kit brewer sugar choices

[happyhoppytaff]

i am still new to this. i bottled my first batch last night. it was a budget kit and i used plain old white sugar.

today i put on a new brew, didnt want the bin sitting idle when it could be making me more beer.

i wanted to experiment a bit with the kit, its the youngs definitive bitter kit.

i bought a malt extract from a health food shop, 450g and i made it up with 550g of brown sugar.

i did think about using a dark sugar or even molasses. the health food shop had a 900g jar of molasses and i was tempted but i wasnt sure i wanted to be too experimental on my second brew.


what types of sugar have you used to try and improve a cheepo kit, how did it affect the flavour of the final brew?

 

[broadfordbrewer]

i bought a malt extract from a health food shop, 450g and i made it up with 550g of brown sugar.

Hi,
Nothing wrong with experimenting with your kits, but I have read on here somehwere that there might not be enough fermentable sugars in the 'health food shop' malt extract to make beer?
I made the Youngs definitive bitter kit and used all spray malt (the dry stuff) and got good results with this. I've since done kits with half sugar and half spray malt and tey are just as good. If you've already used the stuff you've bought then don't worry too much, just see how it turns out and then decide if you would do it again :)

 

[happyhoppytaff]

but I have read on here somehwere that there might not be enough fermentable sugars in the 'health food shop' malt extract to make beer?

oh no. i dont think its too late to throw in a bit more sugar. should i?

just read the jar.
69g carbohydrates per 100g

450g jar gives about 310g carbohydrates-sugar, yes.

i might just chuck in another 100g brown sugar

 

[broadfordbrewer]

i bought a malt extract from a health food shop, 450g and i made it up with 550g of brown sugar.

but I have read on here somehwere that there might not be enough fermentable sugars in the 'health food shop' malt extract to make beer?

oh no. i dont think its too late to throw in a bit more sugar. should i?

Sorry, can't be sure what (if anything) you should add. As I said, it might be ok, it was just something I remember reading on one the forum threads. I'd be tempted to leave it be and see how it ferments out. I think if it struggles I would send an SOS message on here to ask what to do at that point. Sorry if I've worried you :|

 

[happyhoppytaff]

just read the jar.
69g carbohydrates per 100g

450g jar gives about 310g carbohydrates-sugar, yes.

i might just chuck in another 100g brown sugar

 

[broadfordbrewer]

just read the jar.
69g carbohydrates per 100g

450g jar gives about 310g carbohydrates-sugar, yes.

i might just chuck in another 100g brown sugar

Sounds like a plan :thumb:

 

[happyhoppytaff]

in fact, im going to add 100g icing sugar, its fine enough to sit on top and disolve into the brew quickly rather than sinking to the bottom.

stress, fun, beer!

glad you mentioned the fermentable sugars in malt ext. i might have ended up with a not-strong-enough ale.