# Demerara Sugar



## peas_and_corn (31/10/05)

I hope I spelt it right...

Anyway, I have seen several recipes that call for brown sugar or dark brown sugar. This got me thinking about other types of sugar. There is already a thread about raw sugar, but has anyone used demerara sugar in a brew before? How does it compare to other types of sugar? In what types of beer would it best be added to?

Cheers


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## MHB (31/10/05)

I dont use much sugar in my beer, wouldnt put anything else in my coffee tho. Does taste a lot like the amber Belgian candy, bit more molasses smell.


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## peas_and_corn (31/10/05)

So you're not putting sugar in your beer and malt extract into your coffee?


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## neonmeate (11/11/05)

i love the stuff. like MHB i put in my coffee every day but often use it in beers too. it's my favourite brewing sugar.

basically it's just a slightly darker version of raw sugar, but is a bit more aromatic than raw sugar usually is. it's great in anything from english bitters to barley wines to belgians. it's less obtrusive than brown sugar in large amounts, it gives a nice warm sweetness that blends in nicely with malt flavours. i put in heaps in my american barley wine and it was very nice.

if you can get imported Billington's demerara (look in gourmet foodie type places) it's worth the extra $ - very nice stuff.


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## sinkas (11/11/05)

I have used it in Belgians, and seems to be a good trick to get a bit of extra complexity.


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## TidalPete (11/11/05)

:beer:


neonmeate said:


> i love the stuff. like MHB i put in my coffee every day but often use it in beers too. it's my favourite brewing sugar.
> 
> basically it's just a slightly darker version of raw sugar, but is a bit more aromatic than raw sugar usually is. it's great in anything from english bitters to barley wines to belgians. it's less obtrusive than brown sugar in large amounts, it gives a nice warm sweetness that blends in nicely with malt flavours. i put in heaps in my american barley wine and it was very nice.
> 
> ...



This sounds interesting from both the brew & the coffee point of view. I've asked the missus & she hasn't heard of it. Where do you get it from? Do Woollies, Coles, etc stock it.

:beer:


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## Mr Bond (11/11/05)

Just an interesting point about raw sugars etc....

Doing some landscaping a few years ago on Adelaide for some retired sugar farmers from QLD.
The lady brings out coffee and cake for smoko one day and a bowl of raw sugar.My work mate comments on how raw sugar is better.
The lady laughs and says its no different to white sugar.After refining it they add a colouring to make it a pleasing brown tint.We were like your kidding ,we thought it was different stages of processing that made it different grades. No that would be to expensive she said. Its all the same white ,raw, demerara, just different size granules plus colouring.According to her dark brown sugar was the closest to a natural product as it contains molasses :huh:


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## Malnourished (11/11/05)

Billington's is sometimes available at supermarkets, but I think it's more often with the "European" stuff than with the sugars. The Essential Ingredient has a whole bunch of their products if the supermarkets don't.

I really like the little frisbees of palm sugar you can get at the supermarket. They taste like fairy floss, so I invariably end up with less in the beer than I originally planned.

And don't ruin your coffee with sugar!


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## neonmeate (11/11/05)

according to the Billington's packets they still do it the old fashioned way (only partially refining it) - maybe this explains why it tastes better than the CSR stuff.
would be interesting to know exactly what goes on. the CSR "coffee crystals" you can buy in the supermarket are obviously just bigger granules plus caramel or colouring or both, but i always assumed demerara was less refined.?




Brauluver said:


> Just an interesting point about raw sugars etc....
> 
> Doing some landscaping a few years ago on Adelaide for some retired sugar farmers from QLD.
> The lady brings out coffee and cake for smoko one day and a bowl of raw sugar.My work mate comments on how raw sugar is better.
> ...


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## neonmeate (11/11/05)

Malnourished said:


> And don't ruin your coffee with sugar!
> [post="89916"][/post]​



yes i am a woos.


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## neonmeate (11/11/05)

a bit of googling reveals that 
1. CSR demerara is in fact only partially refined (unlike their raw and brown sugars)
2. it's imported from mauritius


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## Mr Bond (11/11/05)

neonmeate said:


> a bit of googling reveals that
> 1. CSR demerara is in fact only partially refined (unlike their raw and brown sugars)
> 2. it's imported from mauritius
> [post="89921"][/post]​



Can you post the link to that info please?
I'd like to check it out. 
The blurb on the page i found goes like this


Demerara Sugar

Ingredients: cane sugar

Served in the best cafes around the world, CSR Golden Demerara is regarded by coffee connoisseurs as an essential ingredient in the art of creating a perfect cup of coffee. With its rich golden colour and subtle molasses flavour only CSR Golden Demerara brings out the real character in your coffee. From the moment you open this pack, you will experience the irresistible aroma of CSR Golden Demerara cafe sugar. The fine syrup coating on the crystal, together with its coarseness also gives a good colour to the crust of baking.

