when to add sugars in a high gravity brew

I’ve been wondering, would it be better to add sugars to a high gravity brew into the boil, pre-fermentation, or let fermentation start, and as it starts to slow down, add the sugars to the fermenter?  I’m curious as to what benefits one method has over the other?

Here on Belgian forums many people add the sugar after a couple of days into the fermentation. They claim that they can knock off a few points off the FG that way, because the yeast first has to work on the more complex sugars before it gets to the simple sugars. However, I have no personal experience with this method to corroborate.

I add everything in the boil.  I haven’t noted a significant difference between this and when I have added sugar to the secondary.

My understanding is that if you’re going for a super high ABV beer, the incremental sugar feeding is important.

My beers are never super high ABV, though they are often quite strong.

+1 .  Never noticed a difference either.

This is the train of thought that I had.  Let the yeasties go to work on the complex sugars so they don’t poop out on all of the simple sugars first.

I’ve not experienced that even when I add 20% sugar to the boil. If the total OG of the batch with the sugar is 1.100 or lower and you aren’t trying to retain any aromas from the sugar I would just add it to the kettle. that way I don’t have to remember to add it in the fermenter a few days later. I’ve had belgian wheat wines go from 1.100 to 1.010 with this method. I suppose I could get slightly higher attenuation but I’m not sure I would want to. I’ve done that wheat wine both ways and didn’t notice a change in FG or flavor. Although it was a year apart so I’m not sure I would really notice any flavor changes.

when I’m adding honey, on the other hand, even to a 1.040 beer I add it to the fermenter after 3-5 days of fermentation. it’s basically done at this point. the fermentation will kick off again for a few days. This will retains some honey aroma and flavor while adding it to the boil, or even to hot wort, would not.

Same here.  I have found no advantages to adding it later.

That is the claim.  The reality is different for most of us.

I have had an issue with Wyeast 3522 stalling out on high-gravity fermentations with the sugar added in the kettle. I haven’t seen that happen with any other strain though, and I need to run a few more batches with 3522 to be confident that’s actually the problem.

How high gravity?  I’ve used 3522 up to 1.080 with 20% sugar in the kettle and there was no problem.

Yes but Belgium is a different reality :stuck_out_tongue:

I have no doubt of that!  I hope to find out for myself one day.

The one time I tried adding sugar to primary my beer reached 0.098 FG.  Granted this was one trial and I was also using WLP 072 French Ale yeast (a beast) so it wasn’t a controlled experiment.

Not terribly, unfortunately. A Dubbel at 1.063 that attenuated to 67% (FTT 85%) is the only one I’ve re-brewed. With the sugar in the fermenter it went to 79%. The other was a BGSA at 1.096 that stalled at 65% (FFT 80%), but I haven’t re-brewed that.

As per usual, I’m blaming it on the altitude. :wink:

I think it depends. I have done some big beers, but never huge beers. Some in the club have done huge beers with good success, the latest project came out to 20% ABV and used staged feeding of sugars later in fermentation. It turned out surprisingly drinkable.

For Belgian Tripels I have no problems with the sugar going into the boil, but that is a mere 9% ABV.

Same here. I’ve never made a beer over 11% IIRC and I’ve always added to the boil. I mash pretty low on most of those and get great attenuation.

My last big beer was an all malt Thomas Hardy Barleywine clone-ish beer. 1.115 OG, got down to 1.027 ish, which is pushing 13% ABV. So the yeasts used can handle that amount of malt sugars not problem, but if I were to attempt a beer in the >15% range I would be thinking of staged sugar additions along with some nutrients when adding the sugar.

Well, I have found you can get beers 3 - 5 points lower by feeding sugar after fermentation has started. And it has been my condensed after several batches of tripel. I am flabbergasted that others haven’t shared this experience.

1.080 tripel sugar added to boil 148 mash temp 1.5 hours and I have gotten 1.009 normally.

By adding sugar after most if primary is finished have adult gotten 1.004-1.006 every time I have tried it.

Something to try on the upcoming Tripel I plan on brewing.

Good info. I agree with the tripel plan. I like a low FG on tripel.