First time brewing.

[Cner]

So I'm jumping into my first all-grain brew in a couple days. I'm following a recipe for the first and it says to add dextrose as a 'late addition' in the fermentables. When is considered a late addition and do I still need to carbonate after, or will that result in over-carbonated beer?

Thanks! Sorry for the dumb question.

 

[Maxkling]

Usually if your adding sugar to increase the OG you add it late in the boil. Has nothing to do with carbonation. Late can mean a lot of things but in this case anywhere between the last 15 minute and when the boil is done. I usually do the last 10 minutes.

 

[IslandLizard]

And... you'd add priming sugar after fermentation has finished, right before bottling. Usually add the dissolved priming sugar to your clean and well sanitized bottling bucket, then rack the beer on top without splashing. Gentle stir to mix it up and bottle away.

Also, if your kit instructions mention using a secondary after xx days or so, just skip over that. Leave your beer in your primary fermenter until it's ready to bottle. Secondaries cause trouble, may ruin your beer, while there's nothing they solve.

 

[Stonehenge360]

Late addition sugars are added in the last 10 or 15 minutes if the boil and bring up your OG (original gravity). It gives the yeast more to eat, and makes your final ABV higher.

This is completely independent of priming/bottling sugar which is designed to give the yeast something to eat inside the bottle to carbonate the beer.

Good luck!

 

[Cner]

Thank you guys so much for clarifying!!

 

[seatazzz]

FWIW, there are NO dumb questions on HBT! Any question you might have about brewing has probably been asked before, and answered; I'm not one of those people that will tell you to do a search instead of asking, as your particular question may be hard to find in context. Never be afraid to ask, we are all here to help (and occasionally ask our own "dumb" questions!). Welcome to this fascinating, hobby/obsession.

 

[camonick]

Late addition sugars are added in the last 10 or 15 minutes if the boil and bring up your OG (original gravity). It gives the yeast more to eat, and makes your final ABV higher.

This is 100% true in the case of the OPs question since they specified that the late addition was dextrose. For the sake of education, another late addition sugar can be lactose. It will increase the OG, but will make the beer sweeter, fuller and creamier and not affect the ABV because the yeast don’t eat it and convert it to alcohol (unfermentable).

 

[ncbrewer]

FWIW, there are NO dumb questions on HBT! Any question you might have about brewing has probably been asked before, and answered

It should be noted that there are usually multiple answers to brewing questions, such as varying times for late additions. Also, often caveats, such as mentioned by camonick. As a brewer, you get to make the judgement as to how you will brew.