Solid sugar to primary

Question

Solid sugar to primary

JesseB1234

2019年3月14日 08:56

Next weekend I’m planning to brew a tripel and the recipe includes some table sugar. I usually add the sugar a few days in, after high krausen to reduce the stress on the yeast (= no starter required) in the form of a boiled-cooled sugar solution. But this brew is going to take place at my parents and myself won’t be around during the week(s) after to make the solution. I don’t want to bother the old folks with the amount of work and responsibility to make the solution, so I was wondering, why not add the sugar to the beer in its solid, powder form? It is much less work to dump it straight in.

There are a few drawbacks I could think of. One is the sugar not dissolving. When it is dumped in, it will probably make a pile at the bottom of the fermenter. I think it eventually will all dissolve and due to the activity of the yeast there is a ‘flow’ in the liquid. The other one is sanitation.

What are your thoughts? Go or no-go?

Topic primary-fermentation sugar homebrew

Category Mac

Frank van Wensveen · Accepted Answer · 2019年3月14日 08:56

The sugar will initially sit on the bottom and eventually dissolve and ferment out, but this will take some time. How long depends on the amount of sugar, its distribution in the fermenter and the amount of active yeast present. Sanitation should not be an issue, since it's difficult to get an infection from sugar (which dehydrates any bacteria that comes into contact with it).

Frazbro has a point: depending on the CO2 content of the beer under ambient pressure (which is an inverse of temperature) there will probably be some foaming. But given the low amount of CO2 this should not be a problem. I'd advocate sprinkling in a few tablespoons of sugar, giving it 10 minute or so, then add the rest.

Also, care should be taken to minimize the amount of oxygen ingress into the beer. Pour the sugar in slowly rather than dump it all into the beer on one big splash.

Frazbro · Accepted Answer · 2019年3月12日 05:56

Another issue with dumping dry sugar in is that you'll get a big foam up. I made this mistake once on a 6 hectoliter scale. Not recommended. I would recommend doing your usual boiled/cooled solution (I do this as well), but just prepare it ahead of time, store it in a convenient bottle or bottles, and keep it in a cool place. It shouldn't be any more effort for your parents to open the lid and pour the solution in than it would to dump sugar in, and there'll certainly be a lot less cleanup.

Solid sugar to primary

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