Raising OG with Sugar Water

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CaptMogul

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I topped off the fermenter with too much H2o and dropped the OG. If I do this again what do you think, if I boil some sugar water, add to fermenter and procede.
Ed B
 
You might be able to restore the intended OG with sugar, but it won't make the same beer. The solution to "if I do this again" is to not do it again. It shouldn't be difficult to avoid.
 
My vote would be, if you accidentally get overzealous with the top-off, just roll with whatever beer you get and try to do better next time. Adding plain sugar to the beer will get you ABV, but potentially this will also result in a notably thinner/drier beer.
 
After all these years (81+) why didnt I think of that. Dumb Axx


since this is in the yeast forum. i can say i've done many 10 gallon batches with only 8 lb's malt, and the rest just table sugar to get 1.060 OG. it always fermented fine with the nutrients from the malt?


edit: i might be lying i was just looking through my old recipes, back before i found a box fan dries malt bettyer then a food dehydrator. and it was 8lb's malt, 5lb's adjunct, and 6lb's table sugar..

edit #2: you've been brewing for over 80 years? :mug:..
 
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Dry or liquid malt extract is considered a better alternative to sugar water to raise the OG.

In your case I would use dry malt extract because you don't need to work on it. LME will have to be put in warm water and stirred long to create a liquid syrup that will easily mix with your wort. If you just add LME it will fall to the bottom and the result might not be ideal. DME will dissolve in your wort by itself at fermentation temperature.

Sugar would raise the OG but it would be entirely converted into alcohols and CO2 and you would end up with a "fortified beer", a beer in which you have more alcohol and and not enough "body" (maltosity) to balance it. Some people call it "empty alcohol". That's not necessarily a bad thing but it's a different beer than your recipe suggested, as @VikeMan also expressed.
 
since this is in the yeast forum. i can say i've done many 10 gallon batches with only 8 lb's malt, and the rest just table sugar to get 1.060 OG. it always fermented fine with the nutrients from the malt?


edit: i might be lying i was just looking through my old recipes, back before i found a box fan dries malt bettyer then a food dehydrator. and it was 8lb's malt, 5lb's adjunct, and 6lb's table sugar..

edit #2: you've been brewing for over 80 years? :mug:..
Not quite but it seams like it, but my birthdays are coming sooner. I keep dreaming about my 57 Chev convert, I wonder where it is now.
 
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