Table sugar to boost ABV?

[Grizz]

I am getting ready to brew a 10 gal batch of wheat beer. I'll be using 10# wheat LME. Now I was wondering how much sugar to use to boost the ABV by 1% for this 10 gallon batch? I hear that it will cause loss of body and could cause a cider taste, as long as it's not too bad I wouldn't mind. I just want to bump slighty from .5-1% just to get that extra kick. Thanks guys!

 

[Grizz]

Anyone have any advise on this?

 

[RIC0]

1 lb for a 10 gal batch would cause no ill effects on taste i say do 1 or 1.25 drop 2 lbs of extra dme as well.

I add 1 lb Dme an .5 table sugar all the time to recipes to get an extra 1%+ on a 5 gal batch.

 

[woozy]

Well, it's all a guess but flying by the seat of my pants:

Pounds of sugar to get 1% of alcohol boost = no. gallons/(6*attenuation of yeast).

So to raise a 5 gallon batch 1% with yeast attenuating at 75%, you should add 5 gallons/(.75 * 6) = 5 gallons/4.5 = 1.1111111.... = 1 1/9 lb of sugar.

(Because ... 1 1/9 lb of sugar in a gallon will rise the o.g. by 1 1/9 * 46 = 51.1111 pts. So in 5 gallons it will raise the o.g. by (1/5)* 5.1111 = 10.2222. This will raise the potential alcohol percentage by .131 * 10.2222 = 1.339% =~ 1 1/3%. But as the yeast has an attenuation of 75% the actual alcohol percentage will go up by 1 1/3% * 3/4 = 4/3 * 3/4 % = 1%)


(the 6 comes about because .131 * 46 = 6.026 =~ 6. .131 is the scale to convert points to potential alcohol, and 46 is the gravity points of a pound of sugar in 1 gallon of wort.)

=====
To raise 7.5 gallons 2% with yeast that attenuates 60% use

2*7.5/(6*.60) = 7.5/3.6 = 4 lbs of sugar

Sugar has 46 PPG so 4 pounds contributes 184 gallon-points. Spread through 7.5 gallons thats 24.5333333... points. That's a potential percentage of alcohol of .131*24.5333333.... = 3.2138666666666666666666666666667% but as only 60% will be attenuated 3.2138666666666666666666666666667 * .6 = 1.9283% of actual alcohol.

Yup. I think this formula works...

++++++
Oh... so in your case 10 gallons. Assuming 75% attenuation of the yeast, I'd do 2.2 lbs or one kilogram of sugar.


======
*unless* I'm doing something wrong and attenuation only applies to grain. Sucrose is always *completely* fermented. Then forget the attenuation and:

pounds sugar added = alcohol boost percentage * number of gallons/6.026.

 

[chickypad]

That's a low gravity beer, adding 2 lbs of sugar is like 20% of your fermentables. I would add 2 lbs of wheat DME instead. That will bring it from about 1.036 to 1.045 and be more appropriate for the style.

 

[woozy]

That's a low gravity beer, adding 2 lbs of sugar is like 20% of your fermentables. I would add 2 lbs of wheat DME instead. That will bring it from about 1.036 to 1.045 and be more appropriate for the style.

Good point. Adding extract adds extra body and what's wrong with that. Simply making a stronger beer seems somehow more "natural".

Dang, though. I was proud of myself for figuring out that formula though. (Which probably isn't accurate anyway....)

But how about this formula:?

ABV = attenuation * .131* sum of (pounds * PPG)/gallons.

Thus to get 6% ABV in 10 gallons with Wheat LME at 75% attenuation:

5 = .75 * .131 * pounds * 37/10

5 = 0.363525 * pounds

pounds = 5/0.363525 = 13 3/4 lbs.

====
or for DME

ABV original recipe = .75 *.131 * 10* 37/10 = 3.64 (10 pounds of LME with 37 PPG)

to bump up by 1 percent to 4.64:

1 = .75 * .131 * pounds * 45/10 (DME has 45 PPG)
1 = 0.442125 pounds
pounds = 1/0.442125 = 2 1/4 lbs of DME.

====
My original formula was just a variation on this with sugar having 46 PPG.

 

[Grizz]

I'll probably just add an extra pound of sugar, i don't have any extra DME or LME on hand right now. When do I add the sugar before the boil, during, or after? Thanks for the help everyone!

 

[chickypad]

You can throw it in at flameout.