corn sugar in double IPA

Discussion in 'Homebrewing' started by briggssteel, Apr 17, 2012.

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  1. briggssteel

    briggssteel Initiate (0) Apr 8, 2010 Ohio

    Hey all. I've been looking up different recipes and style suggestions and adding either corn sugar or table sugar tothet the final gravity lower seems like a must for the style. However everyone seems very non specific about WHEN to add the sugar. I assume it's at the beginning of the boil (although not sure if I'm doing a 60 or 90 minute boil). I assume you wouldn't put it in the mash but maybe you do. I don't know. Maybe some of you have experimented with adding it at different times and have found the best way to do it. Thanks
     
  2. leedorham

    leedorham Initiate (0) Apr 27, 2006 Washington

    You will increase hop utilization by adding it toward the end of the boil. It just needs time to dissolve. I'd throw it in at 10 minutes.

    It's a bigger deal with partial boils than with full boils.
     
  3. jokelahoma

    jokelahoma Savant (1,162) May 9, 2004 Missouri

    Just add it to the boil. It does nothing for the mash, since there's nothing in sugar that needs to be converted. As to when in the boil, it doesn't really matter much. Just don't dump it all in at once and let it sit and caramelize at the bottom of the kettle. In other words, do stir it in. :-) And skip the corn sugar. That's added unnecessary expense. Cane sugar works fine for adding to a boil.
     
  4. efrank

    efrank Initiate (0) Jul 18, 2008 Pennsylvania

    I have been looking for more information on this topic as well. How much sugar should you use when extract brewing? Replace 10% of the DME with sugar?
     
  5. mylar

    mylar Initiate (0) Dec 13, 2011 Pennsylvania

    I've added it to the primary at high krauasen like I do with Belgian beers, dissolve your sugar ib water boil it to sanitise, let cool and dump it into the primary
     
  6. HopNuggets

    HopNuggets Initiate (0) Oct 8, 2009 Connecticut

    Why even worry about the extra step of boil the corn sugar separate at high krauasen? I would just add it as a late malt addition anywhere in the area of 20-5 minutes left in the boil.
     
  7. Utawana

    Utawana Initiate (0) Nov 7, 2007 New York

    I throw it in with 30 minutes left. I read somewhere that the amount of dissolved sugar in the wort affects the isomerization of hop acids, and I have my hop additions zeroed in... so I'm keeping the timing consistent with what I have always done.
     
  8. nanobrew

    nanobrew Initiate (0) Dec 31, 2008 California

    I would guess the thought is that by adding the simple sugars early you can create "lazy" yeast. They will eat the simple sugars and not as much of the complex sugars.

    With that said I have done both methods. I usually add the table sugar / candi sugar in the fermenter if the beer is really high ABV (10%+). Does this help? IDK, but it makes me feel better
     
  9. mylar

    mylar Initiate (0) Dec 13, 2011 Pennsylvania

    Yes, adding the sugar after fermentation has started to give the yeast a chance to eat up some of the more complex sugars...and like what you said does it help, but it makes you feel better...my thoughts exactly....

    Also the first time I did this with an Imperial IPA (done it both ways now) I thought I had more sugar on hand on brew day than I actually did so I just went through with the brewing and added it later like in the method described.

    Another thought on this is that adding it late also give the yeast the edge when it comes to pitching rates since the starting gravity will be (at least for my recipe) 8 points lower, the yeast will go through a growth phase before fermentation begins, thus will have more cells to take on the sugar you're going to add....how much this matters I dont know, but its just a thought...
     
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