Why Corn Sugar for Priming?

[brewmeister13]

I've come across a lot of debate as to which sugar to use for priming and the one thing that I have taken away is that, unless you are using molasses or maple syrup there isn't much of a difference (except subjective opinion).

My question is why did corn sugar become the standard priming sugar? I am not looking for debate as to which is best, but rather would like to understand why we do what we do.

 

[Yooper]

I've come across a lot of debate as to which sugar to use for priming and the one thing that I have taken away is that, unless you are using molasses or maple syrup there isn't much of a difference (except subjective opinion).

My question is why did corn sugar become the standard priming sugar? I am not looking for debate as to which is best, but rather would like to understand why we do what we do.

Because it's the simplest sugar we have available to us.

Dextrose (corn sugar) is a monosaccharide. The yeast can easily digest it.

Table sugar (sucrose) is a disaccharide (glucose + fructose) and while the yeast can also digest it, it is a two step process.

Dextrose has been used traditionally as it's pretty cheap and it works great due to being a monosaccharide.

 

[Mojzis]

You can also charge extra for dextrose

 

[homebrewdad]

Chemically, corn sugar is as simple as it gets. Dextrose is essentially the same as glucose, so it's the simplest thing to metabolize. Sucrose has to be broken down to the same state (via enzyme action) before it can be digested by the yeast.

With that being said, it's not really a one to one comparison. It's not like the yeast are sitting around twiddling their thumbs while the enzymes act. There are still so many yeast cells in suspension at bottling time that there are far more than would be needed to metabolize the sugar; the end result is there there is really no appreciable difference in priming time between dextrose (corn sugar) and sucrose (table sugar).

If you ask me, the reason is because brewing suppliers can sell that tiny baggie of sugar for not much less than one would pay for five pounds of table sugar. People think it's a magic product and pay a vast markup.

 

[unionrdr]

Not just that,but it is indeed strange that corn sugar isn't available in the grocery store. It'd be way cheaper to my thinking. Hell,they carry all kinds of other sugars,why not corn? Although I do think that when people see the name dextrose,they think preservative.

 

[VT-NAV]

If you ask me, the reason is because brewing suppliers can sell that tiny baggie of sugar for not much less than one would pay for five pounds of table sugar. People think it's a magic product and pay a vast markup.

I partly agree; however, I think the ridiculously high prices are a function of both convenience and the general ingorance you described. The Brewer's Best Priming Sugar is already pre-measured and pre-packaged into a single-serving style packet.

My LHBS has several bags of corn sugar on the shelves. 5oz of Brewer's Best Priming Sugar is $2.99. A 5lb generic bag simply labeled "Corn Sugar" is $5.99.

In terms of quantity, the bigger bag is by far the better deal: sixteen times the sugar for only twice the cost. But in opting for buying in bulk, you then have to worry about storing the bigger bag to keep out moisture. Additionally, measuring your own quantity of sugar introduces another step in the brewing process as well as another variable that could go wrong.

I could see why the markup would be worth it to some.

 

[Homercidal]

In practice, table sugar works as well in the end. I think Corn Sugar got used because table sugar had connotations of causing cidery flavors. I've used both when bottling and there was no difference between them.

 

[daksin]

Yea, I'm going to have to go with the scarcity/markup theory. I've always used table sugar and prefer it. It's waaaaaaaaaaaaaaay cheaper, you need less, and it works perfectly. I don't know why someone would use dextrose just because it's easier to digest for the yeast. They're not having any trouble with the sucrose, even in my 12% + beers.

 

[brewmeister13]

Thanks for all of the quick and very informative replies. I was kind of thinking that it was a way for LHBSs to make some extra easy profit. Definitely helps to have it reaffirmed by so many experienced brewers.

 

[BigFloyd]

I end up using corn sugar, but I wouldn't buy it separately. It often gets included in recipe batch kits. When I keg, that bag gets dumped into the plastic container with the rest of the leftover dextrose.

