sugar vs dme addition to brew

thanks that helps a lot and makes sense (It didn't quite make sense that you could get the same abount of fermentables out of dme as sugar). so if i go 0.5kg dme and 0.6kg sugar i'll be good to go.

what type of sugar is preferable (ie sucrose/glucose/dextrose etc)?

Yep

Doesn't matter a bit! Keep in mind that adding extract (either dry or liquid) will make the beer sweeter, so you might want to consider adding some bittering hops to balance it.

----------->Denny

thanks denny, i am going to add 1oz of cascade (for their citrusy bite) I know there are generally used as a finishing hop, but i was going to boil these for about 30 minutes or so. Hmm this is starting to sound a little like an experiment to me :) .. I'll just keep track of what i do in a log though, not hoppy enough? add more hops! etc

so using white sugar (sucrose) will do the job eh? I was under the impression that was not acceptable, i don't remeber why though.

sounds like a good plan..here in the Pacific Northwest (where Cascades originated), we use 'em for everything!

There is a persistent, though disproven, myth that adding sucrose causes a "cidery" flavor. In truth, the cidery flavor comes from old, stale extract and sucrose provides no flavor of it's own to cover it up, the way DME would. If you use fresh extract, there's no problem.

--------->Denny

It is generally not good to use sucrose (table sugar). You can get corn sugar at any health food store and larger grocery stores. Sucrose can make your beer taste like cider. I know because I have done it. Why not make it right? Get the dextrose and have great beer.

If you use DME, I think it is supposed to be 2:1 (2 times more DME than corn sugar.)

well i'm replying to myself but i found and interesting link on different sugars and brewing (specifically spirits, but still worthwhile)

Keep in mind that there are some brands of extract that are so unfermentable that they demand the use of sugar in order to get the proper FG and body to the beer. Laaglander and John Bull are 2 that come to mind.

---------->Denny

No, table sugar is fine...why wouldn't it be? Sucrose absolutely WILL NOT make your beer taste cidery!

Nope, use an equal amount. Both have about 46 ppg.

--------->Denny

actually table sugar shouldn't be recommended.

Why? I assume denny has used it, you give no reason. If anything maybe the fructose is unwanted (sucrose is a disaccharide made of glucose and fructose, whereas maltose is two glucose molecules and fructose is "sweeter" than glucose). saying that something should not be recomended is not useful.

First off... while you strived to get the right answer, table sugar can be broken down when it boils, which obviously helps for santization. The problem most people have is in measuring which if done wrong can make the beer taste cidery. I prefer corn sugar or better yet, DME. As for your other comment.. I don't know you so f*ck off and die, bitchboy.

excellent, that is a very legit reason. By measuring I assume you mean they add too much. My bet would be on people wanting more alcohol, but end up with a "cidery" beer because they added so much sugar they lightend the body of the beer to the point there is little to no actual beer flavour left (espcially if you are trying to make a light domestic style beer).

as it seems most do, but I was just trying to weed out whether it is plain rumour or if there is something to the table sugar / cidery taste thing. I'm still curious if anyone has made a beer with a decent amount of malt and added sugar and had the "cidery" taste.

Hey take it the way you want. But that's a pretty extreme response (I meant it as a statement not an insult). Look at it this way: If you were to recomend 10w30 oil to someone and I say "you shouldn't recomend that" that would be pretty useless (the person that cares would get no information out of the opinion). Now if I said, "well with his 3 cylinder little metro the oil will be too heavy and posibly cause valve problems, i'd go with 5w30" That would be useful. All I wanted was your reason behind it (which I got so thank you). Next time i'll leave it at why :).

No, table sugar absolutley does not cause cidery flavors, if you use it with fresh extract or in an all grain beer as I've done many times. I don't wanna make this a pissing match with credentials, but if you'd like, I can post mine and you can decide for yourself if I know what I'm talking about. Just try it and see...don't automatically accept the old myths.

------------>Denny

And, to be complete, I should also add that the other requirement is to keep it as less than 20% of your total fermentables. I guess I've never tried a beer that was say, 50% sugar of any kind, so I can't speak from wexperience there. But it really doesn't matter if you use corn sugar, cane sugar, beet sugar or whatever if you keep the amount under 20%.

---------->Denny

Totally agreed and that was what I was trying to say, although I guess it didn't come acrosss very well. It's not the sugar in and of itself, it's the fact that it doesn't hide any off flavors.

--------->Denny