Well, there's usually a reason why something is called for in a recipe. In this case I'm figuring that the reason is that since it's a high gravity wort, with a lot of complex sugars, the brewers of the original recipe (who more than likely tried several variations of the recipe before deciding WHAT WORKS BEST for them) their intent, which is common with big beers, is to give the yeast a chance to replicate and get active before adding EVEN MORE SUGAR to the wort.
They don't want to necessarily tire out the yeast. Which leads to off flavors. And/or Stalled Fermentation.
When I made my
19.75% 5 year aged Barleywine I had both staggered sugar additions over TWO WEEKS of initial fermentation, for the same reason, didn't want to tax the yeast and cause it to have off flavors.
This is pretty common, especially in some big Belgian Beers...
This article looks to cover it in detail.
His conclusion,
The mere fact trusted homebrewing authorities began endorsing the use of staggered sugar additions during fermentation suggests to me there is some utility to the practice, and based on my own anecdotal experience, it does seem to reduce the risk of the dreaded stalled fermentation. Still, I expected these beers to be more different than they were, in terms of both measurable and perceptible qualities. The fact they weren’t leaves me wondering if staggered sugar additions during fermentation isn’t another insurance measure, as there are plenty of anecdotal reports from professionals and homebrewers alike swearing it has helped in their high OG brewing.
The choice is going to be up to you, but as someone who creates recipes that people brew, I know that before I "release" a recipe to the public, I have "Tweaked" it to solve problems...and if there's something in my recipe (like a mash temp that seems strange) more than likely I have a reason for it, have tried different ways, and that's the way to achieve the beer I MADE. And to do different, will NOT be making the SAME beer I made.