 

[unionrdr]

I have to go to the lhbs for another couple bags of o2 barier caps anyway. So I pick up a 2.5lb bag of dextrose while there. Lasts me a couple months.

 

[jhoyda]

I use table sugar because it's A) cheap B) available and C) I don't have to remember to add it to my online order (LHBS is 45 mins away and the owner is an a$$).

 

[okiedog]

For priming do you use the same amount of sucrose as you would corn sugar?

 

[bobbrews]

Dextrose may be the most popular priming sugar in starter kits, but that does not mean it is the most popular sugar for all brewers. I will definitely use it when I have it on hand, but I have no issues using sucrose in its place.

If my recipe contains a lot of sugar in the grist (10-15%), I prime with DME. That works too!

 

[unionrdr]

No,you use a bit less sucrose.

 

[homebrewdad]

For priming do you use the same amount of sucrose as you would corn sugar?

About 10% less sucrose. Check the link in my sig for a good priming sugar calculator, if you want to be precise.

 

[okiedog]

Nice. Great calculator and easy to use. Thanks homebrewdad! What about flavor profile? Do you notice any difference when using say DME or honey versus corn sugar or cane sugar?

 

[homebrewdad]

Nice. Great calculator and easy to use. Thanks homebrewdad! What about flavor profile? Do you notice any difference when using say DME or honey versus corn sugar or cane sugar?

Your simple sugars are 100% fermentable, and don't give you any flavor profile. DME will give you some mild flavor. Honey doesn't give much, better to use honey malt if you want that flavor. Molasses and maple syrup can give a little.

Bottom line, priming sugar is such a small volume that it can't impact flavor much. But if you are doing a beer with a light/clean flavor, the choice might be more important.

 

[woozy]

Related question: I've heard that priming with DME gives smaller delicate bubbles. Any truth to that?

 

[Yooper]

Related question: I've heard that priming with DME gives smaller delicate bubbles. Any truth to that?

No.

And I've never heard before that using DME will have a flavor impact, and that isn't been my experience at all.

 

[homebrewdad]

No.

And I've never heard before that using DME will have a flavor impact, and that isn't been my experience at all.

I've read quite a few reports of DME giving silkier head, better mouthfeel, or slightly richer flavor.

I've read just as many - or more - that report no difference beyond the beer taking longer to carb up.

My post should have said "might" give some mild flavor, or "has been reported to perhaps" give some mild flavor.

I've never primed with it, myself. Corn sugar, cane sugar, and maple syrup have been my personal experiences to date. I bow to Yooper's knowledge.

 

[okiedog]

Using the priming sugar calculator, the amount of priming sugar required changes with the temperature of the beer. I just want to verify, that is the temperature of the beer at bottling?

 

[homebrewdad]

Using the priming sugar calculator, the amount of priming sugar required changes with the temperature of the beer. I just want to verify, that is the temperature of the beer at bottling?

That usually works fine (unless you cold crash at bottling... you'll add too little sugar), but technically, it's the highest temperature that your beer has achieved POST FERMENTATION.

This is because CO2 comes out of suspension at higher temperatures (and bubbles out of the airlock). If you drop the temperature, more CO2 can dissolve, but since fermentation is done, no more is being produced... that's why this highest temp post fermentation is the correct number to use.

 

[brewmeister13]

That usually works fine (unless you cold crash at bottling... you'll add too little sugar), but technically, it's the highest temperature that your beer has achieved POST FERMENTATION.

This is because CO2 comes out of suspension at higher temperatures (and bubbles out of the airlock). If you drop the temperature, more CO2 can dissolve, but since fermentation is done, no more is being produced... that's why this highest temp post fermentatin is the correct number to use.

