more DME...double pitch?

Hey everyone, I'm planning to brew the following english strong ale recipe, from a kit, in a week or so:

Specialty Grain
.5 lbs english dark crystal
.25 lbs english medium crystal
.25 lbs pale chocolate

Fermentables
6.3 lbs gold malt syrup
1 lb briess light golden DME
1 lb corn sugar

Hops
1 oz brewer's gold (60 min)
1 oz UK Kent Goldings (60 mins)
1 oz UK kent goldings (20 min)
1 oz UK fuggle (0 min)

Yeast
Wyeast 1968 london ESB yeast

What would any of you think about souping this up a bit with an extra pound of DME? :rockin:

The bigger question, if I do add the extra DME, would you recommend that I double pitch the yeast? Or if I make a yeast starter, will that suffice? I have never used a yeast calculator to figure the exact amount of yeast to use, but in the past I have posted about having my batches with an OG of 1.060 or higher getting stuck with an SG around 1.020. I am really trying to break that 1.020 barrier!

And a smaller question, will the extra DME affect taste if I do nothing to counter it?

Y'alls wisdom is appreciated in advance!

Based on the recipe, and unionrdr's recommendation, I estimated the Original Gravity at 1.081 and at this rate using Wyeast 1968 london ESB dry yeast you will need 3 5 gram packets of dry yeast. This is slightly under pitching since the calculator calls for 3.2 packets. But at such a small difference I don't think it will be an issue. Here is a link to the pitch rate calculator I use. Mrmalty.com

Thanks for the recommendation, uniondr. I'm not too familiar with the style so your suggestion is much appreciated. Just to clarify, the Wyeast will be of the liquid variety. I imagine this may negate the need for 3 pouches? I'll check it out at the site that you mentioned, BamaRooster. Thanks for the link!

Using the calculator at Mrmalty.com it looks like I will be good with one pouch of the liquid Wyeast as long as I put together a starter. Sounds good. Can't wait to brew it up! Thanks again for the replies!

Yes, you will need a starter. That's a relatively high gravity beer. I make it about 1.064. Adding 1 lb of DME will get you to about 1.073.

I would leave the sugar in the recipe. You can use table sugar in place of it. Reason I would leave it in is because the yeast is a low attenuator and the sugar will help lower the FG, and sugar is a traditional ingredient in British beers.

Adding additional DME. The only real issue I see with this is that you will be increasing the FG by about 3 points. My estimate is the beer will end about 1.017-1.018 as it is. With the addition of 1 lb of DME it will be 1.020-1.021.

unionrdr said:

The yeast may be a low attenuation variety,but the sugars in the DME are simple sugars as well. My Burton ale used 2 cooper's cans (LME),3lbs of plain light DME,& 3oz of 3 hops. That's 10.5lbs of malts. No added sugars,& the OG was 1.065. It got down to 1.018. So in my experience,the added sugar isn't really needed. It also depends on the style being brewed. Some,like the Burton,are known for their residual malty sweetness. But not a lot.

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The sugars in DME are not all simple, it has a lot of complex sugars that the yeast cannot convert. Corn or cane sugar can be completely converted (greater than 100% apparent attenuation so can actually offset some of the remaining complex sugars from malt.

I think 1.018 is high for any beer. My highest this past year was 1.018, and that was a 13% Barleywine. It is sweet enough for me. For an IPA, 1.018 is right at the top of the style guidelines.