Brown Sugar in Cider

[discooby]

Early last December I made a 1 gallon batch of Cider using 2 cups brown sugar, Tree Top and nothing else (final abv = 7.1%). After 1 month it tasted good. Then I let a bottle sit in the fridge 4 months and tried it… it tasted heavily of molasses which wasn’t appealing to me.

Towards the end of last December I made a 5 gallon batch of cider using 4lbs of brown sugar, 1 ¼ cup maple syrup, cloves and cinnamon sticks. I let that sit for about 3.5 months and I just kicked the keg. It was pretty good (and strong @ 8.5% abv). It had a nice holiday taste to it… even a taste of pumpkin pie, go figure. But no hints of molasses; if anything a little too much clove.

Anyone use brown sugar for their ciders on a consistent basis? I’m trying to figure out the discrepancy, besides the cloves and cinnamon which I don’t think would mask the molasses. I used Lalvin EC-118 on the 1 gallon and Lalvin ICV-D47 on the 5 gallon. I can’t see the yeast as playing a role in taste or am I wrong?

 

[ACbrewer]

yeast can certianly affect taste, as can the abv. From the 2 cups and 4lb, I can't tell if you have the same ratio of brown sugar, so that could affect it. On the sugar, was one dark brown and one light brown? Dark has more molasses in it.

 

[Calder]

I can't help with the flavors you are getting, but it looks to me as though you have your alcohol levels wrong. Both of those should have been around 11.5% if fermented dry.

 

[oldmate]

I've only ever used it once. Tasted kinda.. earthy.. like what fresh soil smells like. Wasn't the best, but strangely wasn't the worst either. I think my version of 'brown sugar' is different to you guys. My brown sugar is your 'dark brown sugar' I think. Your brown sugar is the same as our raw sugar, in which case I've never got any off-tastes.

 

[Cascadegan]

In america there is raw sugar (less proccessed brownish colored cane sugar)
Light brown sugar (sugar with some mole asses)
And dark brown sugar (with more mole asses)

 

[oldmate]

Yeah, our brown sugar is your dark brown. I don't think we have a substitute for a light brown in that case.

 

[sashurlow]

Cascadegan,
Mole asses... Like the hind end of a small burrowing rodents.
Molasses... Sugary stuff
I don't know where you are getting your brown sugar, but I don't want any of you cider.

 

[arondee]

Hey if he wants to add mole asses to his cider more power to him. Yumm this cider is dry with just a hint of rodent butt.

 

[Cascadegan]

Cascadegan,
Mole asses... Like the hind end of a small burrowing rodents.
Molasses... Sugary stuff
I don't know where you are getting your brown sugar, but I don't want any of you cider.

all my stuff is homemade, you dont want to know what i have to go through to get it

 

[discooby]

The brown sugar I used was C&H Golden Brown (100% Pure Cane – no beet sugar). I’d guess it’s a light-brown sugar… because it looks light-brown.

yeast can certianly affect taste, as can the abv. From the 2 cups and 4lb, I can't tell if you have the same ratio of brown sugar, so that could affect it. On the sugar, was one dark brown and one light brown? Dark has more molasses in it.

I realize yeast plays an important role in beer making (I’m just getting into AG) but didn’t think wine/champagne yeast would make such an impact with cider as far as bringing out strong flavors...?

Quick calcs: 1 cup = 48tsp. There are 454tsp in 4lbs of C&H Golden Brown Sugar. I figure that in the 5 gallon batch I used close to 9 ½ cups of brown. So, I used a little more brown in the 1 gallon batch by ratio to the 5 gallon (by about 1/10th of a cup per gallon if I’m thinking right).

 

[discooby]

I can't help with the flavors you are getting, but it looks to me as though you have your alcohol levels wrong. Both of those should have been around 11.5% if fermented dry.

For the five gallon batch I came out to 1.067 at 67*F; (1-gallon of Tree Top Apple Juice yielded a SG of 1.05.) FG = 1.006 puts this, according to brewcalcs, at around 8.5 abv.

Your brown sugar is the same as our raw sugar, in which case I've never got any off-tastes.

I think you’re talking about “Sugar in the Raw”… which is a Turbinado. I haven’t used that as it seems expensive here. According to C&H, their brown sugar “is always naturally brown all the way through”… whatever that means. If you do a gaagle search on them you’ll find some extra unhelpful info. :cross:

 

[GinKings]

It's my understanding that (in the US at least) demerara, turbinado, "Sugar in the Raw", etc are raw sugars, which have not been refined. Light and dark brown sugar is refined sugar that has had molasses added to it.

 

[toolboxdiver]

I use light brown sugar with honey in my cyser all the time been making it for over 20 years and I also use spices in my cyser and just love the flavor. I do not use apple juice though I use real pressed cider to start seems to make a much better cyser.