Added Sugar to Imperial IPA At End of Primary

[BLTalpos]

I'm brewing a partial extract Imperial IPA where the recipe called for 1 lbs. of corn sugar to help thin the beer and increase the ABV. Someone told me that you should add the sugar towards the end of primary (normally when you would transfer to secondary) to better utilize the specialty grains. When the time came, I boiled the sugar in about 0.5 gal. of water, let it cool to a few degrees below my fermentation temp. and added it to my bucket. It started bubbling after a few hours. Once the fermentation slows down, I'll be transferring to secondary and dry hopping.

I have since talked with a few home brewing pals, and the consensus is that I should've added the sugar with 15 min left in my boil. No one has any idea what the guy was talking about, and there's some worry that my IPA may have some weird flavors. Any comments, thoughts, or advice?

Thanks!

 

[ashplub]

What was your O.G.? I think it is best to add sugar at the end of the boil or if you OG is kinda high (>1.090) 3 days into fermentation. Just wait another week in primary and take a reading. You should be good to transfer then. The yeast will eat that fast.

 

[Frankiesurf]

Should he rouse the yeast to make sure they fully attneuate the sugar?

I would think he could have bottle bomvs come bottling time.

 

[944play]

I add sugar to my Tripel after most of the fermentation is done. Works a treat. The idea is to get the yeasties to chomp down as much of the less-fermentable grain-derived sugars before adding a big load of monosaccharides.

I dry-hop in primary now. It saves a lot of work and eliminates potentials for oxidation and infection. And hey, you're not going to be harvesting yeast off a giant IIPA (pronounced "double-eye-pee-ayy"), right?

 

[BLTalpos]

What was your O.G.? I think it is best to add sugar at the end of the boil or if you OG is kinda high (>1.090) 3 days into fermentation. Just wait another week in primary and take a reading. You should be good to transfer then. The yeast will eat that fast.

The OG was 1.076. I was planning to transfer once the fermentation settles down and there's not much change in the gravity.

 

[BLTalpos]

I add sugar to my Tripel after most of the fermentation is done. Works a treat. The idea is to get the yeasties to chomp down as much of the less-fermentable grain-derived sugars before adding a big load of monosaccharides.

I dry-hop in primary now. It saves a lot of work and eliminates potentials for oxidation and infection. And hey, you're not going to be harvesting yeast off a giant IIPA (pronounced "double-eye-pee-ayy"), right?

Thanks for the explanation. I don't intend on reusing the yeast, so I'll keep that in mind for future brews.

 

[TarheelBrew13]

I add sugar to my Tripel after most of the fermentation is done. Works a treat. The idea is to get the yeasties to chomp down as much of the less-fermentable grain-derived sugars before adding a big load of monosaccharides.

I'm with this guy on this one. I think the idea is to let your yeast replicate in an environment rich in malts so they have an ideal nutritional smorgasbord. Also, since yeast seems to have a tendency to slow down as their environment becomes saturated with alcohol, providing the simple sugars at the end of fermentation allows a quicker path to final gravity.

Also, is anyone else a little freaked out by 944play's picture? I can't check these forums before bed anymore because I started having nightmares. But, the way he appears to be popping out of the corner of the picture kinda looks like those guys that used to pop out of Mortal Kombat. Upercut....Upercut...."Whoopsie." If you don't get it you're probably not as cool as me but if you want to be, check out the link.
http://iplaywinner.com/news/2011/3/...oasty-forden-makes-his-triumphant-return.html

 

[Yooper]

The only concern I have at all is adding .5 gallons of water to the beer. The sugar is fine, but adding .5 gallon of water is a lot! I'd have added the sugar to like a cup or two, not .5 gallon, as that will just water down the beer by 10%. But otherwise, it doesn't matter a bit.

 

[brewmax25]

I always add some amount of sugar to all my brews three to five days after primary has begun. I was told the same thing... ita good to give those yeastie-boys some easy eating sugar at the end as a littke reward for making you such a tasty beer.

I also sometimes add a small amount of sugar to my secondary if i will be aging the beer for a long time. I do this to reduce the oxygen head space.

 

[944play]

Also, is anyone else a little freaked out by 944play's picture?

It freaks me out too. It's from about six years ago, self taken in a supermarket in (IIRC) Albuquerque, trying to emulate my rapper acquaintances.