Did I just ruin my beer?

[EddieTheBrewerLADET]

Hi everyone,


Relatively new to the craft. Just brewed Northern Brewers Dead Ringer IPA kit. Its been fermenting for about 3.5 days now, and decided Id be curious to see if I can lighten it up a bit and bump up the alcohol. Spoke to a brew master that I know and he said to boil some cane sugar and add that to the fermenter. I, today, added about 2lb of table sugar, boiled in some water to dissolve and I now hear the fermentation really kicking up.

Am I ok?

 

[whattheschmidt]

It will be fine.

You might want to monitor it to make sure it doesn't blow off the lid of the fermenter. Look up blow off tube if that is a concern with how active it is. I would also try to cool it down if you aren't using precise temperature control.

 

[snow16]

Personally, I would have waited to taste that first batch as it was meant to be before deciding to tweak anything, but there's nothing you can do about it now.

So long as the sugar and water you added were both sanitary, I don't think you'll run into any issues in there.

The beer's balance may be a bit out of whack now as you don't have the hops to back up the large amount of extra sugar you threw in, but so long as you're on top of sanitation and your general procedure is sound, I'm sure you'll have something drinkable. Maybe even great, who knows. Hope it works out for you - !

 

[castillo556]

You hear it? I've never "heard" my beer fermenting.

2 lbs of sugar is alot. It's going to dry the beer out quite a bit and change the taste profile. You may or may not get a hot or cidery taste from the extra alcohol.

ABV used to be important to me, now I am much more concerned about taste. Even if I miss my mash temps.

You would be have been better off boiling a lb of DME or LME and adding that, but it certainly isn't ruined. It may turn out fine.

Many Belgian styles use cane sugar to bump up the ABV, but Dead Ringer is a Bell's clone is it not?

 

[EddieTheBrewerLADET]

It will be fine.

You might want to monitor it to make sure it doesn't blow off the lid of the fermenter. Look up blow off tube if that is a concern with how active it is. I would also try to cool it down if you aren't using precise temperature control.

You dont think it ruined the flavor? Too boozy, cidery?

 

[EddieTheBrewerLADET]

You hear it? I've never "heard" my beer fermenting.

2 lbs of sugar is alot. It's going to dry the beer out quite a bit and change the taste profile. You may or may not get a hot or cidery taste from the extra alcohol.

ABV used to be important to me, now I am much more concerned about taste. Even if I miss my mash temps.

You would be have been better off boiling a lb of DME or LME and adding that, but it certainly isn't ruined. It may turn out fine.

Many Belgian styles use cane sugar to bump up the ABV, but Dead Ringer is a Bell's clone is it not?

Yeah its Bell's Two Hearted.