browntrout
Member
Would there be any benefit or problem with using dark brown sugar as a primer for bottling? Would this tend to change anything in the final taste? or color? does anyone do this? would this be a dumb thing to do?
You are right in your thinking that you want to prime bottles with simple sugars. But brown sugar is a simple sugar, it's just sucrose with caramel coloring/flavoring added. I have primed with dark brown sugar before and it works fine, if it is a light enough ale a bit of flavor will come through from it too. I would recommend using the same amount by weight as your recipe calls for corn sugar.Someone please correct me if I'm wrong on this thinking....
The problem is that when you vary the type of sugar, this alters how much carbonation will result. Brown sugar doesn't have the same density as corn sugar, so my usual measurement gave different results to what I was expecting, and the batch came out slightly undercarbed. I'm sure with time I could re-learn exactly how much of any given brand of brown sugar to use for different carbonation levels, but why bother when I already know how to judge that accurately for my usual corn sugar?
You can prime your beer with any fermentable that you want. Any sugar: white cane sugar, brown sugar, honey, molasses, even maple syrup can be used for priming. The darker sugars can contribute a subtle aftertaste (sometimes desired) and are more appropriate for heavier, darker beers. Simple sugars, like corn or cane sugar, are used most often though many brewers use dry malt extract too. Ounce for ounce, cane sugar generates a bit more carbon dioxide than corn sugar, and both pure sugars carbonate more than malt extract, so you will need to take that into account. Honey is difficult to prime with because there is no standard for concentration. The gravity of honey is different jar to jar. To use honey, you will need to dilute it and measure its gravity with a hydrometer. For all sugars in general, you want to add 2-3 gravity points per gallon of beer to prime.
I just brewed an "Imperial" Honey Brown Ale. Thinking I might try priming with this on a couple bottles and see how it tastes. Those of you who have done it before, think it will go good with the style?
stupid question: (we are Americans, pity us.) when you buy 5 ounces of priming sugar is that weight or volume?
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