How to Sanitize Sugar Addition

Ingredients
1

I made an American Brown Ale, and forgot to add the brown and cane sugars (1/2 lb. of each).  It’s fermenting merrily along, and I’m sure it’ll be fine, but I could add the sugars while the yeast are active, to get to what the recipe really was.

I’m wondering about the best way to sanitize it, and I’d think extracting some of the fermenting beer, add the sugar, do a 10 minute boil, cool it, and add it back into the fermenter, would be best.  I could just use more tap water, but the fermenter is rather full, and I also don’t want to dilute it.  It is just “clean” sugar, maybe I can just stir it into the fermenting beer?  Thoughts?  –  Dave King, BIER

2

I have made Belgian Tripel by adding the sugar addition directly into the fermenter on the third day of fermentation.  I don’t think you need to be concerned with sanitizing it, especially if you’re using it right out of the sealed container from the store.

3

+1.  I’ve done the same with sugar additions.

4

Dump it in.  I’ve done it many times with no worries.

I don’t think a pound is too much to add all at once, but you could break it up into staged additions if you want to.

I’d make sure you get the break up the brown sugar so it’s not too clumpy.

5

I usually make a simple syrup. Not to sanitize but so the sugar will mix in better and not just fall to the bottom. With that being said I have just dumped it in with no problems.

6

Add me to the “just dump it in” camp. Sugar is highly hygroscopic, so not much is able to grow on it.

7

Thanks guys, I think I’ll just mix up the Cane and Brown sugar, to get rid of lumps, and stir it in.  I thought I’d heard there was no need to sanitize, but couldn’t find any reference to that on the web.  See you in Philly,

Dave King, BIER

8

Sugar is hygroscopic, meaning it will suck in any available water. It will desiccate any bacteria or fungus that happens to land in it, so nothing grows. At worst, you would have a few spores vs. trillions(?) of yeast cells. Nothing to worry about.

9

This is my theory on splash aeration vs O2. Random spores vs billions of good guys. Good guys win, and I don’t worry about the small stuff.

10

When it comes to sanitization concerns, my goto is always Everclear.
A slurry of sugar and etoh should be doable if there is great concern.
You will at worst bump the ABV up a fraction.