Priming sugar preferences?

[Johnny1983]

I'm at the stage of my second brew where I'm ready for bottling. Just wondering what everyone's prefered priming sugar is and is there any differences in taste/colour by using different sugars? I'm contemplating using Demarea, will it make the beer darker? Sweeter? Too sweet? I'll be batch priming so dissolving the sugar won't be an issue.

 

[BruinTuns]

Hi Johnny and welcome to the forum.
No matter with what sugar you prime it ferments out during conditioning so Demerara, which is as fermentable as white, won't add any sweetness.
Personally I've been using ordinary white granulated. I've not sampled enough of my own finished brews yet to be able to advise about other types but I know other brewers sometimes use Demerara and I don't recall reading of any disappointments.
You could try filling a couple of bottles and priming them with Demerara before you batch prime to compare when they're ready to drink before committing the entire brew in an experement.
I'll be interested to see what other replies suggest as I've been assuming that because such comparatvely small amounts are used the type of priming sugar doesn't make an appreciable difference to the beer.

 

[Yeastmaster]

Only ever used brewing sugar.

 

[Scaff]

I've used dextrose, brown sugar, white sugar, honey, molasses, glucose. And priming drops

All produce a carb'd beer, the worse being carb drops because I could never get the dose right.



Scaff

 

[Jimbolala]

How much sugar do you put in, I had a huge swing top from IKEA blow on Xmas day like a bottle of champaign, yet other bottles of darker ales have little head.

 

[BruinTuns]

I've used dextrose, brown sugar, white sugar, honey, molasses, glucose. And priming drops
Scaff

Did you find any significant differences in the results?

 

[DoctorMick]

I've always just used granulated sugar. Got a stout on which I'm priming with vanilla infused sugar so will be interesting to see what that does to the flavour.

 

[Scaff]

Did you find any significant differences in the results?

Not with using them as secondary / carbonation.


I find it ferments quicker with dextrose etc than normal granulated sugar.



Scaff

 

[clibit]

It doesn't seem to make much difference what you use, I only use about 40g in every 10 litres. I always use brewing sugar (dextrose) these days.

 

[BruinTuns]

How much sugar do you put in, I had a huge swing top from IKEA blow on Xmas day like a bottle of champaign, yet other bottles of darker ales have little head.

Sorry mate, somehow missed your post.
Rule of thumb is 2g (Half a teaspoonful) per 500ml for ales, 2.5g if you like just a bit more fizz, and up to 4g for lager type beers.

 

[mirsultankhan]

I've used dextrose, brown sugar, white sugar, honey, molasses, glucose. And priming drops

All produce a carb'd beer, the worse being carb drops because I could never get the dose right.



Scaff

Yes, I bought Coopers carb drobs at the behest of my local home-brew shop. The problem of course is that they are designed for 333ml bottles. I did not want to cut them so i simply added 1/4 teaspoon of dextrose. I have marked those with only dextrose, those with only coopers carb drops and those with a mixture of coopers and dextrose to gauge the results

 

[BruinTuns]

While we're discussing this, what lengths do we go to to mix the priming sugar into the beer?
Spoon into the bottles before filling and trust the yeast to find and eat it?
Or fill the bottles first then add the sugar so that it floats down through the brew?
Does anyone shake the bottle to make sure?

One mistake I won't make again. The other day I was making a 22l batch of Fiery Ginger Beer which was to go into 2l Tesco water bottles.
To save time I sanitized the bottles while the ginger was boiling up and then added the priming sugar to them.
By the time I filled the bottles, the sugar had crystallized in those little indents in the bottle bottoms which were still wet from rinsing when I sanitized. I didn't see the solid sugar and filled the bottles.
Only as I was putting the bottles away did i realise what had happened and spent several minutes gently shaking each filled and primed bottle trying to mix the solidified sugar with the bottled GB.
Took 30 minutes total. Over-rated pastime.

But I later wondered if I'd needed to bother. Would the yeast have done the work for me?...

 

[clibit]

Yeast will find sugar, which will dissolve and mix in to some extent. No harm in gently shaking the bottle though.