Adding sugar to dry out a beer!?

[Lithobid]

Thanks again for all the previous help posters have given to this newb! I have almost solved all my efficiency problems, and am going to venture into IPA territory for my next brew. Been reading some great stuff about IPA's online here and other places, hop bursting is a term I've come to know well.

My question today is about adding sugar (corn sugar) in most of the recipes, to dry out the beer allowing a better platform to present the hops to the palate. I understand that mashing low, allows more fermentable sugars to convert out, therefore increasing the amount of attenuation and ending in a thinner (more alcoholic?) beer, and a drier flavor on the palate.

Is this what adding corn sugar is going to do? Dry out the flavor? Or just increase alcohol content?

Thanks
Lithobid

 

[SnakeRidge]

Once my IPA's get much north of 1.075 OG, I add about 5-10% cane sugar. This allows you to mash at 148-150* to get a good maltiness without becoming overly sweet. I don't really notice any more 'alcohol' flavor, and I don't do it just to boost the ABV.

Think about the difference in a Barleywine and a double IPA. They can have similar OG, but the Barleywine balances more towards malt and the IIPA more towards hops/bitter. The IIPA finishes at a lower gravity as well. The sugar helps with this.

 

[daksin]

I rarely use sugar in my IPAs, but when I do it's just plain old table sugar, though corn sugar works just as well. This is usually just for IIPA's though. When people say that sugar dries out beer, it's not exactly that adding sugar will dry out a beer, it's that replacing some of your grainbill/extract with sugar that will make a more dry beer: a 100% grain beer at 1.070 will be maltier than a beer that's 90% grain and 10% sugar at 1.070.

I've never had trouble getting a standard all-malt IPA to dry out enough, but using sugar gives me some leeway on the double IPAs.

 

[Talgrath]

Thanks again for all the previous help posters have given to this newb! I have almost solved all my efficiency problems, and am going to venture into IPA territory for my next brew. Been reading some great stuff about IPA's online here and other places, hop bursting is a term I've come to know well.

My question today is about adding sugar (corn sugar) in most of the recipes, to dry out the beer allowing a better platform to present the hops to the palate. I understand that mashing low, allows more fermentable sugars to convert out, therefore increasing the amount of attenuation and ending in a thinner (more alcoholic?) beer, and a drier flavor on the palate.

Is this what adding corn sugar is going to do? Dry out the flavor? Or just increase alcohol content?

Thanks
Lithobid

Usually if you're going to add sugar, you add cane sugar or brown sugar. That said, any sugar added will both dry out the beer and increase alcohol content. That said, I usually don't add sugar to my IPA, just to my saison beers.

 

[Lithobid]

Thanks! That makes a lot of sense!

 

[Qhrumphf]

I rarely use sugar in my IPAs, but when I do it's just plain old table sugar, though corn sugar works just as well. This is usually just for IIPA's though. When people say that sugar dries out beer, it's not exactly that adding sugar will dry out a beer, it's that replacing some of your grainbill/extract with sugar that will make a more dry beer: a 100% grain beer at 1.070 will be maltier than a beer that's 90% grain and 10% sugar at 1.070.

I've never had trouble getting a standard all-malt IPA to dry out enough, but using sugar gives me some leeway on the double IPAs.

I would think that adding sugar (and not just swapping grain for sugar) can actually dry it out a little bit in addition to increasing ABV. Think of it like blending two different things, one that's malt based and sweeter and one that's just sugar, 100% attenuated. Basically adding a small amount of something like 0.990 sugar liquor to 1.015 beer. Basically adding sugar on the top would not only raise the OG but drop the FG as well, and dry the balance in the process. But obviously if you flat out swap malt for sugar it's going to be more pronounced.

 

[stevedasleeve]

Both, I don't bother with regular strength ales but 1.080 + I'll add a lb of regular cane sugar. If I don't the beer is too thick no matter how low I mash. 1 LB sugar, mash 148, 150+ calculated IBUS, very little or no crystal = fantastic IIPA.

Steve da sleeve