Gabe
It's a sickness!
Im adding sugar to an AG brew today and was wondering when the optimal time to do that would be. I do 90 minute boils so carmelization is a factor. I was thinking about the 20 min left mark but I'm not sure. Thanks befor hand
When to add sugar
- Thread starter Gabe
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I don't think you will get much caramelization with an AG brew but you can certainly add the sugar 15 to 20 minutes before the end of the boil.
What are you making and what type of sugar are you adding?
What are you making and what type of sugar are you adding?
Try boiling down the first runnings if you haven't. You can get some nice caramel and melanoidin production that way. Say your first runoff yields 2g; boil that down to about 2 quarts, meanwhile collecting the rest of your sparge and getting it boiling, then combine the two before pitching hops.
As for sugar additions, they only need about 10m but if you put them in with those boiled first runnings, you'll get an even thicker caramel reduction. Careful though, sometimes it will make for a less fermentable wort, so account for that in your mash schedule, etc. Most of the beers that like some caramelization also don't mine 70-72% AA it seems.
Also note that you have to work out the math on the IBU's depending on when you add the sugar and increase the SG (decreasing the hop utilization.)
As for sugar additions, they only need about 10m but if you put them in with those boiled first runnings, you'll get an even thicker caramel reduction. Careful though, sometimes it will make for a less fermentable wort, so account for that in your mash schedule, etc. Most of the beers that like some caramelization also don't mine 70-72% AA it seems.
Also note that you have to work out the math on the IBU's depending on when you add the sugar and increase the SG (decreasing the hop utilization.)
