I forgot the malt syrup... Salvageable? Help!

[MrThunder]

I just turned 21 and decided to brew my first beer. Well 2 weeks of fermenting later, when I am just about to bottle I notice the can of malt syrup never got added during the boiling stage. My beer tastes ok, just really really bland. Is there any way to add it now, or is it too late?

 

[phatspade]

What did you add to get fermentation if you forgot the malt?

 

[Andrew5329]

Yes, you can still add it, but you still need to prepare that can of Malt-syrup as you would your normal wort (IE: boil it for an hour or w/e the recipe prescribed) then add that to your fermenter. Just make sure that you let the new wort cool to room temp before you add it, otherwise you'll kill all the yeast w/ the temperature spike.

As many will tell you 2 weeks is fairly early for a beer to be bottled anyway. (The company says 2 weeks because it wants you to buy more kits!) While the pros/cons of extended primary/secondary fermentation are a topic of much contention on this forum, the common thread is that by the time all is said and done, the beer has spent about a month in a fermenter bucket.

 

[MrThunder]

I only forgot the 3.5lb can of malt/wheat syrup I still added the dry malt extract and all the other ingredients.

 

[lumpher]

boil the syrup for 15 minutes (not heat it, but actually rolling-boil it for 15). cool it to as close to 70 as you can get it, then dump it in. let it sit for 2-3 weeks, then bottle/keg

 

[phatspade]

Andrew is right as long as you still have the beer in the fermenter. You don't need to boil it for the full 60 min, but at least 10-15 min to kill any nasties. I cannot say you need more yeast or not, but I'd think so since most died out and sitting at the bottom. I'd expect the beer to taste more malty/sweet cause of the late addition.

Don't stress if this batch didn't turn out. Use it as a lesson learned and try again.

 

[MrThunder]

I have brewed it a few days over the suggested fermentation date, and all the foam has settled, but I did hear that fermenting it longer will not hurt. Thank you for your help! I would have just tried to add it anyways. So when I add the malt syrup (after brought to a wort) should I wait a day or two before adding the corn sugar and bottling?

 

[phatspade]

When you add the malt just let it go for a couple more weeks and then bottle.

 

[MrThunder]

Awesome! I will look into a little more yeast, what happens if more is needed, but I don't add it?

 

[kellzey]

You don't need to add yeast. The existing yeast in there will take over again!

 

[MrThunder]

Even more awesome, Thank you everyone!

 

[IFMracin]

I have brewed it a few days over the suggested fermentation date, and all the foam has settled, but I did hear that fermenting it longer will not hurt. Thank you for your help! I would have just tried to add it anyways. So when I add the malt syrup (after brought to a wort) should I wait a day or two before adding the corn sugar and bottling?

You need to allow enough time for this new wort to ferment, you are basically starting over with the fermentation process.

Also, time is not an indication of the end of fermentation, take gravity readings, you don't want to end up with a batch of bottle bombs.

 

[agcorry00]

You could always just roll with it and tell your friends you managed to clone Bud Light.

 

[Andrew5329]

As I said before the suggested fermentation date is rubbish, that's the company rushing you so that you to buy more kits. You dont need more yeast because even though your current beer is "fermented" there are still trillions of metabolically active cells in the beer cleaning out harsh aeromtic molecules that produce off flavors and triggering lots of chemical reactions you need a full sequence of college Organic Chemistry to understand. Most of that will happen w/ bottle conditioning, but it's far more thorough if the yeast have time to work before the carbonation pressure in the bottle forces them into inactivity.

You don't "have" to boil the syrup for the full time, but there are some changes that occur during the boil which can affect flavor, though if most of the malt got the full treatment the difference will most likely be subtle.

Moral of the story, add the boiled wort, close her up for 3 weeks, open it and do the normal bottling routine, wait 2 weeks, then enjoy great beer!

also @agcorry00 good one XD

 

[MrThunder]

You could always just roll with it and tell your friends you managed to clone Bud Light.

I actually considered that at first, it tastes just like coors, or fermented water.

 

[unionrdr]

If you already have the beer in the fermenter up to recipe volume,making the syrup into wort with more water wil thin it down by having added too much water. Maybe just nuke the syrup in a microwave safe bowl,cool & add.

 

[MrThunder]

So I had a malt syrup... "accident." I turned my back on it for a few minutes and came back to it being all over my stove instead of in my pot. I only had about 1/3 that malt syrup I started with, but added that none the less. Am I going to want to boil some more malt syrup and add what would have been the remainder?

 

[MrThunder]

I boiled the syrup, sans water. I didn't want to water it down, but boiling straight syrup was not a fun experience.

 

[DPBISME]

... if you follow my esteemed colleges advice be ready for a pretty goood fermentation (have you heard the expression "take off like a rocket"..

... there should be a lot of hungry yeast ready to eat.

If in a bucket I would just set the top on it without sealing it following the mixing and wait until it settles down before putting it back on...

I would guess you will get bubbles in tens of minutes... not hours...

DPB

 

[esvoytko]

I actually considered that at first, it tastes just like coors, or fermented water.

Hmm, "The Finest Fermented Water" could be Coors' new slogan.

Am I going to want to boil some more malt syrup and add what would have been the remainder?

You could really just leave it as-is at this point. If your malt volume is less than the recipe's suggested amount, you'll still get good beer if your technique was good - it'll just be a less malty, lower gravity beer. Personally, I would hate the idea of continually having to go back and keep "fixing" a brew weeks after it has been in the fermenter. That would violate the "relax, don't worry" attitude.

Remember: bees, dogs, and beer can all smell your fear.

 

[rifraf]

Just finish this one up and get another kit! No need to keep coming back to it

 

[eastoak]

I boiled the syrup, sans water. I didn't want to water it down, but boiling straight syrup was not a fun experience.

give up on this batch and start another beer.