Dry malt

I am about to brew 3 batches of the T-can and Bearcat Wheaten Beat Down for kegging. I want to increase the alcohol just a little bit. How much should I add, when should I add it without over sweetening it. Do I need to increase the end of boil hopping?

You doing extract or all grain? I’m assuming all grain since you’re asking about adding some extract. I’d consider something that ferments out completely like honey or some sort of sugar. If you’re just looking to up the OG. Extract will up the OG, FG, sweetnees, color… a lot of variables will change. If you are doing all grain you could just bump up all the grains a little. And yes, you do want to adjust your hop amounts and schedule if adding to the gravity.

1 lb of sugar is 46 points per gallon. If you add 1lb of sugar to a 5 gallon batch that’s 9.2 points which translates to an additional ABV of 1.2%. I think there’s a ROT about how much sugar you want to add and when in the process. I’ve done brews where I added a lb of corn sugar to the boil. What kind of boost are you looking for?

It is actually an extract kit. Things I have read say to stay away from sugar do to sweetness. The drymalt should give it more of a malt taste from what I have read. I would like to increase the alcohol by1%. Im nit worried about it not fermenting completely out. sShould I add it to the last few minutes of the boil. I am also kegging and will not be adding sugar for a prime.

If you want to boost an extract kit, just add more of whatever extract is used in the kit.
Or add honey, sugar, etc during the last 15min of the boil. Things like this won’t make your beer sweeter. Most ferment out almost completely. Adding extra extract will add sweet, maltiness to your finished product and will darken it up more. The earlier you add it, the darker your beer will be.

Thanks guys for the info. Cheers!!!

I think your best bet is to go with sugar added at 15 min. It will ferment out without a flavor contribution unlike additional DME which you would have to balance out with hops. Let us know how it turns out. I’ve got a couple of wheaten beatdowns that I may just boost also.

:cheers:

Do you mean 15 min into the boil or end of it?

Near the end, with 15 minutes left in the boil.

Just brewed up a Beatdown with a pound of powdered sugar. Be sure to use a blow off tube because the added sugar will cause fermentation to go wild!

:cheers:

I am starting 3 five gallon batches in about an hour of the same. How much did you add?

1 pound of powdered sugar to a 5 gallon batch. Got one more batch to brew but want to see how this one turns out first.

[quote=“mvsawyer”]Just brewed up a Beatdown with a pound of powdered sugar. Be sure to use a blow off tube because the added sugar will cause fermentation to go wild!

:cheers: [/quote]

Powdered sugar? From what I understand, powdered sugar has corn starch in it, so I’d be interested to see how that turns out.

Good advise on the blow off tube. I did 2 pounds for 3 batches. It’s like a constant stream of air coming out of it.

[quote=“larsenj”][quote=“mvsawyer”]Just brewed up a Beatdown with a pound of powdered sugar. Be sure to use a blow off tube because the added sugar will cause fermentation to go wild!

:cheers: [/quote]

Powdered sugar? From what I understand, powdered sugar has corn starch in it, so I’d be interested to see how that turns out.[/quote]

I agree…regular cane sugar would be better to use than powdered sugar. Powdered sugar does indeed have cornstarch added to it…and you don’t really want to add unconverted starch to the wort.

Other than it being unfermentable, what other pitfalls await me? I knew I was taking a risk with it because of the added corn starch so we’ll see how it turns out.

My guess is that your beer will turn out pretty cloudy with (maybe) some impact on the taste, but it should be drinkable.

Well that shouldn’t be a problem see as how it’s a wheat beer.