Debating on when to add corn sugar to IIPA.

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chefchris

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Brewing up an IIPA right now and I'm going to add 1.5 lbs of corn sugar to help dry the beer out. I've seen two times to add; 15 mins left in the boil and after fermentation has started declining.

Anyone prefer one over the other?
 
In my saison, I had a lb of sugar in the recipe and I added it right as fermentation started to taper off. It works well to make sure you attenuate as well as possible since you let the yeast work on the complex sugars from the malt first, then give them the simple sugars at the end. Took it down to 1.001!
 
In my saison, I had a lb of sugar in the recipe and I added it right as fermentation started to taper off. It works well to make sure you attenuate as well as possible since you let the yeast work on the complex sugars from the malt first, then give them the simple sugars at the end. Took it down to 1.001!

****! I don't know if I want it that low. I'm assuming you boiled some water with the sugar. Cup per lb?
 
I think it was the magic saison yeast that got it that low. It was friggin amazing. I'm lovin' that beer. Very dry.

I didn't actually measure out my water for the sugar. Just made sure I had enough to get the sugar to dissolve in it. Was a small amount, I know that. Less than 10 oz because I used part of a 10 oz water bottle. Got the water boiling, cut the heat, dumped in the sugar, stirred until it dissolved, brought it back to a boil and then cooled to room temp and poured it in.
 
If I am looking for caramelization then I add it at the beginning of the boil. If not then I am going towards the last hop addition. I just made up a 10%abv IIPA and I added it at 30min.
 
I think it was the magic saison yeast that got it that low. It was friggin amazing. I'm lovin' that beer. Very dry.

I didn't actually measure out my water for the sugar. Just made sure I had enough to get the sugar to dissolve in it. Was a small amount, I know that. Less than 10 oz because I used part of a 10 oz water bottle. Got the water boiling, cut the heat, dumped in the sugar, stirred until it dissolved, brought it back to a boil and then cooled to room temp and poured it in.

hmm, might go this route. I got to thinking about adding the sugar to the boil. If you add the simplest sugar in with the more complex, the yeast are gonna go after the simple sugars. Same reason you don't use corn sugar in a starter. Yeast get lazy.
 
hmm, might go this route. I got to thinking about adding the sugar to the boil. If you add the simplest sugar in with the more complex, the yeast are gonna go after the simple sugars. Same reason you don't use corn sugar in a starter. Yeast get lazy.

Exactly. They have to secrete different enzymes to eat maltose than they do simple sugars. So they'll cut through all the simple sugar first and then might not be equipped to finished up the maltose at the end. Or that's what they say.
 
wow that sucks...I had about 1\4 cup of corn sugar left from bottling yesterday, and today I threw the corn sugar in with the extra light DME for my starter..plan on brewing tomorrow night, wonder if I screwed myself on that one...

sorry, not trying to drag the thread off topic just thought I'd chime in :)
 
Exactly. They have to secrete different enzymes to eat maltose than they do simple sugars. So they'll cut through all the simple sugar first and then might not be equipped to finished up the maltose at the end. Or that's what they say.

Yes, they say that, but in my experience it doesn't happen like that. Also, if you add it to the kettle, you won't get caramelization. That requires exposure to O2 and temps in excess of 360, neither of which happen in the kettle.
 
wow that sucks...I had about 1\4 cup of corn sugar left from bottling yesterday, and today I threw the corn sugar in with the extra light DME for my starter..plan on brewing tomorrow night, wonder if I screwed myself on that one...

sorry, not trying to drag the thread off topic just thought I'd chime in :)

I doubt you'll have a problem, but there's really no reason to add sugar to a starter and nothing to be gained from it.
 
Caramelization might not have been the correct choice of words. I find that I can get both more color (on a vigorous boil) and that caramelization/melanoidin flavor when add the sugar early on in the boil. When I am looking for just a boost in alcohol and a dry finish, I try to add the sugar towards the end of the boil.
 
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