Forgot to add the belgian candi!

So embarrassed to admit this... brewed a batch of Belgian ale today... was supposed to put the belgian candi sugar in during the boil...

And promptly forgot to do so. I realized while cleaning up that the sugar was still sitting in its bowl (away from where I was working) so it wasn't added. Has anyone done this before? I was thinking about adding it to the primary in a day or two when I see active fermentation, but my worries is that since it wasn't added to the boil, won't I be introducing possible contaminants to the fermenter? Should I wait to add it later, or add it now? Or should I forget it all together and just enjoy whatever the end-product turns out to be? Any input is greatly appreciated. And yes, next time I'll put it in my work area...

D'oh!

Dissolve it in some boiled water, let it cool down and add it to primary.

I would boil the sugar in a little water and cool it then add it to the fermenter.

I'd probably wait until fermentation starts to slow and add it then.
If you're using syrup, just add it as is. If you're using the rock candi, I'd dissolve and boil it in a small amount of water and let it cool before adding it.

If your recipe called for adding the sugar early in the boil then you're beer is probably going to be a little more bitter than intended but there's nothing you can really do about that at this point.

Wow, I must be a slow typist...beat by two responses while typing.

Let the ferment go for a few days then boil up the sugar in a little water, cool. and then throw it in the fermenter. This lets the yeast eat the complex sugars first and then eat the simple sugars last.


This method is a great way to do a Belgian. So your mistake was actually a good thing.

beergolf said:

Let the ferment go for a few days then boil up the sugar in a little water, cool. and then throw it in the fermenter. This lets the yeast eat the complex sugars first and then eat the simple sugars last.


This method is a great way to do a Belgian. So your mistake was actually a good thing.

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Ya know, I keep hearing people say that what you propose is the way to go. Yet I've never had problems just throwing the sugar in the kettle. Have you?

It helps on really big beers with lots of sugar like tripels.

WilliamWS said:

It helps on really big beers with lots of sugar like tripels.

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I always put the sugar in the kettle for tripels and even the occasional quad. No attenuation or flavor problems.

Thanks everyone, looks like you all agree with my assumption... will boil the rock candy to dissolve it (and kill any nasties) and then add to primary on Monday night. I told my friends what I'd done and they were all upset about how it might affect the alcohol content... and could have cared less about how the body would turn out. IMHO, I'm brewing particular things to learn the how's and why's and how it affects the outcome, so no sugar = no expected outcome - which would have been disappointing.

WilliamWS said:

Wow, I must be a slow typist...beat by two responses while typing.

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LOL...

Denny said:

Ya know, I keep hearing people say that what you propose is the way to go. Yet I've never had problems just throwing the sugar in the kettle. Have you?

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Never had a problem just adding it to the kettle,and have done it both ways, but it seems that I get a couple more points of attenuation if I add it later.

The theory is that it lets the yeast eat the more complex sugars first and then when you add the sugar it eats the more simple sugars.

I always add simple sugars after fermentation slows down.

It helps with yeast health (lower gravity wort to work on), and allows me to have a larger head space in the fermenter reducing the risk of a blow-off.