What's difference between light spray malt and Brew sugar?

[Mr A]

Ok, might be a daft question but what is the difference between light spray malt and Brewers sugar?

I have just nearly finished a muntons kit "premium gold" which as instructed I used light spray malt and I have to say was my best beer yet (this was the one that I posted had stuck at a high gravity reading). My next kit is a Milestone IPA and it advises to use brewers sugar. But I am sure the light spray malt I used with my last beer removed that homey brew tangy taste.

Your comments/experiances would be appreciated...
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[BrewStew]

spraymalt is basically dried malt liquor. so you're getting sugars (maltose) from a malt extract instead of just plain brewers sugar (glucose i think)

if you think of it like an all grain brew. it's like adding more malt which gives it more strength and body. adding sugar which also gives it more strength, thins out the beer (ie reducing the body).

adding sugar in large quantites (i'd say over 300g) can throw a cidery taste... which might be that "homebrew twang" you're referring to

 

[Mr A]

Thanks for that BrewStew,
so based on that I like the idea of adding light spray malt instead of the brewers sugar so I will get the strength and body as well. Or should I stick to what I am being told on the instructions....mmmmmm...it is only asking for 80 grams of brew sugar to be boiled and placed in the barrel so I might just change that to light spray malt. Can you boil light spray malt or do you just add to cold water and stir until dissolved? I need to do some more reading up on this, I have still got a couple of days before barrelling anyway.
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[BrewStew]

oh sorry, i thought you were using it in the fermenter.

using plain or brewers sugar for priming is fine. shouldn't be enough to cause an off flavour. you can use spraymalt if you wish too of course, but it's less fermentable so you will need to work out how much more you need by using a Batch Priming Calculator

its generaly good practise to boil any priming sugar in a little water briefly to kill anything that could be lurking there :thumb:

and just to add, if those instructions are for a 5 imperial gallons, 80g of brewers/normal sugar will make it about 1.8 volumes, so try and match that with that calculator if you intend on using spraymalt :thumb:

 

[Mr A]

Many thanks again BrewStew and I should have pointed out where I was in the process, good link to the calculator, thanks again.

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