Berkyjay said:
What does adding the inverted sugar at multiple steps do for you.
There are many things that go into making big beers. IMO Anything over 1.070 is a big beer. What I'm talking about are really big beers that start 1.100+. One of the techniques employed when making these monsters is adding sugars in steps. The alcohol content in beers in general is toxic to the yeast. This is accentuated in big beers. By selecting the right yeast and adding the sugar in steps around the 70% attenuation mark, you keep up the vigorous fermentation. Which helps the yeast make it down to your final gravity. This is just one of the techniques that I use when making these Big Beers.
This is what I am trying to figure out. Do you gain benefits by adding the sugar in steps like hops? I understand the increasing of the alcohol content, but I am curious what the differences are in adding sugar before the boil, in the middle of the boil, or at the end of the boil.
As ML (+1) stated adding sugars at the end of the boil (Pre-fermentation), your hops utilization is higher. Mainly because the gravity is lower which helps in the isomerization of the Alpha Acids (AA). Same kind of thing when doing extract. If you hold off on some of the extract until the end of the boil your hops utilization goes up.
The following are as it relates to normal beer, not big beers.
Before Boil = higher gravity = less hops utilization
Middle of Boil = lower gravity = better hops utilization
End of Boil = lowest gravity = best hops utilization
Most All Grain brewers don't worry about the hops utilization (I know I don't). Mainly because we have no way to know that a beer has 43IBU or 40IBU. Extract brewers sometimes will start with only half of the extract at the beginning of the boil, and add the last of their extract in the last 20 min.
Which is why most say "It Depends", and is why I state it like I did.
UselessBrewing said:
I guess for me it depends on the type and the outcome desired.
Typically, I add DME and Milk sugar at 20 min left in the boil. This would give small increases in alcohol content(maybe 1 point)
Delicate sugars like Honey and real maple syrup I preheat to no hotter than 165 for 20 min and then add when I am cooling the wort. This gives subtle flavors and spiciness.
For stepping up the alcohol to make big beers, I normally add items like Belgian Candi sugar or inverted sugar in multiple steps around 70% attenuation in the primary. Depending on the yeast and the number of times you do this, it will add flavors, and can make large increases in alcohol content.
Let me know if I can muddy it up more for you d:
Cheers
Preston