This is my first NB kit. I have brewed 3 others from a local brew shop. My NB kit did not come with any priming sugar and recommends to put either Dextrose (corn sugar) or Sucrose (table sugar) in for before bottling. Does it matter which one I use? My other kits always came with the priming sugar.
No.
Use a little less table sugar (2/3 cup) than corn sugar (3/4 cup). There is slightly more fermentables per volume of white sugar.
I’ve never read that there is any difference from using table sugar. It is all I use.
How to Brew by Palmer lists different amounts for priming with corn sugar vs white sugar, but I wonder if its just academic.
I will just go with the table sugar and use 2/3 cup.
There is definitely a difference. I actually like to use a little less than 2/3 cup white sugar for 5 gallons. If you use 3/4 cup your beer will definitely be plenty carbonated, and may occasionally gush. 2/3 cup is plenty.
By mass, you’d need 5% more dextrose than sucrose. Not a perceptible difference.
For consistency, you’ll probably want to go by weight. Is that 2/3 cup packed or sifted?
No flavor difference that I’ve ever been able to distinguish, you just use a little less table sugar to get the same level of carbonation: 3.8 oz of table sugar equals 4 oz of corn sugar.
How much less then 2/3 cup. My instructions say 5/8 cup which would be a little less then 2/3 cup, I have nothing to measure 5/8 cup. I am guessing that would be like 5 oz.
Okay I had a stupid moment. 5/8 cup is 5 oz. I need a beer so I can think straight.
5/8 cup is 5 fluid ounces, which is a unit of volume. 5/8 cup of sugar will most likely not be 5 ounces (a mass unit).
a10t2 is right. 5 ounces weight is probably not the same as 5 ounces by volume (5/8 cup). The correct amount is 5/8 cup, which is why I said “a little less than 2/3 cup”. If you use 3/4 cup, which is 6/8 cup, then that would be too much IMO.
Got it, thank you
No difference that I’ve seen. After 2 over carbonated batches (not bombs, but not ideal) I finally got a digital scale. Well worth the $20…also makes starters easier.
The difference is yeast have to secrete invertase enzyme to break sucrose into fructose and glucose (inverted sugar) before they can use it. :blah:
I don’t think the yeast beasts are that picky about their sugar. They see that it’s sweet and it’s not lactose, and they go ahead and eat it without worrying about enzymes!
Of course yeast have plenty of invertase or they wouldn’t be able to utilize maltose (another dissacharide). Sucrose breaks into glucose and fructose, and I don’t know if the fructose would cause any kind of change in metabolism that might result in a difference in esters or something. If it does its darned subtle.
Fruit like grapes has mostly fructose as the sugar and yeast make it into something that has a more estery/winey flavor, but that may be the yeast strains and the flavors in the fruit.
And I stand corrected on the comparative amounts of the two, the water thats eliminated during the condensation reaction of the two monosacharides is the difference. More carbon in sucrose per unit volume.
Plus its way cheaper.
I’m not sure if your arguing or not but I stole you a picture.
I’m not sure if the fact it needs another enzyme changes the flavor any and even if it does you probably used too much sugar anyway. Maybe in a can and kilo kit it’s above the taste threshold.
