Adding 2lbs of Dextrose to the boil?

[don_bran321]

I'm making an American Ipa and I have 10lb of malts for the mash.

I have a ton of Dextrose sitting around and wanted to add two pounds to the boil to boost the ABV.

My question is. is this too much? Will it effect the flavor at this point?

 

[Aaron Beers]

Well, according to Beersmith, 10lbs of US 2 row for a 5 gallon batch will yield an estimated original SG of 1.052, low for the AIPA specs. Adding 2lbs of dextrose increases the SG to 1.071, the high end for AIPA specs.

As for the flavor, you're looking around 8% ABV, which I'd think to be fine with aggressive hopping.

 

[Azura]

It will make more booze and reduce malt flavor. 5-10% sugar is a guideline for (D)IPA you have surpassed. Try a pound. See what happens.

 

[don_bran321]

I wanted to boost the ABV but was afraid of what it might do to flavor

 

[Dcpcooks]

I wanted to boost the ABV but was afraid of what it might do to flavor

Over 10% isn’t great for the beer. It can add a cider like dryness.

 

[DeadYetiBrew]

I wanted to boost the ABV but was afraid of what it might do to flavor

Instead of dextrose try different sugars... Honey, Brown Sugar, Syrups... All impart some flavor without giving it that harsh alcohol character. Also, take into consideration the alcohol tolerance of the yeast you'll be using.

 

[Harry482]

In my experience, 1 lb. is as high as you can go before it gets thin and boozy. I usually go with .5 lb. for a 5g batch if at all.

 

[Calder]

2 lb is too much for an IPA. I think 1 lb would be appropriate. It will help dry out the beer, which is how I like my IPAs.

 

[javert]

Dunno. Last time we used sugar to try to "save" a batch made with some terrible 6-row malt the result was a beer that tasted like soda, and not in a good way. There was an "emptiness" impression on it, like some malt flavor lacking where it should be. Even if it had alcohol, it reminded to Kool aid with added ethanol.

Hops are expensive and sometimes hard to find. The dextrose is better off stored than jeopardizing a batch of IPA.

 

[don_bran321]

thanks for the advice guys. I wish I had read some of these replies before I did it. Haha
I'm thinking 1 pound next time.
I was just trying to use up a bunch that was just sitting there.
I don't bottle carb I keg only.

I like the dryness as well but Im thinking from your responses that this will turn out too dry.

I'll post the results for everyone regardless cheers!

 

[thehaze]

I used 2 lbs of refined cane sugar in an Imperial Porter with a 17 lbs grain bill and I could not pick up any cidery taste or flavour.

 

[don_bran321]

Well that gives me a small bit of hope @thehaze

But according to everyone else you were fine bc it added up to 11% with your grain bill (very close to 10%}
where as mine came to 20%.

to make matters worse my mash efficiency was garbage bc of equipment malfunction. none the less, time will tell

 

[thehaze]

Just see it through and if it turns less than desirable, you will at least have experienced it now and next time...well, there will not be a next time, as you will probably adjust accordingly. But it is part of the process and after all, although it could mean this batch will turn out worse than expected, this is how you experiment and also gather knowledge / information to use for all your future brews.

 

[don_bran321]

true story. I like the idea of using 10% to dry out the beer. Was looking for a solution. Friends were saying beers seemed too malty.

I feel like every time I brew learn something new... the hard way. It's rough

 

[Calder]

You will be fine with 2 lbs. I think 1 lb would have been better, but you haven't ruined the beer with the additional sugar. It will just end up a bit drier, which isn't all that bad.

You will not get any cidery notes. I never have, and I've used 30% in some Belgians before now.

 

[MHBT]

Yeah i dont think you have to worry about the "cidery" myth cause if that was true most belgian beers would taste like cider..There are recipes for belgians that have 20+% sugar..but for an IPA i think 1 Ib would serve you well

 

[DeadYetiBrew]

Yeah i dont think you have to worry about the "cidery" myth cause if that was true most belgian beers would taste like cider..There are recipes for belgians that have 20+% sugar..but for an IPA i think 1 Ib would serve you well

I wouldn't really call it a myth, or cidery, it's more of an off flavor. Those belgian beers are made with something other than dextrose... Belgian candi syrup is a mixture of beet sugars and others, the old breweries actually boil first runnings into a syrup, basically producing a LME... Dextrose (corn sugar) tends to leave a dry, corn whiskey flavor if used in excess... BUT like with every beer ingredient, moderation and balance is key as is the yeast used. Different strains are better with different sugars [(lager vs ale vs wheat) and (belgian vs london vs american)] and will leave different characteristics when encounter said sugars...

EDIT: totally was not trying to sound like an ass, i was agreeing with your assessment and expanding on it.

 

[don_bran321]

Update:

I honestly couldn't be happier with the way this beer turned out.
The color is great the flavor came out great and it's suuuper clean and dry just what Ive been trying to accomplish.
It doesn't have that super thick maltyness that most of my IPAs have had therefore I will be substituting grains for Dextrose in the future!
Happy Homebrew

 

[MHBT]

Nice looking beer, cheers