Dark Brown Soft Sugar

[Benfleet Brewery]

Quick question, is dark brown soft sugar as fermentables as normal white sugar?
A bit of background, I brewed a brown ale a few months back which came out very nice despite me using 250g white sugar instead of the stated brown sugar. FG was 1.010 using S04 yeast. Anyway, I brewed the same beer two weeks ago, first time using the 35l Brewzilla, but this time used 200g dark brown soft sugar and 50g white sugar. Same yeast, same temp in the FV but this one has finished up at 1.014. I am wondering if this is because of the sugar difference? If not, I may need to look at my mash temperature settings on the Brewzilla.

 

[MrRook]

It was probably the sugar difference.

 

[Benfleet Brewery]

That sugar has had a big effect on the aroma. Beer smells just like Christmas cake.

 

[Slid]

OK, so what was the FG from the white sugar brew?
I guess to get an informed answer, it would be useful to see the recipe.
It seems totally incomprehensible to me that white vs refined brown sugar gives any difference apart from some almost minimal caramelisation.

 

[Benfleet Brewery]

OK, so what was the FG from the white sugar brew?
I guess to get an informed answer, it would be useful to see the recipe.
It seems totally incomprehensible to me that white vs refined brown sugar gives any difference apart from some almost minimal caramelisation.

Here’s the recipe. The white sugar one finished at 1.010. I was using a Peco with BIAB at the time though. This was my first brew with the brewzilla and it finished at 1.014. As I say, it may have been something to do with the mash temperature. I set the Brewzilla at 72 degrees and then reduced it to 69 after I’d added the malt pipe and grains. OG was the same both times though 1.044. I should have used the old temp probe to test I suppose.

 

[Pavros]

You're trying to compare apples and oranges. You've used two different methods with different brewhouse efficiencies so you will never get the same result. Try doing the white sugar recipe with your brewzilla and then compare the results

 

[Benfleet Brewery]

You're trying to compare apples and oranges. You've used two different methods with different brewhouse efficiencies so you will never get the same result. Try doing the white sugar recipe with your brewzilla and then compare the results

Yeah, I understand there are a lot of variables that could have caused this. Just wanted to know if I could rule the different sugar out as one of them.

 

[Hanglow]

4 points is too much for any difference in that amount of sugar imo, I'd guess the white sugar is slightly more fermentable as a small % of brown sugar is molasses which isn't entirely fermentable, but the difference would be too small. Almost certainly difference in mash/grain as that is what mainly sets the fermentability of wort

 

[Benfleet Brewery]

I thought that might be the case. Gonna have to relearn stuff again now.

 

[foxy]

As has been mentioned it is not the sugar.I have mentioned this a few times that it is better to check the accuracy of the temperature reading on the Brewzilla, and other similar SVB's. My MO is finish a brew, clean the kettle at 66 C with an alkaline cleaner, that return pipe will have sugar stuck to the inside, attracting a myriad of microbes. Drain and dry, next brew day prior to filling with the mash water run with a few litres of plain water again at 66 C through the pump and return pipe, check the temperature reading against a reliable thermometer at the side of the probe. Calibrate if need be, my last check prior to brewing was showing a 3 C difference. doesn't sound a lot but enough when taking in the fluctuations thrown up while mashing.
Also a regular stir during the first half of the mash time helps keep an even temperature.
As well as above check your mash pH.

 

[Slid]

Here’s the recipe. The white sugar one finished at 1.010. I was using a Peco with BIAB at the time though. This was my first brew with the brewzilla and it finished at 1.014. As I say, it may have been something to do with the mash temperature. I set the Brewzilla at 72 degrees and then reduced it to 69 after I’d added the malt pipe and grains. OG was the same both times though 1.044. I should have used the old temp probe to test I suppose.

Hi there! The higher FG from the the 1.014 brew is due to mashing at a fairly high temperature, which produces more non-fermentable sugars, which will remain in the finished beer. It will taste sweeter than the other one for this reason. There is no "right" temp to mash at, but low 60's gives more fermentables, high 60's fewer. Some people prefer the "cleaner" taste, others like "body and mouthfeel".

 

[An Ankoù]

Quick question, is dark brown soft sugar as fermentables as normal white sugar?
A bit of background, I brewed a brown ale a few months back which came out very nice despite me using 250g white sugar instead of the stated brown sugar. FG was 1.010 using S04 yeast. Anyway, I brewed the same beer two weeks ago, first time using the 35l Brewzilla, but this time used 200g dark brown soft sugar and 50g white sugar. Same yeast, same temp in the FV but this one has finished up at 1.014. I am wondering if this is because of the sugar difference? If not, I may need to look at my mash temperature settings on the Brewzilla.

Soft brown sugar is nearly 100% fermentable. It would need to be pretty much completely unfermentable to make a different of 4 degrees in your final gravity. If you use recipe building software (which I don't) run it first with brown sugar or even table sugar and see what the FG should be, and then run it with lactose to see how many points are added to the FG. You'll see that your choice of sugar isn't the cause.