Using sugar to dry out a beer

[OkanaganMike]

Hey folks, I'd like to dry out an IPA recipe I'm working on and understand sugar either at the end of the boil or introduced after initial fermentation has occured should work. I can't figure how much to add to drop a few points as when I enter it in to the recipe build it only raises the OG and nothing to the FG. Is this a glitch in the system?

 

[Minbari]

adding sugar will not effect FG. it will raise your OG and you will just get more alc, assuming all the sugar gets fermented.

if you want to dry out a recipe, you need a yeast that will ferment down into single digits and replace some of the malt sugar with simple sugar, but keep the OG the same so that you have less residual sugar at the end.

 

[Craigerrr]

It will definitely increase the OG, and may not have much affect on the FG if any. As minbari suggest a different yeast, or I believe some people use enzymes.

 

[Megary]

Instead of just adding sugar, replace some of your base malt with sugar. Since sugar is fully fermentable, this should give you what you’re after. In my opinion, anyway.

 

[GFHomebrew]

Yeah I'd atleast try it.
It will fully ferment out.
It should also thin out the body as well.

 

[HighVoltageMan!]

Sugar does “dry” the beer out. Adding it can actually lower the FG because the sugar is nearly completely converted to co2 and alcohol. The effect is a higher alcohol content and lower perceived sweetness. That’s what makes a Belgian beer so drinkable.

 

[Minbari]

Sugar does “dry” the beer out. Adding it can actually lower the FG because the sugar is nearly completely converted to co2 and alcohol. The effect is a higher alcohol content and lower perceived sweetness. That’s what makes a Belgian beer so drinkable.

but if you start with a 1.050 SG beer and add 20 pts of sugar. the sugar will complettely ferment out and leave you with whatever your original FG would have been. only way sugar is gonna lower your FG is if you put in less base malt to lower your OG by whatever amount the sugar raises it.

edit:

ok I made a batch to see what sugar would do with a simple pilsner. 2lbs of sugar raises the OG by 16pts, lowers the FG by 3 pts. so it would seem it can lower it a bit. but that is ALLOT of sugar.

 

[Sandy Feet]

A moderate gravity beer with a fairly fermentable base malt like 2 row or Pilsner with a tiny bit of Crystal using somthing close to S05, should get you close to 1.010 FG. You want to be lower (drier) than that?

 

[Ryeff]

Consider changing your mash temps and times to emphasize beta-amylase vs. alpha-amylase. This will alter the dry/sweet end result of your homebrew.

 

[OkanaganMike]

Thanks everyone, that clears it up a lot. I'm doing 13lbs pale malt and 6oz C-15, mashing in at 150-152 and using S-05.I had a buddies beer a long time ago and it was very dry and wanted to duplicate it. I think he must have sub'd some malt for sugar. Maybe I'll try that in the future.
Cheers!

 

[Someday Co]

Adding sugar to a beer recipe can raise the original gravity (OG), and can affect the final gravity (FG) depending on when and how the sugar is added.

When sugar is added at the end of the boil, it is usually fully fermentable. This raises the OG because the sugar contributes to the total sugar content before fermentation starts of course. Since the yeast consumes all the sugar, it will also contribute to lowering the FG, resulting in a drier beer.

If you're adding sugar after the initial fermentation has occurred, make sure to keep in mind the yeast's attenuation characteristics. If you know the attenuation of your yeast, you can estimate how much the FG will drop when you add sugar.

Here's how to calculate the effect of the sugar:

First determine the potential gravity contribution of the sugar: For example, table sugar has a potential gravity of 46 pound per gallon PPG. So if you add one pound of sugar to one gallon of water, it will increase the gravity by 46 points.

Second calculate the additional gravity points based on the amount of sugar added: Let's say you want to add one pound of sugar to your recipe. Multiply the PPG of sugar by the weight of sugar added. In this case, it would be 46 PPG * 1 pound = 46 additional gravity points.

Third determine the attenuation of the yeast

Fourth calculate the expected drop in FG: To estimate the drop in FG, multiply the additional gravity points from step 2 by the yeast's attenuation percentage. For example, if you added 46 gravity points of sugar and the yeast attenuates 75%, the expected drop in FG would be 46 * 0.75 = 34.5 gravity points.

Cool, I think I overcomplicated that, but hopefully this helps

 

[Minbari]

Adding sugar to a beer recipe can raise the original gravity (OG), and can affect the final gravity (FG) depending on when and how the sugar is added.

When sugar is added at the end of the boil, it is usually fully fermentable. This raises the OG because the sugar contributes to the total sugar content before fermentation starts of course. Since the yeast consumes all the sugar, it will also contribute to lowering the FG, resulting in a drier beer.

If you're adding sugar after the initial fermentation has occurred, make sure to keep in mind the yeast's attenuation characteristics. If you know the attenuation of your yeast, you can estimate how much the FG will drop when you add sugar.

Here's how to calculate the effect of the sugar:

First determine the potential gravity contribution of the sugar: For example, table sugar has a potential gravity of 46 pound per gallon PPG. So if you add one pound of sugar to one gallon of water, it will increase the gravity by 46 points.

Second calculate the additional gravity points based on the amount of sugar added: Let's say you want to add one pound of sugar to your recipe. Multiply the PPG of sugar by the weight of sugar added. In this case, it would be 46 PPG * 1 pound = 46 additional gravity points.

Third determine the attenuation of the yeast

Fourth calculate the expected drop in FG: To estimate the drop in FG, multiply the additional gravity points from step 2 by the yeast's attenuation percentage. For example, if you added 46 gravity points of sugar and the yeast attenuates 75%, the expected drop in FG would be 46 * 0.75 = 34.5 gravity points.

Cool, I think I overcomplicated that, but hopefully this helps

Yes but the drops you are seeing is from the sugar you added. You will not see more than a couple pts difference from the original recipe. The yeast will eat the sugar from the malt and the sugar you added. The sugars that weren't fermentable from the original recipe are still not fermented. Leaving you with the same FG as you would have.

Only way to get a lower FG, given a specific OG, is to use less malt and substitute it with sugar

 

[GFHomebrew]

Or Gluco-amylase enzymes in the fermenter will dry it right out like in Brut IPA.

Clarity Ferm and that low carb Enzymes will work as well

 

[Sandy Feet]

If you want something like a Brut, look at enzymes. If you want a regular IPA, 13 lbs of Pale with very little anything else with a good dose of S05 should go fairly dry. Either use a starter or overpitch. Make sure you hsve a well oxyigated wort.