Will my yeast "re-activate" if I add sugar?

[corycorycory09]

I've been fermenting since Sunday using wlp-007 and it looks like all of the activity has died down (the krausen has fallen, no bubbles in airlock). I took a FG reading and my apparent attenuation is at 77% :rockin:


My question is, if I add some cane sugar at this point, will the yeast start working again? How much would you expect 1/2 lb of cane sugar to affect the taste of a 3.5 gallon batch?

 

[dkeller12]

The attenuation for that yeast is 70-80%. Your at 77%, I would say it has done it's job. What was you OG and what is the FG at now? What is your target FG?

 

[peterj]

Yes the yeast would consume the added sugar, but why would you be adding it? It probably wouldn't affect the taste too much other than maybe giving it more of an alcohol taste and possibly making it a bit thinner due to the added ethanol (but you probably wouldn't notice that).

 

[edroberts]

77% is pretty decent attenuation. Krausen should fall and airlock activity will slow or completely stop. All that is normal, even after 5 days. That CERTAINLY doesn't mean that the yeast isn't active.
1. Take gravity readings over a few days to see if you are still dropping or if you have reached terminal gravity.
2. Even if at terminal gravity, allow the yeast some time to do some cleanup of the byproducts produced during fermentation. Be patient.

If you still feel the need to add cane sugar, it will only up the alcohol and dry out the beer. Unless you are already at a point where the alcohol is stressing the yeast, it would probably kick the yeast back more active fermentation for a short time again.

Again, lack of an active airlock or krausen does not mean the yeast are not doing their thing.

 

[DarthCitra]

Question..why do you want to add cane sugar now? trying to dry your beer out more or do you think its time to bottle?

I say give the beer another or week so the yeast has time to clean up if you're trying to bottle.

If you're trying to dry the beer out more, the sugar will work to do that and i have done it before (i forgot to add my sugar at the end of the boil and put it off till about the stage you're at). Now there's a couple things i did, first take a gravity sample before and after the sugar being added do you can calculate it back into your OG. Then add the sugar, without adding any oxygen try to kick up some of the settled yeast to let them know that seconds have been entered into your beer and they can start eating again. Give it a week or two and take a gravity reading to see where you're at before bottling.

 

[corycorycory09]

Yes the yeast would consume the added sugar, but why would you be adding it? It probably wouldn't affect the taste too much other than maybe giving it more of an alcohol taste and possibly making it a bit thinner due to the added ethanol (but you probably wouldn't notice that).

Question..why do you want to add cane sugar now? trying to dry your beer out more or do you think its time to bottle?

I say give the beer another or week so the yeast has time to clean up if you're trying to bottle.

If you're trying to dry the beer out more, the sugar will work to do that and i have done it before (i forgot to add my sugar at the end of the boil and put it off till about the stage you're at). Now there's a couple things i did, first take a gravity sample before and after the sugar being added do you can calculate it back into your OG. Then add the sugar, without adding any oxygen try to kick up some of the settled yeast to let them know that seconds have been entered into your beer and they can start eating again. Give it a week or two and take a gravity reading to see where you're at before bottling.

Long story short I added too much water for the recipe, anticipating more boil off. The recipe was for 2.75 gallons and I ended up with 3.7 gallons in the fermenter... What was supposed to be a 9% beer ended up around 6.2%

My thought was I could get closer to my target abv by adding some sugar. Is that a bad idea?

 

[DarthCitra]

Long story short I added too much water for the recipe, anticipating more boil off. The recipe was for 2.75 gallons and I ended up with 3.7 gallons in the fermenter... What was supposed to be a 9% beer ended up around 6.2%

My thought was I could get closer to my target abv by adding some sugar. Is that a bad idea?

The sugar wont get you another 2.8% without making it really dry. I say keep it at 6.2% and learn from it for next time

 

[solbes]

IMO the last thing you would want in a diluted beer is more sugar. It will seem thinner due to the dilution, and drying it out further will further increase that perception. Likely I would let it ride.

You could possibly add a strong DME solution that has been boiled and chilled to fermenation temps to add more body. Or if its too thin, consider adding some malto dextrine malt (3 oz) boiled and chilled in a cup of water to increase body.