Brewing With Brown Sugar

[benny_bjc]

Hi,

Interested to know how brewing with brown sugar effects the end result compared to other sugars?

thanks

 

[geoffi]

A bit more colour, and a touch of caramel flavour I'd say. I've used it a few times in bitters. Not sure if I could detect any difference, but then I wouldn't use more than 10% at most. If you were using it instead of white sugar in a k&k brew, you might find it more noticeable.

 

[matti]

It will Add some molasses flavours,
i found it added complexity to brown ales using extract.

I would only use it in kettle though.

 

[lowtech]

500g(soft brown) in a belgian dubbell delivered an overpowering molasses flavour for me.
18 months on and it still hasn't mellowed,sort of enhances the phenolic character of the yeast to the point of being unbalanced.

 

[Muggus]

Seems to ferment out quite well, probably better for darker beers to add a bit of extra strength more than anything else. Not ideal for paler styles, quite detectable.

 

[beerguide]

I've used CSR Dark Brown Sugar numerous times in porters with great success. The amount I use is typically between 500-600 grams for a 23ltr batch (which equates to around 9% in my recipes) and I add it to my kettle at 60 mins and boil it.

Flavourwise it definately adds a treacle or molasses flavour to the beer - but I've never noticed it too be overpowering as lowtech suggests although it could be the style I choose or the other malts/grains I use.

Back when I was kit brewing I've also used it a number of times in everything from pale ales to stouts with a variety of results but I never used more than 10% in any recipe which was a little tricky to calculate out before I found BeerSmith

If you are keen to experiment, give it a go.. If you are less keen but still want to try, maybe split your batch into two smaller batches and only experiment with half ?

 

[PostModern]

Aussie sugar cane, (from what I've heard) is all refined the same way: to make plain white sugar. The by-products such as molasses and treacle and whatnot are separated out in the refining process. Brown sugar is made by mixing white sugar with different amounts of molasses, rather than having actual caramelisation of the sugar itself. You may as well add white sugar and control the amount of molasses you add separately.

That said, I have used 500g of light brown in various beers and they come out OK, a hint of the molasses stays there. I usually use white or castor sugar (same sucrose as plain white sugar except for the crystal size).

 

[warrenlw63]

Demerara is nice in small amounts.

Can add a Bundy type ruminess to the finished beer. Really nice in darker styles.

Warren -

 

[PostModern]

Demerara is nice in small amounts.

Can add a Bundy type ruminess to the finished beer. Really nice in darker styles.

Warren -

That might be one exception to what I said up there. Actual brown crystals, not brown-soiled white crystals.

 

[hanzie]

Hi

I just brewed a Copy of a dragon stout with 500g of dark brown sugar. The flavour I am getting out of my hydro tube when im taking my reading is choclate coated raisins soaked in rum and coke.

I will let you know how it turns out.

 

[sathid]

That might be one exception to what I said up there. Actual brown crystals, not brown-soiled white crystals.

What about raw sugar?