Priming With Brown Sugar Instead Of Dextrose

[RichLum]

Hi guys,

I was thinking of trying to prime my next batch with brown sugar instead of dextrose to leave a bid of residual sweetness.

Is this a bad idea?

If I used brown sugar what ratio would I need to use compared to dextrose?
eg. 125% - If I normally used 120g dex use 150g brown sugar instead.

thanks,
Rich

 

[sosman]

I have never used brown sugar but I understand it is white sugar mixed with some molasses for flavour. If this is true, it is likely it will have a marginal, if any effect on sweetness. You may even get some brown sugar flavour coming through.

If there is any difference in extract between brown sugar I am guessing it would be a few percentage points, not 25.

If you want residual sweetness at the priming stage you will need to add some unfermentable sugar.

 

[deebee]

Brown sugar (sucrose) will do the job just fine but I bet you will be straining to notice the difference. Priming sugar is such a small percentage of fermentables it will have almost no effect on flavour. If anything dextrose is probably a better option for priming especially if you already have sucrose in your recipe as it generally best to limit sucrose which is associated with cider flavours.

 

[sosman]

Brown sugar (sucrose) will do the job just fine but I bet you will be straining to notice the difference. Priming sugar is such a small percentage of fermentables it will have almost no effect on flavour. If anything dextrose is probably a better option for priming especially if you already have sucrose in your recipe as it generally best to limit sucrose which is associated with cider flavours.

Opinions seem to be divided re sucrose and their association with cidery flavours. A theory that is at least as popular is that cidery flavours are due to the use of stale LME.

I don't use sugar (except for occasional priming) and I don't get cidery flavours so I am no expert on this.

In any case, as you pointed out, priming sugar is a small percentage of overall fermentables (maybe 5-10%) and so would hopefully have negligible impact on a brew's cideriness.

 

[RichLum]

Well I've only used malt in the wort so the sucrose shouldn't be a problem.
The sweetness I was after was kinda the brown sugar type of taste.

thanks for letting me know it's basically the same amount fermentable as dex though

Rich

 

[Linz]

you could also try using molasses sugar. Its available(or was) in coles. Might give a bit more residual flavour

 

[GMK]

Use Dark Brown Sugar - better than brown sugar.

Goes great in Brown Ales, Kilkenny, porters, stouts and barley wines.
Add 150gms to the brew.

Prime with around 130gms if u normally prime with 120gms.

Hope this helps.

 

[neonmeate]

FWIw i often prime with a few different types of sugars and i can tell you that

a) the whole dextrose thing is a scam - sucrose does not give cidery flavours

and

B) priming with brown sugar does give a nice brown sugary flavour (although probably easier to taste in a pale ale than in a stout)

im not sure exactly how much more to add, i just add about the same and it seems to work out.

 

[neonmeate]

having said that it's probably easier to add your brown sugar in the boil and just prime with whatever you usually prime with, if you want consistent carbo

 

[Corey]

Delete this post because what I said was stupid

 

[Tim]

I think there are a whole heap of myths surrounding sucrose, the first being the cidery falvour.
Fair enough you will get cider flavours if you chuck a kilo of the stuff in a fermenter with a can of extract, but I think the whole citric acid to form invert sugar is a load of crap.
If you add say 500g of sucrose into the boil with fresh wort (which is acidic) it will hydrolyse into its pyranose and pentose forms much quicker than it will by boiling at high conc. with citric acid.