Are you sure this is the case? Northern Brewers calculator asks for current temp, which to me makes sense. Even though CO2 does leave through the airlock the head space will still be filled with CO2. Once the beer is cooled again it will reabsorb the CO2 in the head space of the carboy. Not sure if this is true or not, but makes sense to me. Anyone else know which is the correct temp to use?

 

[Mojzis]

Are you sure this is the case? Northern Brewers calculator asks for current temp, which to me makes sense. Even though CO2 does leave through the airlock the head space will still be filled with CO2. Once the beer is cooled again it will reabsorb the CO2 in the head space of the carboy. Not sure if this is true or not, but makes sense to me. Anyone else know which is the correct temp to use?

Homebrewdad is correct. Its the highest temp reached after fermentation. I crash cool just about every batch and I bottle at 32F. I put 65 into the calculator because that was the highest temp reached.

Spot on every time.

 

[homebrewdad]

Are you sure this is the case? Northern Brewers calculator asks for current temp, which to me makes sense. Even though CO2 does leave through the airlock the head space will still be filled with CO2. Once the beer is cooled again it will reabsorb the CO2 in the head space of the carboy. Not sure if this is true or not, but makes sense to me. Anyone else know which is the correct temp to use?

I am 100% certain about this. This is a very commonly misunderstood question, made worse by items like Northern Brewer's question.

Sure, CO2 from the headspace will get reabsorbed, to a point... but the CO2 that was lost through the airlock is gone forever.

I recall a guy who cold crashed telling people that he always primed off of the cold crash number, but had to add a little sugar as the beer was flat. The reason is because he wasn't accounting for the CO2 that was lost at the higher temp.

Most times, the current temp will work, as long as you aren't bottling while still cold from a cold crash (you'll get flat beer that way). If you want accurate carbonation, use the highest temperature achieved post fermentation.

 

[brewmeister13]

Thanks for clearing this up homebrewdad and mojzis. You've saved me from a lot of headache when I cold crash beers.

 

[brewmeister13]

I have another question for you homebrewdad. I looked at your priming calculator in your signature and noticed the weizen is between 2.4 and 2.9. I thought that wheat beer were generally higher than that. This is a site I used http://hbd.org/brewery/library/YPrimerMH.html for some of my priming information. Why the difference?

 

[homebrewdad]

I have another question for you homebrewdad. I looked at your priming calculator in your signature and noticed the weizen is between 2.4 and 2.9. I thought that wheat beer were generally higher than that. This is a site I used http://hbd.org/brewery/library/YPrimerMH.html for some of my priming information. Why the difference?

Honestly, the style ranges I have there represent an average of the values I've come across while reserching priming. I don't pretend to be an expert on the appropriate level for every single style out there (I've never brewed a weizen, myself).

There are lots of sources that claim what a given style "should" be carbonated to; if I came across conflicting info, I'd flip a coin, average the numbers, etc.

If you feel that I truly am off (certainly posible), I'll be happy to look further into it and adjust the calculator, if need be.

 

[brewmeister13]

I wouldn't go through too much work if it is just me, but I hope I am right. I just carbed a hefe to 3.4. I guess I'll find out soon enough.

 

[watersr]

Deleted

 

[PastorofMuppets]

at my lhbs corn sugar is .80 cents for 5 oz and 2 bucks for a pound.
not exactly the same as table sugar. i bought a couple pounds and keep it on hand.

 

[highgravitybacon]

I have used speise (reserved wort), turbinado, table sugar and corn sugar. Of the sugars, zero difference. Its not enough to make a huge flavor impact unless it's some odd sugar like dark candi or molasses.

I am happiest using speise to prime. No change in the finished beer. No higher abv due to simple sugars. It costs me almost nothing to save and freeze 2L of wort from a batch.

 

[AndrewD]

I know that in either Zymurgy or BYO approx. 4-5 years ago, there was an article by one of the big names in homebrewing that did a pretty scientific taste test with many different priming sugars. I can't really remember what the "best" was, but I do seem to think that the author was surprised at the poor results from priming with honey.