TOO Efficient by .020 ... What to Do?

[maltoftheearth]

Today I brewed a Belgian Golden Strong with 11lbs of Belgian pils and 1.5 lbs of candi sugar. Another 1.5 lbs of candi sugar were SUPPOSED to be added on day three of the ferment BUT the OG on this batch, prior to the second addition of the candi sugar, was 1.076. Beersmith estimated the FG with all three lbs of candi sugar to be 1.071.

The reason for the increased efficiency was a dough in at 104F, this is something Palmer recommends but I never used it before. He said it increases efficiency and he wasn't joking.

Anyway, my starter was built for a 1.071 beer (probably a little more than that, I over estimated with a 2.5 liter starter) ... should I still add the candi sugar on day three of the ferment? That will likely bump my abv higher than I'd anticipated and might result in a higher final gravity ... Right?

Ultimately, should I still add the rest of the candi sugar to this batch?

 

[freisste]

Yeast are pretty good at fermenting simple sugars added during fermentation. I would check te expected ABV based on your recipe and if it isn't bordering your yeast strain's alcohol tolerance, I would add the sugar. I think it will likely reduce the FG. My guess is your extra efficiency would increase the FG of your brew without the sugar addition. You will have a higher ABV beer, but it will be closer to target if you add the sugar.

 

[maltoftheearth]

Great answer, thanks for the advice. I'm pitching that extra 1.5lbs tomorrow.