white sugar

[OldHooky]

I found a recipe I want to use, but one of the ingredients is white sugar. Is this ordinary granulated sugar or should I use corn sugar?

[YamahaXS]

how much are you talking about?

[OldHooky]

13.5 ounces.

[GunNut76]

Might want to go with corn sugar IMO. Or you could really have some fun and brew two batches and use corn in one and white in the other.

[Beerconnoisseur]

I would substitute 1 lb. of Light Malt Extract, or even just add a pound or two of Crystal 15L malt for steeping/mashing, instead. You'll get that sweet, luscious flavor... without the cidery taste raw sugar can add. But that's the purist in me talking...

[brewmonkey]

Read Ray Daniels "Designing Great Beers" for his take on adding sugar. Just about any sugar can be used/substituted for another. Some will add some interesting flavors while others just add fermentables.

I would not worry about the cidery/vinegar from such a small addition. Those flavors appear when you start to exceed more then 10-15% of the fermentables as sugar.

[Beerconnoisseur]

Originally posted by brewmonkey
I would not worry about the cidery/vinegar from such a small addition. Those flavors appear when you start to exceed more then 10-15% of the fermentables as sugar.


...but I've noticed some undesirable flavors from adding more corn sugar than usual at bottling. That may be more from the additional yeast, and may be more a factor than adding it at fermentation.

[brewmonkey]

I would seriously look into some other issues then if you are having off flavors from corn sugar at bottling. There is not enough going into it to produce cidery flavors.

What additional yeast are you talking about? The amount coming from the bottle condition should be negligible and not effect the flavor of your beer.

How much corn sugar are you adding at bottling time?

[YamahaXS]

i concur with brewmonkey.


Unless you are brewing a small batch.


To be sure that its okay, look at your complete recipe like Brewmonkey indicated and determine that the amount of sugar is relative small compared to the amount of fermentables from malt. Also, if this is a higher gravity beer (greater than say 1.060) then you could just leave the sugar out. That much sugar for a five gallon batch will boost your gravity about .005.



cheers and beers! remember, whatever you do, you beer will taste great!

[brewmonkey]

Dug out some old issues of Zymurgy last night and in the July/August 2002 edition they have a decent article on the use of sugars in brewing. He does not discuss percentages but he covers a lot of different sugars. Pretty interesting article if you can get your hands on it.

[Beerconnoisseur]

Originally posted by brewmonkey
I would seriously look into some other issues then if you are having off flavors from corn sugar at bottling. There is not enough going into it to produce cidery flavors.

What additional yeast are you talking about? The amount coming from the bottle condition should be negligible and not effect the flavor of your beer.

How much corn sugar are you adding at bottling time?

The yeast multiplies, as long as there are sugars that it can consume. That's the only additional yeast I was referring to.

Last time, I only added 2 additional ounces, for a total of 6 oz. at bottling. This was for a 5 gallon batch (the same recipe that I've brewed before).

But I intend to switch to DME at bottling from now on, so I will see soon enough if it makes a huge difference....

[Dave A]

I've read two articles lately ( I'll have to check which magazines they were in) that covered the issue of cidery tastes caused by sugar, one said up to 40% should be OK and the other said the whole "cidery" thing was an old wives tale. Although I'm not 100% convinced they sounded like credible sources. I'd concur that the quantity in this receipe should not be a problem and point out that substituting DME or grain may substantially change the outcome of the receipe, either will add more body than the sugar would.

[b3s]

just my personal opinion, but that's a lot of sugar...i'd substitute 1/2 dry malt extract. otoh, i've had one recipe that called for a pound of belgian candy sugar and i've put well over a pound of honey into beer...but white sugar (or corn sugar) is what the macros do.

[brewmonkey]

Originally posted by b3s
but white sugar (or corn sugar) is what the macros do.

Where did you get this information from?


They do not add corn sugar to bring up the alcohol content. They use other cereal grains that will add fermentables without adding body such as rice and corn (both of which you will find in use in the craft industry as well.)

[OldHooky]

I just received my copy of "The complete joy of home brewing" (revised this year) They decribe white sugar in four different types: candi sugar, cane or beet sugar, corn sugar, and lactose. It goes on to say that you adding sugar in excess of 20% of the fermentable sugars will produce a cidery taste. It also says that it's not recommended because it does not contribute to any real flavor of beer.

I guess I have three choices.

a: leave the sugar out of the recipe
b: add the sugar as directed
c: add an amount of sugar between 0 and 13.5 ounces.

I'm brewing today, so wish me luck.