Candi Sugar failure?

[brgeren]

Hi! I've been brewing all grain for a few years now, only on my second brew with a new Spike 15gal system. I made my first Tripel today, just a 5 gallon batch. The Beersmith 3 software says my OG should be 1.083, but I only got to 1.070. Beersmith said my Pre-boil SG should be 1.062, I hit 1.065 and was right on my pre-boil volume with the end of running gravity at 1.012. I added 2lb of Candi Sugar (0L) into the boil for the last 10 minutes. I cannot find any reason for missing the target OG unless possibly its something to do with the Candi Sugar? So my questions are, why didnt I hit 1.083 and should I do anything about it, or just live with the lower OG?

Thanks!

Recipe:
12lb pale malt
1/2lb aromatic malt
2oz Goldings (60 minutes)
1oz Saaz (10 minutes)
2lb Candi Sugar 0L (10 minutes)
Trappist High Gravity Yeast

 

[bougie1st]

Are you sure you had fully mixed it before taking that sample? The more dense candi sugar would sink when it initially goes in. That said, if it was 10 mins to go, it should be mixed (assuming it is all dissolved as well)

Also, I find that if I take my sample from drippings off my wooden mash paddle (stirring the wort as it comes to boiling) to read with a refractometer, the reading is off. If I take a clean metal spoon, however, it works every time.

Simple things, but make sure that whatever you are using to measure (eg refractometer) is calibrated and/or at the correct temp. You might have done this, but haven't noted it in your question.

If you want to get your gravity up and are sure the measurement was correct at yeast pitch, you could add dissolved, boiled and cooled sugar to your fermenting wort in a stepwise fashion. Some think that this also helps the yeast to ensure they eat the maltose etc first, and have their 'dessert' of dextrose/sucrose later

 

[brgeren]

Sorry I should have added that info. I took the pre boil measurement, using a hydrometer, right when I started to sparge since I forgot to do it during my recirculating mash.

For the post boil measurements I took three different ones because I didn’t believe it was so low. I took it at the end of the boil (waited for it to cool to room temp), on the outlet of the wort chiller, and again about an hour after it was in the fermenter at 70F. They all were 1.070-1.072.

Is it worth adding sugar since I already added 2lb of candi sugar (assuming I wasn’t ripped off with bad candi sugar)?

 

[BrewCat]

did you reach your calculated boil off rate? candi sugar will sink to the bottom of the kettle did you scorch it? Did stir it up good and add it slowly?

 

[veisocrist]

Hi! I've been brewing all grain for a few years now, only on my second brew with a new Spike 15gal system. I made my first Tripel today, just a 5 gallon batch. The Beersmith 3 software says my OG should be 1.083, but I only got to 1.070. Beersmith said my Pre-boil SG should be 1.062, I hit 1.065 and was right on my pre-boil volume with the end of running gravity at 1.012. I added 2lb of Candi Sugar (0L) into the boil for the last 10 minutes. I cannot find any reason for missing the target OG unless possibly its something to do with the Candi Sugar? So my questions are, why didnt I hit 1.083 and should I do anything about it, or just live with the lower OG?

Thanks!

Recipe:
12lb pale malt
1/2lb aromatic malt
2oz Goldings (60 minutes)
1oz Saaz (10 minutes)
2lb Candi Sugar 0L (10 minutes)
Trappist High Gravity Yeast

Short answer: it’s almost certainly not the candi sugar.

Since you actually exceeded your predicted pre-boil gravity and hit your volume, the sugar should have pushed you very close to 1.083. Two pounds of candi sugar in 5 gallons adds roughly 18–19 gravity points by itself. If it was fully dissolved (which it will be in a boil), it contributed its full yield.

The most common causes here are post-boil volume being higher than assumed, or the gravity sample being taken before the wort was fully mixed after topping up or chilling. Stratification is very common with late sugar additions.

At 1.070, you’ll still have a solid Belgian strong ale, just less boozy and more balanced. I wouldn’t “fix” it now—ferment it as-is. For next time, verify post-boil volume carefully and stir very well before measuring OG.

 

[veisocrist]

Short answer: it’s almost certainly not the candi sugar.

Since you actually exceeded your predicted pre-boil gravity and hit your volume, the sugar should have pushed you very close to 1.083. Two pounds of candi sugar in 5 gallons adds roughly 18–19 gravity points by itself. If it was fully dissolved (which it will be in a boil), it contributed its full yield.

The most common causes here are post-boil volume being higher than assumed, or the gravity sample being taken before the wort was fully mixed after topping up or chilling. Stratification is very common with late sugar additions.

At 1.070, you’ll still have a solid Belgian strong ale, just less boozy and more balanced. I wouldn’t “fix” it now—ferment it as-is. For next time, verify post-boil volume carefully and stir very well before measuring OG.

Réponse courte : ce n’est presque certainement pas le sucre candi.

Comme tu as en fait dépassé la densité initiale prévue avant ébullition tout en atteignant ton volume cible, le sucre aurait dû te rapprocher très près de 1,083. Deux livres de sucre candi dans 5 gallons apportent à elles seules environ 18–19 points de densité. S’il était complètement dissous (ce qui sera le cas à l’ébullition), il a contribué à son rendement total.

Les causes les plus fréquentes sont un volume post-ébullition plus élevé que prévu, ou un échantillon de densité prélevé avant que le moût soit parfaitement homogène après un ajout tardif de sucre ou après refroidissement. La stratification est très courante avec les ajouts de sucre en fin de cuisson.

À 1,070, tu obtiendras quand même une solide Belgian strong ale, juste un peu moins alcoolisée et plus équilibrée. Je ne « réparerais » pas ça maintenant : laisse fermenter tel quel. Pour la prochaine fois, vérifie soigneusement le volume post-ébullition et remue très bien avant de mesurer la densité initiale.

 

[veisocrist]

Réponse courte : ce n’est presque certainement pas le sucre candi.

Comme tu as en fait dépassé la densité initiale prévue avant ébullition tout en atteignant ton volume cible, le sucre aurait dû te rapprocher très près de 1,083. Deux livres de sucre candi dans 5 gallons apportent à elles seules environ 18–19 points de densité. S’il était complètement dissous (ce qui sera le cas à l’ébullition), il a contribué à son rendement total.

Les causes les plus fréquentes sont un volume post-ébullition plus élevé que prévu, ou un échantillon de densité prélevé avant que le moût soit parfaitement homogène après un ajout tardif de sucre ou après refroidissement. La stratification est très courante avec les ajouts de sucre en fin de cuisson.

À 1,070, tu obtiendras quand même une solide Belgian strong ale, juste un peu moins https://betblast-france.fr/ alcoolisée et plus équilibrée. Je ne « réparerais » pas ça maintenant : laisse fermenter tel quel. Pour la prochaine fois, vérifie soigneusement le volume post-ébullition et remue très bien avant de mesurer la densité initiale.

Si tu veux vraiment confirmer, tu peux aussi vérifier ton densimètre ou ton réfractomètre à l’eau à température de calibration, histoire d’écarter un simple décalage de lecture. Mais même si la mesure est correcte, rien d’alarmant ici. Beaucoup de bières belges traditionnelles ne cherchent pas une densité énorme et misent davantage sur l’expression des esters et des phénols de la levure. Une DI plus basse peut même améliorer la buvabilité. En résumé : note l’écart, ajuste tes calculs pour le prochain brassin, et profite de celle-ci sans te prendre la tête.