Adding Fermentables After Primary?

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mountainbrewer
Posts: 9
Joined: Thu Aug 22, 2002 4:07 pm

Adding Fermentables After Primary?

Post by mountainbrewer »

Hi all,
My first post....I've been reading for some time.
My situation: While brewing on a Sunday I find I am short one pound of DME. By the time I find this out, I have already gotten in to the brew session and choose not to stop. My OG ends up light, about 1030 for a brown ale.
My question is, now that primary fermentation is complete, can I boil up, cool and add the DME I was short and add it in when I rack to the secondary?
Anybody ever do this?
Thanks in advance,
Wayne
jayhawk
Strong Ale
Strong Ale
Posts: 472
Joined: Tue Dec 25, 2001 12:05 am
Location: Vancouver, BC, CA

Welcome aboard

Post by jayhawk »

We regularly add fermentables after primary to prime the batch before bottling/kegging, so I think this is "do-able". I think the key would be to vigorously boil the DME addition for at least 1/2 hour to facilitate a good hot break. Just be prepared to allow the beer a little more time to finish up and condition.

Good luck
Chris
BillyBock
Imperial Stout
Imperial Stout
Posts: 561
Joined: Sun Dec 31, 2000 11:37 am
Location: Ohio

You're OK

Post by BillyBock »

I would, and have done so before. Make sure you put the cooled wort in the secondary first, then rack the beer on top of it to minimize aeration/oxidation of the beer from the primary. It may or may not foam up through the airlock, so I'd keep it away from carpet :-)

Good luck.
v/r

Bill
mountainbrewer
Posts: 9
Joined: Thu Aug 22, 2002 4:07 pm

Whew!

Post by mountainbrewer »

Thanks for the feedback guys. I'll do it this weekend.
As far as foaming up through the airlock, I'm pretty careful about that now. I still remember my panicked wife calling me at work after the airlock plugged, built up pressure, and blew like a volcano. And there she was, hands over the top, and beer foam just blowing away. I'm still cleaning the remnants out of our pantry a year later.... ;~)
Wayne
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