What type of sugar should I use for conditioning?

[KungFuStu]

Hello everyone,

I'm completely new to this, and have just started my first brew this week. I opted to buy a standard beginners equipment pack with the Woodforde's Wherry 3kg beer kit for starters. It's been in the FV since Monday evening at a constant temp of 20c degrees, it's still fairly active, the airlock gurgles away every minute or so, so things seem to be going nicely, so far so good anyway! :thumb:

Firstly, the hydrometer was reading about 1.019 last night, would that be a fair reading at this stage (4 days)? :wha:

My actual question was in regards to the type of sugar to use for the conditioning process in the barrel. I have some glucose powder that came with the kit, but I've seen people mention that they've used regular caster sugar for the conditioning, some people have mentioned that they use brown sugar, others have mentioned they have used demerara sugar, and some use muscovado sugar!

I just wonder if anybody could explain the differences that a particular sugar will give to the end product, and whether they would recommend a particular sugar to use with the Woodforde's Wherry kit, or does it simply not really matter too much? :hmm:

Thanks everyone! :

 

[tubby_shaw]

Hi k-f-s :)
The SG of 1.019 at this stage is fine :thumb:
As for priming sugar, to be honest it doesn't really matter as there is such a relatively small amount of sugar it wont really affect the flavour
I would go with the glucose for your first attempt, simply because you already have it :grin:

 

[Bribie]

Glucose is fine but a bit 'flyaway' for handling, personally I have always just used plain old white sugar. However I have up to now bottled mostly in PET bottles, either pop bottles or the dedicated brown beer bottles that you can get. And I use old fashioned sugar lumps (cubes). The Australian ones fit exactly through a PET opening and make priming a breeze for simplicity. For a 2 L bottle I would use 2 lumps for an ale and 3 for a lager or lager-style beer where more fizziness required. I expect the UK version is the same size - maybe worth checking out.

A third of the price of buying those carb drops. :thumb:

 

[redhousebrewing]

Resurrecting an old thread because conditioning my latest batch has left me puzzled...

Does brewing sugar ferment slower than granulated cane sugar when used for conditioning?
This batch has been conditioning for a week at 19-20degC and the PET bottle is still not hard.
Apart from brewing sugar for priming nothing has been differently to the last 3-4 batches (FV->SV->bottling bucket over 2-2.5 weeks, conditioning in the same way)

I always dissolve the sugar in some boiled water, put it in the bottling bucket or barrel and then syphon the batch into the bucket/barrel - this has worked consistently well for ~15 20-23 litre brews with the test PET bottle nice and hard within a week.

Thanks for any insights!
Stuart

 

[tubby_shaw]

It is probably something as simple as the temperature where your bottling bucket was stored. As the temperatures drop then more yeast will fall out of suspension, this means you'll be bottling clearer beer that will have a longer shelf life, but as you are transferring less viable yeast then it will take a little bit longer to use the sugars :)

 

[redhousebrewing]

Thanks - that sounds about right as the beer was good and clear at bottling and the PET bottles have now after 11 days firmed up reasonably.
Will be tucking them away in the cold tomorrow to add to the stocks!

Stuart