[jebeier]

I'm relatively new to home brewing and brewed my 3rd extract batch a couple days ago.  I found the Pliny recipe in an article written by Vinny in an old Zymurgy magazine so I gave it a shot.  I made the mistake of not double checking my bag before leaving my local home brew shop and realized after I started the boil that they forgot to put the .75lb of corn sugar in the bag.  His recipe said to substitute 6.5 lbs of DME for the 2-row and to fill the kettle with 8 gallons for burnoff and hop loss at the end to get you to the proper amount.  I didn't have room for 8 gallons so I boiled using 7 gallons and ended up with 6.25 once I transferred to my brew bucket.  Once I was done transferring my wort to my brew bucket I completely missed the target of O.G. of 1.71 and ended up with on O.G. of 1.058.

Here is my question.  I realize that experimenting and missing numbers is part of the process and i'm cool with a potentially lower ABV.  My question is should I adjust the amount of dry hops that are called for in the recipe?  If I stick with the high amount of dry hops called for given my ABV will be much lower, will the hop aroma/flavor be way too much without the ABV to balance out the hops?  Should I lower the ounces of hops a little during dry hop to make up for the lower ABV or stick with what the recipe calls for (another 3.75 ozs in total)?  I'm a huge hophead so I'm not afraid of a big and hoppy beer but also want it to taste right too. 

Thanks in advance for any advice!

[norcaljp]

When did you brew this? If it's only been a couple of days, it's not too late to add the sugar.

I use just regular table sugar in my double IPA's. I use about 1.5lbs. To add it now, put your sugar in a pot, add in just enough water to dissolve the sugar (I only need like 10 oz, for 24 oz of sugar) Boil it on your stove for 2 minutes or so to kill any nasties, then cover and cool. Once it's cooled down you'll have simple syrup, that you can just poor right into your fermenter. The yeast will eat it all up.

I think most guys on this site will tell you that there's no noticeable difference between dextrose (corn sugar) and table sugar when used like this. I've used both and have noticed no flavor difference.

Personally I'd use a calculator to determine how much sugar to add up to about a 1.5lbs to get my desired O.G. and then add that, rather than play with the dry-hops.

[jebeier]

When did you brew this? If it's only been a couple of days, it's not too late to add the sugar.

I use just regular table sugar in my double IPA's. I use about 1.5lbs. To add it now, put your sugar in a pot, add in just enough water to dissolve the sugar (I only need like 10 oz, for 24 oz of sugar) Boil it on your stove for 2 minutes or so to kill any nasties, then cover and cool. Once it's cooled down you'll have simple syrup, that you can just poor right into your fermenter. The yeast will eat it all up.

I think most guys on this site will tell you that there's no noticeable difference between dextrose (corn sugar) and table sugar when used like this. I've used both and have noticed no flavor difference.

Personally I'd use a calculator to determine how much sugar to add up to about a 1.5lbs to get my desired O.G. and then add that, rather than play with the dry-hops.

I brewed it on the 1st so I'm now 4 days into fermenting.  Is it too late to add it now you think?  . If too late now then I'll definitely use that for the next time I need it.  Thanks for the advice, I appreciate it.

[jeffy]

When did you brew this? If it's only been a couple of days, it's not too late to add the sugar.

I use just regular table sugar in my double IPA's. I use about 1.5lbs. To add it now, put your sugar in a pot, add in just enough water to dissolve the sugar (I only need like 10 oz, for 24 oz of sugar) Boil it on your stove for 2 minutes or so to kill any nasties, then cover and cool. Once it's cooled down you'll have simple syrup, that you can just poor right into your fermenter. The yeast will eat it all up.

I think most guys on this site will tell you that there's no noticeable difference between dextrose (corn sugar) and table sugar when used like this. I've used both and have noticed no flavor difference.

Personally I'd use a calculator to determine how much sugar to add up to about a 1.5lbs to get my desired O.G. and then add that, rather than play with the dry-hops.

I brewed it on the 1st so I'm now 4 days into fermenting.  Is it too late to add it now you think?  . If too late now then I'll definitely use that for the next time I need it.  Thanks for the advice, I appreciate it.

I have added sugar directly to a fermenter (just poured it in) after the bulk of fermentation was finished and it worked fine.

[JJeffers09]

I used dark brown sugar in my last big IPA it was a dark IPA though, IBA whatever the hell people would call it.  but it really carried the heavy hops well and truly balanced the beer out.  It wasn't just a dirty smack in the mouth of merky pond water, it was a smooth mellow building bitterness @ 67IBUs.

[norcaljp]

I think you'll still be fine if you add now. I've added a massive dose of sugar 4 or 5 days after my brew in a bit of frustration given how low my gravity was with the attitude of 'screw it, I've already ruined this beer'. The beer still turned out really good.

[jebeier]

Thanks again for all the feedback.  I went ahead and boiled up the 1lb of dextrose the recipe originally called for and added that to the fermenter.  I'm sure it will be just fine. 

Any idea if there is a way to figure out how much that 1lb of corn sugar added to 6.25 gallons of wort will bump up the gravity?  I was at 1.058 at start of fermentation.  Not that I really care other than my OCD is taking over and I like to know the details like that when possible.

[a10t2]

Any idea if there is a way to figure out how much that 1lb of corn sugar added to 6.25 gallons of wort will bump up the gravity?

Google says that dextrose has a potential extract of ~90%, or ~42 point-gal/lb, so it would add about 0.006-0.007 SG.

[jebeier]

Racked it to secondary today and gravity read 1.010. Looks like it fermented perfect and based on the feedback the late addition of  corn sugar it should raise it about .007 and should finish right around 7.5% ABV. Not far off at all from original recipe.

Thanks again for all the comments and feedback!