Coffee Sugar Crystals

Ingredients: cane sugar 100%, coffee 0%

As the name suggests, this sugar is the perfect sweetener for coffee. A thin layer of syrup coated on the crystal provides a unique flavour. CSR Coffee Sugar Crystals impart a delicious yet subtle sweetness to coffee, dissolving slowly allowing the full flavour and sweetness of a great coffee to last longer. Its large crystals also make a delicious crunchy topping for desserts and ice-cream. 

Not dissimilar in description.


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## Malnourished (11/11/05)

Brauluver said:


> Coffee Sugar Crystals
> 
> Ingredients: cane sugar 100%, coffee 0%
> [post="89924"][/post]​


 :lol: 
Does it really say that??? Gold!


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## Mr Bond (11/11/05)

Found this link on a us website,It may be from the 70's and have a lot of greeny s##t in it but the processing procedure backs up what i was told by the cane farmer.

http://www.motherearthnews.com/library/197...ber/Sugar_Story

Interesting to note that the author doesn't have the hard data on demarara :excl: 

I may have to do some more researching <_< 

Cheers Dave.


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## neonmeate (1/2/06)

sorry i meant to post this ages ago but i've looked at the side of the packet for CSR demerara and it says it's imported from Mauritius. flavour is a cut above coffee crystals or raw sugar in my opinion too


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## stephen (2/2/06)

As for purchasing Demerrara (sp) sugar I went to my local Bi-lo looking for brown sugar for a Belgian I was to brew. To put you in the picture the local Bi-lo is smallish in comparison with other supermakets - caters for about 6000 people - and often doesn't have products that would be taken for granted in any other supermarket. Anyway I went looking in the sugar area and sure enough they had demerrara sugar. 375g for about twice the cost of Bi-lo brand 500g brown sugar. Still went the 500g brown sugar since finances were a little tight at the time. 

I'll let you know how the Belgian turned out.

Steve - who obviously doesn't sleep!


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## Tony (6/2/06)

I have always used it in my coffee and have put it in a bitter or two with great results.

I stopped using it for some reason but i thinhk i might give it another go.

I will say that i have a lemon pudding recipe (I love lemon pudding) that i have always made with good old CSR white sugar but one night i thought, I might make it with Demerrara and see how it goes.

Well if it wasnt the best bloody pud i have made i dont know whats what!

It definately has a different teste.

Its worth throwing a bit in a brew. I say experiment, i have used dark brown sugar in a bitter once and it was great also, it had a sweet flavour that noone could put thair finger on, very interesting.

cheers


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## tangent (6/2/06)

i thought there's another thread here somewhere saying that the CSR brown sugars are refined cane sugar with molasses added? The quotes above " fine syrup coating on the crystal" kinda says it all.
molasses makes for an interesting additive for dark ales, belgians etc but anything over 1tablespoon and it's completely overpowering/borderline bloody aweful.

edit - i wouldn't mind the lemon pudding recipe tho


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## Tony (10/2/06)

55g butter
115g sugar (demerara)
grated rind and juice of 1 lemon
2 large eggs. seperated
55g Self raising flour
285 mls milk (dont use light milk for gods sake)

Heat oven to 200 deg (I recon 180 would do it)
crean butter, sugar and lemon rind in mixing bowl
add the egg yolks and flour and beat in
them add the milk and 3 tablespoons of lemon juice and mix well
wisk egg whites in sepperate bowl till stiff and add to rest of the mixture
"FOLD" in well but dont mix it too much as you will loose all the ait and it wont be floffy. pour into a 2 liter or so pudding bowl and bake for 45 min or untill the top is spongy and a nice golden colour (mine took 30 min so watch it)

This is the best lemon pud i have ever made

enjoy 

PS.... sorry about the hijack h34r: 

cheers

PPS. all credit goes to Jamie Oliver


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## tangent (10/2/06)

thanks Tony


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## darkhorse (10/2/06)

Speaking of recipes... made caramel slice one day with malt extract (regular supermarket stuff) instead of brown sugar... Nice!!!

I agree with calls for experimentation... however wouldn't go too far first off if you are making 23litre batches or more (eg. throwing all brown sugar / honey / raw sugar into a brew)... that can be a lot of beer if it is not very palatable. :huh: 

Best trick is to halve the batch and only make the change to one part... that way they can be compared back to back!


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## Tony (11/2/06)

let me know how it goes tangent  

cheers


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