How do i calculate G effect of sugar additions?

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bottlebomber

bottlebomber

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I've been noticing a lot of brewing technique can include adding simple sugars during fermentation. I am going to try doing this soon with candi syrup on a belgian strong. Is there a formula to know how much the sugar contributes to 5 gallons? For a pound of candi? A pound of brown sugar? Honey? Corn sugar? I guess I could wait a few hours, mix it and take a hydro reading before and after and add the difference to the OG but with so many beer geeks around I know for sure there has to be a better way. Thanks in advance for any help/links.
 
There are lots of book and brewing programs (eg, Beersmith) that will tell you the added gravity content of a pound of different 'sugars', which will help you with this.

For reference: 1 lb of table sugar (and brown sugar, and candi sugar crystals) has 46 gravity points. That is, it will have a gravity of 1.046 when dissolved in 1 gallon of water, or 1.023 when dissolved in 2 gallons of water. If added to 5 gallons it will increase the gravity by .009, but you also need to account for the added volume from the liquid you dissolved it in. Example: If you dissolved 1 lb of sugar in 0.5 gallons of water you will have a gravity of 1.092. If you then add this to 5 gallons of 1.060 wort, you will have 32 gravity points to divide between the now 5.5 gallons; or an increase of .006.

1 lb of Corn sugar has 36 gravity points.

1 lb of Honey has (about) 33 gravity points (it varies).
 
Sugar is so fermentable that you can pretty much assume what will happen with it as far as gravity added and how fermentable it will be.
For me, I did an dubbel recently that had a lb of d2 syrup and 1/2 lb of table sugar that were added after fermentation started. So I put the whole ingredient list in beersmith to figure out potential sg (1.066) and then erased the sugars to find the sg of just the grains (1.056).
That showed me that once I add those sugars, either all in the beginning or throughout fermentation, I had another 10 gravity points to expect to gain. No, its not exact, but it'll get you close
 
skyebrewing said:
Sugar is so fermentable that you can pretty much assume what will happen with it as far as gravity added and how fermentable it will be.
For me, I did an dubbel recently that had a lb of d2 syrup and 1/2 lb of table sugar that were added after fermentation started. So I put the whole ingredient list in beersmith to figure out potential sg (1.066) and then erased the sugars to find the sg of just the grains (1.056).
That showed me that once I add those sugars, either all in the beginning or throughout fermentation, I had another 10 gravity points to expect to gain. No, its not exact, but it'll get you close
Click to expand...

Kind of off the subject, but how much darkness did the D2 contribute? I have a 1 pound bottle of D1 I was going to add at the end of the boil, and I was hoping for a dusky tan color, maybe like 20-22 SRM. Thanks a lot for the info guys, im going to check out that beersmith tool. I have a feeling it will be. Very useful
 
skyebrewing said:
Not sure actual effect since its still going, but the packaging says its 160 srm if that helps
Click to expand...

It seems like that might be the contribution per gallon. So a five gallon batch might yeald 32 srm or so pretty dark. Ill have to check what mine is
 
Calder said:
There are lots of book and brewing programs (eg, Beersmith) that will tell you the added gravity content of a pound of different 'sugars', which will help you with this.

For reference: 1 lb of table sugar (and brown sugar, and candi sugar crystals) has 46 gravity points. That is, it will have a gravity of 1.046 when dissolved in 1 gallon of water, or 1.023 when dissolved in 2 gallons of water. If added to 5 gallons it will increase the gravity by .009, but you also need to account for the added volume from the liquid you dissolved it in. Example: If you dissolved 1 lb of sugar in 0.5 gallons of water you will have a gravity of 1.092. If you then add this to 5 gallons of 1.060 wort, you will have 32 gravity points to divide between the now 5.5 gallons; or an increase of .006.

1 lb of Corn sugar has 36 gravity points.

1 lb of Honey has (about) 33 gravity points (it varies).
Click to expand...

Just was going through this for calculating the gravity increase. I also read a similar post by you (link: https://www.homebrewtalk.com/forum/...ity-points-a-sugar-malt-addition-adds.514182/)

There seems to be a slight discrepancy in both, or am I calculating it wrong?

Assuming 5gal of a wort of 1.060 gravity, the total gravity points would be:
5 x 60 = 300 gravity points

Adding a pound of sugar will contribute 46 points.

Total points now stand at 300 + 46 = 346.

But the sugar is dissolved in 0.5gal of water, so the effective volume is 5 + 0.5 = 5.5gal

So the new gravity should be 346/5.5 = 1.063

Which is only a .003 point rise compared to the OG, correct (and not .006, according to the post?)
 
You are correct. I probably had a couple of drinks when I answered, and assumed that since the half gallon had a gravity of 1.092, you would add 92 points ........ which of course is incorrect. Amazing what a couple of drinks can do to basic math skills.
 
Calder said:
You are correct. I probably had a couple of drinks when I answered, and assumed that since the half gallon had a gravity of 1.092, you would add 92 points ........ which of course is incorrect. Amazing what a couple of drinks can do to basic math skills.
Click to expand...

Well that's a relief! Hahahahahaha, yeop math skills go for a toss! Thanks a lot for the clarification! Been trying to wrap my head around this since yesterday!
 

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