Priming Sugar or Spray Malt

[Portreath]

Hi

I have a kit beer on the go which came with 150 grams of priming sugar, can this be swooped out in favor of spray malt, I still have loads left after buying 500grams for a Smugglers ale i did, if so would I use the same quantity?

Cheers

 

[Wouter]

Priming sugar is for priming. Its not a part of the grain bill during mash.

 

[treebeard]

I have a kit beer on the go which came with 150 grams of priming sugar, can this be swooped out in favor of spray malt, I still have loads left after buying 500grams for a Smugglers ale i did, if so would I use the same quantity?

Yes but the quantity will be different. Use this calculator here. https://www.brewersfriend.com/beer-priming-calculator/

 

[Portreath]

Thanks for the link Treebeard, I thought so. The last Munton's ale I made suggested that DME should be used for priming. I have a Beerworks Bitter on the go and I was thinking of swapping out the sugar for the DME. I'm not sure what or if any improvement to the taste it will make.

 

[Drunkula]

I'm not sure what or if any improvement to the taste it will make.

Next to nothing. I did an experiment with 5 different priming sugars and there was only one I could pick out and it was a dark molasses thing. Even Chris White from Whitelabs says just use plain sugar.

 

[BeerisGOD]

Yes I second plain sugar
I stopped using dextrose a over two years ago
Saved a few pounds in the process
Sadly not around the gut

 

[GerritT]

The purpose of priming is creating CO2, as clean as possible. DME are not clean sugars. They mess up the recipe unless DME is stated as priming agent.
White sugar is good enough.

 

[ACBEV]

I've only ever used Demerara sugar for priming. More of a habit than anything else, I like to think it adds somethings...

 

[dad_of_jon]

the amount of priming sugar is small compared to the amount of sugars / malts used in the main fermentation and their effect on the flavour will be less too. black treacle to prime is strong enough to noticed though.

 

[Portreath]

Thanks for the responses, guess I'll be sticking with sugar then. I like the idea of demerara, as this is the only type I put in my coffee:thumb:

 

[EddtheBrew]

Hi Portreath,
For what it's worth , I'd go with stopping the primary fermentation @ 1.003.25 above the expected f.g and rack to bottle or cask @ 1.003° above f.g , though you'd need to adjust the Gravity @ pitch if you don't want to loose the abv target .
Hope that is of interest,
Cheers
Edd

 

[Portreath]

Thanks Edd

I made a 9ltr batch of Mild Ale the other week and batched primed approx 17 bottles with Munton's Light spray malt, only because a) I had no sugar to hand, and b) I had the DME left over from a kit brew I did in the past. I'll try the ale in a week or so, and let you know how it turned out

 

[EddtheBrew]

Hi Portreath,
Thanks, the technique I outlined was pretty typical of some Yorkshire brewers .
Cheers
Edd

 

[Portreath]

Yes but the quantity will be different. Use this calculator here. https://www.brewersfriend.com/beer-priming-calculator/

Thanks for the link to the calculator. I've just entered 19 ltrs with a vol of co2 at 2.0. The calculators gives me a value of 136.9g DME, however; the packet instructions for the kit read that you should use no more than 85g for a 23ltr barrel. As this is less than the calculator gives, I wonder if it's just specific to the kit!

 

[MyQul]

Yes I second plain sugar
I stopped using dextrose a over two years ago
Saved a few pounds in the process
Sadly not around the gut

I went the other way, and swapped from plain sugar to dextrose/brewing sugar about a year ago. The thing with plain sugar is you have to disolve it in a pan with a bit of water (if you batch prime, like I do). With dextrose you can just chuck it in the beer and give it stir. If you do this with plain sugar it just sinks to the bottom. The forumite who told me about dextrose (can t remember who it was now) said he didnt even stir it, just chucked it in. Im not brave enough to try that, as if it doesnt evenly disperse you risk getting a few bottle bombs

 

[Llamaman]

With dextrose you can just chuck it in the beer and give it stir.

Ah, that's useful to know. I've been dissolving the dextrose in a small amount of water in a jug and and batch priming, but if I can just add directly to the FV that's one less thing to sanitise :)

 

[Portreath]

Ah, that's useful to know. I've been dissolving the dextrose in a small amount of water in a jug and and batch priming, but if I can just add directly to the FV that's one less thing to sanitise :)

Good point, I'm all for simplifying any process whenever possible, more time to enjoy a glass of ale:nod:

 

[MyQul]

Ah, that's useful to know. I've been dissolving the dextrose in a small amount of water in a jug and and batch priming, but if I can just add directly to the FV that's one less thing to sanitise :)

Just makes bottling day that bit less complicated

 

[foxbat]

I've only ever used Demerara sugar for priming. More of a habit than anything else, I like to think it adds somethings...

It adds an itty bitty percentage of molasses. Maybe not enough to taste though.

 

[BeerisGOD]

I'll do this with the batch I'm bottling up this weekend
Got a 500 gram pack I didn't use that came with a kit
So I'll get an airtight container and keep it in there using as and when I prime
Boiling is hassle I'll give you that especially when you've left it till the last minute