Forgot The Sugar

[crod]

Apologies for any cross over topics guys, have not had time to read. In a complete state of panic.

Problem - knocked up a brew last night, baby needed urgent changing, came back and added the yeast (good temp)....forgot the bleedin sugar!!! Christ on a bike, woke up at 5.00 am (child needed another change) saw the sugar on the table. It was 11 hours since the yeast went in. In a state of frenzied shock I gave child to mother, opened the barrel and poured in the sugar.

Have I missed the boat? gutted so I am....I mean you wouldnt read about it.


ps hi everyone

 

[jbowers]

It'll be fine mate. Would have been fine without the sugar, will still be fine with the sugar.

 

[szopen]

Apologies for any cross over topics guys, have not had time to read. In a complete state of panic.

Problem - knocked up a brew last night, baby needed urgent changing, came back and added the yeast (good temp)....forgot the bleedin sugar!!! Christ on a bike, woke up at 5.00 am (child needed another change) saw the sugar on the table. It was 11 hours since the yeast went in. In a state of frenzied shock I gave child to mother, opened the barrel and poured in the sugar.

Have I missed the boat? gutted so I am....I mean you wouldnt read about it.


ps hi everyone

I'd say: nothing to worry about.

 

[Yob]

Apologies for any cross over topics guys, have not had time to read. In a complete state of panic.

Problem - knocked up a brew last night, baby needed urgent changing, came back and added the yeast (good temp)....forgot the bleedin sugar!!! Christ on a bike, woke up at 5.00 am (child needed another change) saw the sugar on the table. It was 11 hours since the yeast went in. In a state of frenzied shock I gave child to mother, opened the barrel and poured in the sugar.

Have I missed the boat? gutted so I am....I mean you wouldnt read about it.


ps hi everyone

The yeast will still be budding at that point.. how much sugar are we talking? what was the rest of the recipe?

 

[Thefatdoghead]

Better to boil it with a little water next time if it happens. Easier to mix in and sanitised as well

 

[yum beer]

Im hoping when you say sugar you mean dextrose, or a dextrose mix, or dry malt...please tell me you didnt just use sugar.

 

[crod]

Im hoping when you say sugar you mean dextrose, or a dextrose mix, or dry malt...please tell me you didnt just use sugar.

sorry should have been more exact, no it was coopers mix 2 that you buy in coles and such. It's a pale ale brew.

 

[crod]

It'll be fine mate. Would have been fine without the sugar, will still be fine with the sugar.

Thank christ for that, it's one of those run of the mill coopers pale ale numbers, how long would you leave it in the barrel? This is only my second ever attempt and the first one was two years ago. Very much learning the trade here.

Also, from Ireland originally, are you able to do stout like brews? I assume you can, given the process must be very similar etc....a specialised brew shop or something like that? or online?

 

[dkaos]

If you're using a glad wrap lid it makes things really easy cause you can see when the krausen has died down and when its clear on top it will be ready.

Otherwise, fermentation should be stopping at about 1008-1012 for that kit.

Give it a 2-3 weeks and it will be fine, provided that you're brewing at 18 degrees or higher.

As for stouts, yeah mate you can get stout cans as well. Check out your local home brew shop as they would have a sugar mix for stouts.

Cheers,

Clint

 

[MarkBastard]

Thank christ for that, it's one of those run of the mill coopers pale ale numbers, how long would you leave it in the barrel? This is only my second ever attempt and the first one was two years ago. Very much learning the trade here.

Also, from Ireland originally, are you able to do stout like brews? I assume you can, given the process must be very similar etc....a specialised brew shop or something like that? or online?

Coopers make stout kits, should be available in kmart/big w etc.

 

[Bribie G]

Im hoping when you say sugar you mean dextrose, or a dextrose mix, or dry malt...please tell me you didnt just use sugar.

There's actually nothing basically wrong with adding cane sugar to a brew, in balance, I often slip in 200g or so into a "historical" UK full mash brew.
However the can plus kilo of the stuff is totally over the top and has done a lot to give HB a bad image. Not to mention bad hangovers.

Good to see the OP is using an "enhancer" pack.

 

[Nick JD]

I just put 500g of good ol' sugaz in a 16L batch of Belgian Dubbel. :beerbang:

It's amazing how much you can get away with if your other ingredients aren't a can off goop and a half dead packet of 1/4 the yeast you actually need.

A lot of brewing actually insists you add your sugar after your fermenter is humming along. Might find it's better beer adding the simple sugaz later.

 

[RdeVjun]

Me too, 200 to 300g sugar per batch of 'all- grain' ESB is brilliant to round off the maltiness, without simple sugar that can get just too overpowering. So as Bribie mentions, use for 'balance' and with restraint.
My latest ESB on tap had loads of Special B and 400g of sugar, now on tap it indeed has some rather Belgian character! :beerbang:

 

[benno1973]

There's a good quote from JZ somewhere about how refusing to use sugar is like an artist refusing to use white on their canvas. As long as used in moderation, it can enhance and emphasise the other colours. I'm sure he said it better than that, but you get the idea...

 

[Bribie G]

Getting a bit into voodoo science here for the OP, but adding dextrose is just what the yeasties love, they can munch on that before they do the hard work and start splitting up the maltose and other disaccharides (such as cane sugar sucrose) that they should have been doing in the first place, thus giving a different fermentation profile to the brew. It's a bit like letting the kids go straight for the ice cream machine at Sizzler before they've eaten their schnitzel and salads first to "earn" the trip to the dessert bar.

So whilst early on in the piece I always used dextrose, nowadays I haven't had any dex in the place for years.

 

[stux]

I can see a scenario where adding the sugaz later in the piece actually ends up with a better beer. Again, the yeasties will have been forced to dine on the good high-fibre filling maltose before getting to desert

 

[crod]

If you're using a glad wrap lid it makes things really easy cause you can see when the krausen has died down and when its clear on top it will be ready. Otherwise, fermentation should be stopping at about 1008-1012 for that kit. Give it a 2-3 weeks and it will be fine, provided that you're brewing at 18 degrees or higher. As for stouts, yeah mate you can get stout cans as well. Check out your local home brew shop as they would have a sugar mix for stouts. Cheers, Clint

Hi Clint,Ok noob question to make you all laugh, what on earth does 1008-1012 mean?Fine news on the stout front!Crod

 

[manticle]

Do you have a hydrometer to measure the gravity of the beer?

Most hydrometers will measure with a scale that goes from 1.000 (the gravity of water) up. The higher the number, the more sugar left in the liquid so your beer will start at a number like 1.040 (usually just written as 1040) and as the yeast eats the sugar and produces alcohol, that number will drop.

Some sugar will remain uneaten by the yeast, giving body and flavour. 1006-1008 is roughly the range where you might expect a basic kit to finish. Start adding malt etc into it and it may finish higher.

 

[dkaos]

Do you have a hydrometer to measure the gravity of the beer?

Most hydrometers will measure with a scale that goes from 1.000 (the gravity of water) up. The higher the number, the more sugar left in the liquid so your beer will start at a number like 1.040 (usually just written as 1040) and as the yeast eats the sugar and produces alcohol, that number will drop.

Some sugar will remain uneaten by the yeast, giving body and flavour. 1006-1008 is roughly the range where you might expect a basic kit to finish. Start adding malt etc into it and it may finish higher.

Yeah manticle, he added a Coopers BE2, which I think has maltodextrin? Figured that would give him a gravity in that range.

 

[manticle]

I wouldn't be surprised at 1010-1012 but I never really got my kit brews any lower than about 1010. I don't think I ever used just 1 kg of plain sugar/dex in any of them though.