Started my second brew, But had a few questions about the first...

[DanWadeOKC]

I just started the second batch, a belgian wit. everything seems to be going great. Instead of brewing with the liquid malt extract, like the first. I brewed it with one pound candi beet sugar, one pound DME and one pound corn sugar. The fermentation was perfectly violent a night or two after racking.

Which brings me to my question. On my first batch, made with the liquid can of extract and liquid malt extract which was boiled and placed into the primary bucket with little to no action in the airlock. I didn't cool the gallon of wort before pitching the yeast, yet the four gallons of water added were a lot colder due to the cool weather here in Oklahoma. Regardless, once put into the secondary (carboy) fermentation seemed to be going nicely. Okay, let me get to the point. Right before bottling, it calls to mix a little more sugar to the wort.

How would you go about doing this properly?

We added about 3/4 of a cup of sugar to the five gallons of wort and it foamed over. I'm afraid that the sugar didn't penetrate the wort leaving the yeast hungry without any sugar to eat. Thus leading to no carbonation and flat beer. Should I be worried?

 

[Suthrncomfrt1884]

You'll need to boil the sugar for about 10 minutes in water. Then cool the sugar solution down and pour it in a sanitized bucket. Add your fermented beer to that bucket and bottle from there.

 

[impatient]

I have stirred sugar in for bottling without boiling water. I probably should not do this but I have and it worked just fine. However, it is important that you stir the corn sugar in. Stir very slowly without splashing which could cause aeration of the wort.

The question is, did you stir yours to make sure the sugar was not sitting on the bottom. I would guess you would have seen the sugar on the bottom of the bucket.

 

[Pappers_]

Dan, I know these aren't what you were asking about, but I've gotta comment on them.

Instead of brewing with the liquid malt extract, like the first. I brewed it with one pound candi beet sugar, one pound DME and one pound corn sugar. The fermentation was perfectly violent a night or two after racking.

You're brewing a batch with 2 lbs of sugar and 1 lb of malt extract? Did you get this from a recipe? This is going to be hootch-like, I'm afraid.

If you are interested, there are some great recipes in the recipe database on this site, including Wit Biers. Some are for extract brewers. Or you can ask for some help in translating an all-grain brew into an extract. I believe I may even have a witbier recipe in the database

I didn't cool the gallon of wort before pitching the yeast, yet the four gallons of water added were a lot colder due to the cool weather here in Oklahoma.

From what you wrote later, it sounds like this worked for you maybe, but that is frankly surprising. If you add yeast to boiling hot water, it will kill the yeast. You can cool it down later, but the yeast will still be dead. You must cool your wort (whether by adding cold water, or putting your brew pot in an ice bath, or both) before adding the yeast.

Again, I know you weren't asking about these things, but thought it might be of help to you in future brews. Cheers and Happy New Year!

 

[impatient]

Dan, I know these aren't what you were asking about, but I've gotta comment on them.



You're brewing a batch with 2 lbs of sugar and 1 lb of malt extract? Did you get this from a recipe? This is going to be hootch-like, I'm afraid.

If you are interested, there are some great recipes in the recipe database on this site, including Wit Biers. Some are for extract brewers. Or you can ask for some help in translating an all-grain brew into an extract. I believe I may even have a witbier recipe in the database



From what you wrote later, it sounds like this worked for you maybe, but that is frankly surprising. If you add yeast to boiling hot water, it will kill the yeast. You can cool it down later, but the yeast will still be dead. You must cool your wort (whether by adding cold water, or putting your brew pot in an ice bath, or both) before adding the yeast.

Again, I know you weren't asking about these things, but thought it might be of help to you in future brews. Cheers and Happy New Year!

I didn't say anything either. However, I once added 2lbs of corn sugar to a bock to up the alcohol. It tasted like ****. I could not even drink it. Just because it will ferment does not mean it will work.

 

[eljefe]

We added about 3/4 of a cup of sugar to the five gallons of wort and it foamed over.

I find this statement to be very interesting. Are you stating that when you poured the sugar into the wort that there was an immediate foam reaction? If so, that is cool and frightening at the same time.

 

[DanWadeOKC]

"You're brewing a batch with 2 lbs of sugar and 1 lb of malt extract? Did you get this from a recipe? This is going to be hootch-like, I'm afraid."

I'm using a BREWFERM beer kit, Tarwebier to be exact. It calls for six cups of sugar or 3.3 pounds of the liquid malt extract. So instead of using either or... I put two cups of the candi beet sugar, two cups of the corn sugar and two cups of DME. Is this a bad thing? what should i expect? It's been fermenting nicely and smells great for only being in the primary for almost a week.


"From what you wrote later, it sounds like this worked for you maybe, but that is frankly surprising. If you add yeast to boiling hot water, it will kill the yeast. You can cool it down later, but the yeast will still be dead. You must cool your wort (whether by adding cold water, or putting your brew pot in an ice bath, or both) before adding the yeast."

Also, On the comment above...(which was my first batch ever) I boiled the wort and then put in the cold water before i pitched the yeast. I also re hydrated the yeast before pitching. It definitely wasn't boiling hot, but warm none-the-less. On the second batch I set the primary outside in the snow for a little bit (we had a massive blizzard) I finally reached a temp of 75 degrees before pitching the yeast this time.

 

[eljefe]

"You're brewing a batch with 2 lbs of sugar and 1 lb of malt extract? Did you get this from a recipe? This is going to be hootch-like, I'm afraid."

I'm using a BREWFERM beer kit, Tarwebier to be exact. It calls for six cups of sugar or 3.3 pounds of the liquid malt extract. So instead of using either or... I put two cups of the candi beet sugar, two cups of the corn sugar and two cups of DME. Is this a bad thing? what should i expect? It's been fermenting nicely and smells great for only being in the primary for almost a week.

Don't worry about right or wrong, chances are some of the best styles of beers were the result of people improvising. If it tastes good, enjoy it! If it doesn't taste good, drink it late at night when your taste buds are shot!

 

[DanWadeOKC]

I find this statement to be very interesting. Are you stating that when you poured the sugar into the wort that there was an immediate foam reaction? If so, that is cool and frightening at the same time.

Yeah, It was my first time to bottle. I siphoned the beer out of the carboy to the primary. cleaned the bottles and added the sugar. As soon as I added the sugar it foamed over. We got a stir in or two but not much, we were afraid that is would do it again so we bottled.

 

[DanWadeOKC]

Also, the BREWFERM kit called for 15 liters of water. We used 5 gallons. Is this too much water? I surely do not want watered down beer.