. Thanks.

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chriscorapi said:

While boiling or at some point before I add yeast does the more sugar in it mean the higher the alcohol percent?

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Yes, but unless you're looking to make prison hooch you want to keep it to a pretty low percentage of the overall fermentables (generally under 10%). Unless the recipe calls for it or you're trying to dry out the mouthfeel it's generally not added.

chriscorapi said:

Also what are the core requirements to be considered a beer?

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Typically malt, water, hops, and yeast are the 4 components of "beer".

chriscorapi said:

Do hops always have to be used? or are there substitutions for hops? (and yes i know there are different types of hops)

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As someone else noted there are substitutions for hops, but in general you're not going to be making something that tastes like beer without using hops. Spruce tips and other ingredients have been used as bittering agents besides hops.

Ah crap. Didn't see those responses before responding.

Revvy said:

Guys he's admitted in another thread he's under 21..you couldn't tell by the questions? Reported to mods.

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Mod profile show's him to be 22. (BD - Jan, 1990)

Let's offer the benefit of the doubt until clarified.

Grimm said:

Generally speaking. Most yeast strains have trouble getting above 10%.
You want to be using corn sugar. read more about it here

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Don't get angry at the noob, I'm still learning, but if yeast have a hard time getting above 10%...
1. How do brewers get the abv higher? I've heard of some RIS' having somewhere of 14% was the highest I've seen. Would mom sugars or possibly refined sugars have to be added to raise the %
2. Does the yeast die or maybe go into a dormant state off at higher alc %? Say you have a abv of 20% would the yeast be dead and would you have to force carb it with co2? Or could you add more yeast?

ahaley said:

Don't get angry at the noob, I'm still learning, but if yeast have a hard time getting above 10%...
1. How do brewers get the abv higher? I've heard of some RIS' having somewhere of 14% was the highest I've seen. Would mom sugars or possibly refined sugars have to be added to raise the %
2. Does the yeast die or maybe go into a dormant state off at higher alc %? Say you have a abv of 20% would the yeast be dead and would you have to force carb it with co2? Or could you add more yeast?

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Multiple pitches, high-alcohol tolerant strains, etc.

Sounds simple enough, thanks

I'm not trying to make beer for the sake of getting drunk, I'm just curious to where the limits are so I know how and where to work in between. If I really were doing to get drunk I wouldn't be making beer id be making moonshine. I also don't understand the technical process of making alcohol, from what I understand it is the breakdown of sugars (by yeast eating it) and the remains are alcohol?

Yes. But you wouldn't want to just take sugar water and throw yeast in it. It would not be good, dare I say, not even drinkable.

unionrdr said:

It's not a matter of refined or cane;cane sugar can be "refined as well. Or "raw" in the case of Demerara sugar (raw cane sugar). Some ferment easier &/or quicker than others by a little bit. Raw sugars can leave color & flavor elements. It's a matter of how much sugar to malts used vs how much water. Dump a 5lb bag of sugar in a 5 gallon batch of pale ale & you're getting there.
Good beer is always about balance. Not just booze content to get drunk on.

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Now should I stick to the same sugar through out? as in when putting sugar in the bottles for carbonation? Or is that a specific kind of sugar?

tre9er said:

Yes. But you wouldn't want to just take sugar water and throw yeast in it. It would not be good, dare I say, not even drinkable.

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Oh of course not, but okay at least I understand that. Since that seems to be the only real scientific process other then it seems to be flavor experimenting.

chriscorapi said:

Now should I stick to the same sugar through out? as in when putting sugar in the bottles for carbonation? Or is that a specific kind of sugar?

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No,you can mix & match,depending on what you want to wind up with. I've used dextrose & maltodextrin in the beer,then used demerara sugar to prime with. I've mixed crystalized citrus juice & dextrose to make a flavored priming solution,as in my wife's summer shandy. So it's not critical from a chemistry standpoint. It can be from a color/flavor standpoint if you want it too.

Now priming is the carbonation stage? and then you use dextrose and maltodextrin when boiling or anything point before the carbonation stage? from what i read up on you dont need to put everything in the pot and boil it, it can be added at a later stage, only if your doing a two stage right?

To clarify, you pretty much NEED to have at LEAST some malt-extract in the boil (at the end) AND hops, in order for it to taste like beer. Sugar water with yeast won't be good at all, and the malt isn't just for flavor...it adds sugar to the beer as well. Most beers don't have ANY "sugar" other than what comes from the malt.

It still kinda seems like you want to ferment sugar water...

DME is dry malt extract right? Cause the kit I used had dry malt extract and it had a thick liquid version of it too I used both

chriscorapi said:

DME is dry malt extract right? Cause the kit I used had dry malt extract and it had a thick liquid version of it too I used both

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DME is Dry Malt Extract. the liquid was called "LME" or Liquid Malt Extract. similar

tre9er said:

To clarify, you pretty much NEED to have at LEAST some malt-extract in the boil (at the end) AND hops, in order for it to taste like beer. Sugar water with yeast won't be good at all, and the malt isn't just for flavor...it adds sugar to the beer as well. Most beers don't have ANY "sugar" other than what comes from the malt.

It still kinda seems like you want to ferment sugar water...

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One of these days I'll ferment Sugar water and I'll become rich.

Revvy said:

Well, usually when someone's asking about sugar dumping, I don't know about you, but I check the age out on his profile, especially in June, when school is out. And now in the new version of the forum the last few posts are shown... and THIS.




But even Frazier was suspicious....

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Revvy you are awesome! +1 like