sugar for brewing

[crannman]

hi only brew kits so was wondering what different sugar to use when brewing and priming used the sugar that comes with kits would a brown sugar make a difference to colour and taste ? just wondering

 

[terrym]

Priming; you only need to use granulated (table) sugar
Fermenting; Use table sugar sparingly, allegedly in large amounts it contributes a cidery taste, but since I dont use it I have no experience of that. Dextrose /brewing sugar is OK but my rule of thumb is never more than 500g addition to a one can, with at least the same preferably more in malt . You can use golden syrup (partially inverted sugar) in darker beers but in lighter beers you might taste it, and not overdoing it applies. You can use darker sugars but the more you put in the more likely you are to taste it. I use 120g max dark muscavado sugar in stouts and that's my limit, but others use a whole can of black treacle, so their taste is different to mine

 

[Bigcol49]

others use a whole can of black treacle

Hi!
I tried a full can of black treacle in a Scottish bitter kit - nice, but over-the-top. Less is more when it comes to black treacle.

 

[LarryF]

Firstly you don't only brew kits, you brew kits, as do I. Don't get caught up in, this sort of brewing is better or worse than what you brew, we all brew beer, if people don't like what you do, that's their problem. For kits I'd recommend brew enhancer or spray malt, table or brewing sugar will thin your beer out. I use Brew Enhancer and then bump up the ABV with, honey, Golden Syrup, Treacle (stouts) muscavado/brown sugar, and I've used table sugar as well. For priming, I use table sugar or whatever the wife's bought.

 

[crannman]

thanks all for replying and info

 

[Drunkula]

Look up the compositions of the various brew enhancers online - e.g. the one for £6 in Wilko is half spraymalt (another name for dried malt extra/DME) and half brewing sugar. Brewing sugar can just be replaced with table sugar so in Wilko you can get the enhancer for £6, but you can get 500g of spraymalt for £4.50 so you could buy that and add 500g of normal sugar and it would cost you £4.75 total for what's essentially the same as the enhancer that was £6.

Some enhancers are partially maltodextrin which doesn't brew out but leaves residual sugar for more perceived 'body' or mouthfeel which is another word for thickness.

Basically normal sugar and brewing sugar brew out completely to alcohol but don't give you any extra flavour of body. Spraymalt brew out about 75% of the level of sugar but also leaves the nice stuff you want flavour and body wise.