Sugar vs. DME

[grainbrew]

Is there a difference between priming with sugar and priming with DME?

I've been using sugar since I started brewing 3 years ago. I would like to try DME.

Thanks,

J

[wortchillergoal]

We should make one of these threads a sticky.

I use DME. I think that it gives the beer better mouthfeel. I kknow some other people that think the same.

I do know that a member or two here have had trouble eith their beer taking longer to carbonate with DME compared to sugar. I have not had that problem myself so I can't speak of it.

[HogieWan]

I use the sugar for convenience. 1 packet for 1 batch of beer.

[Trogger]

I agree with wortchiller on the sticky thing. I was just thinking to myself when I saw the thread title, "How many times has this come up?" Not meaning to imply it's a bad thing to come up more, just saying...

I use corn sugar. There is debate on what I'm about to say next, but, I've read in a couple places that corn sugar has no effect on the taste of beer. Others disagree with that, but one source I read (sorry, can't remember where) had the actual chemical formula that takes place with corn sugar. Since it is a pretty pure sugar, it reacts with only two byproducts: Alcohol and C02. That’s all I want to add when I’m carbonating. (Well, really just the C02, but I don’t mind the alcohol.) I worry about flavor, mouth feel, etc based on the ingredients in my mash/boil.

A flip side argument I’ve made to myself even is that DME is more natural to the idea of beer. Corn sugar is not really a natural beer ingredient, so that theory would tend toward keeping it natural.

Some guys have said that high usage of corn sugar, in the range of pounds at a time during fermentation, have produced very bad flavors in the beer produced. Although this goes contrary to the basic chemical reaction, since there are so many things in beer, there could be many different reactions that the yeast is performing resulting in who knows what odd chemicals I could believe odd flavors would result with high concentrations for corn sugar.
My contention is that corn sugar, in the amounts used for carbonating, adds no flavor to the beer.

[Kyle_Draven]

I think that using the corn sugar wouldn't contribute much if any flavor. Its kind of like when people say to use champagne yeast if you can't get the original yeast and you are only a short way off of your Final Gravity. Using the yeast finishes the fermentaion but since it only had a small way to go it doesn't mess with the flavor. The amount of corn sugar compared to the size of the batch is pretty small. I agree with Hogie it is pretty easy to get one pack of sugar rather than just having a extra pound of malt hanging around. Plus it is a lot cheaper.

[Derekt2]

Originally posted by Trogger
Corn sugar is not really a natural beer ingredient, so that theory would tend toward keeping it natural.


Don't tell the Belgians that!

BTW, I use corn sugar extensively to produce dry, high-gravity brews. I've gone to 20% with no ill effects. Personally, I believe that sugar ferments tend to be more active and therefore produce more esters and in some cases where the temp is high more fusels too. Then to contradict that I brewed a Saison over the summer with 18% honey and at nearly 80 on purpose! and it also shows no ill effects. Not too fruity, no undeserved hangovers. :D