Sugar - stupid noob question

[Bashley]

Hi All

I'm a tad confused, so I've done a couple of kits and will now embark on my AG journey with the Grainfather.
With kits we obviously add a certain amount of sugar before fermentation. But from what I've seen/read there is no such step in AG brewing. Is this correct? No sugar is added at all during the whole process - just the natural sugar from the grains? It's just that when I check out AG recipes there is no mention of sugar quantity. Sorry, for the basic question.

Cheers!

 

[Ciaran12s]

Some recipes call for sugar additions and some don't. I've never added any sugar to my AGs. There are certain styles that use sugar though. If its not on the recipe you don't it need it

 

[-Bezza-]

Might be worth having a read of Chapter 12 of How to Brew: http://howtobrew.com/book/section-2/what-is-malted-grain/barley-malt-defined

This talks about grains and the process of converting to sugar, how much of the sugar you might expect to extract etc.

 

[MickDundee]

AG stands for “all grain”, i.e all the sugars are derived from grain.

Some recipes have sugar to dry the beer out a bit (a lot of ales in the Graham Wheeler book for example, and high gravity belgian beers use Belgian Candi sugar), but most don’t.

 

[ACBEV]

Since circa 1880 most commercial breweries in the UK have used sugars of varying sorts in the brewing process. Some traditional breweries still do. To me AG is a distinction from extract brewing, its a home brewing thing. I'm not adverse to using sugars in my "AG" brews, if it brings something to the party. I like to brew a fare amount of traditional English ales, too traditional recipes, without sugar additions they wouldn't be authentic or achieve the right taste.

 

[Bashley]

Thanks for the responses guys. How come there's not enough sugars in the liquid malt extract you find in kits?

 

[ACBEV]

Thanks for the responses guys. How come there's not enough sugars in the liquid malt extract you find in kits?

Cost...

 

[-Bezza-]

Thanks for the responses guys. How come there's not enough sugars in the liquid malt extract you find in kits?

There generally is in a two-can kit but not in a one-can. Guess it's just a case of volumes, i.e. there's only so much sugar you can meaningfully concentrate down to in a can.

 

[dad_of_jon]

You don't need to add sugar to AG brews unless the recipe calls for it. highly refined pure sugar adds nothing except abv points to the brew, however dark candi sugar, molasses , and other less refined sugars contribute more to flavor.

As an extract brewer I use a base extract but then add speciality sugars and grains to get a more complex beer. Mass produced sugars have especially being used by corporate breweries to make the beer cheaper at the expense of taste.

 

[Bashley]

Thanks guys. Guess I'm stuck with 5kg of brewing sugar!

 

[Ciaran12s]

Thanks guys. Guess I'm stuck with 5kg of brewing sugar!

If your effeciency is less than hoped for (which is likely in the first few ateempts) you could put some brewing sugar in to bump up the points to what the OG is supposed to be. I've never bothered but I'd be worried about adding too much, maybe about 5 points. Again, I've never done it so can't say for sure.

 

[Clint]

Your 5kg won't go off! Try some if the wheeler recipes. ..you can also use your sugar for priming.

 

[ACBEV]

you can also use your sugar for priming.

Cakes too...

 

[Bashley]

Your 5kg won't go off! Try some if the wheeler recipes. ..you can also use your sugar for priming.

That's true, forgot about the priming! Can't do cakes, already getting larger with all this homebrewing!