timotb

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Ive been making cider or should I say more correctly apfelwein for 3 years now. I use 5 pounds ($2.25 from Aldi) cane sugar per 5 gallons fresh cider (40 gallons total.) Beginning SG is usually about 1.08 and ending 0.95. It packs to much alcohol around 12%. Too strong, head aches.

I would like to try corn sugar/dextrose. Pound for pound should be about 75% sweet to the cane. Where can I buy about 40 pounds at a reasonable price? Im in North East Ohio.

Thanks
Tim

Rick500

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Both cane and corn sugar are 100% fermentable...reducing alcohol content should be done by reducing the amount of fermentables (just add less sugar). Using corn sugar instead of cane sugar won't reduce the alcohol. [Edit: You are correct that by weight, you need less corn sugar than cane sugar to produce an equivalent amount of alcohol.]

Headaches can be caused by fusel alcohol...ferment cooler to prevent fusels.

Beerrific

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To answer you question: any homebrew shop.

But, I agree with what Rick said.

timotb

Recipes 

"Headaches can be caused by fusel alcohol...ferment cooler to prevent fusels."

The temperature is generally 60 during ferment. Is that still to warm? I cold can I go without stopping fermentation?

Last year I added yeast nutrient for the first time. It was done in 3 weeks. The previous years took 8 weeks.

I was hoping to find a bulk food store that sells corn sugar.

Austinhomebrew

Recipes 

I would try a homebrew store.

Yooper

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There's a place in Akron- but I can't remember the name. "Grape and Granary" maybe. There's also a place called the "Pumphouse" in Struthers. He has weird hours, though, and doesn't have a bit store, so call in advance. That's all I know of in that area.

There may be health food places you can find it in- I get mine in a gas station/bait shop/deli in Wisconsin. (Which isn't a health food place, I know, but it's a typical store in the Northwoods. Bait, fried foods, beer, gas, and staples like peanut butter. And corn sugar.)

Anyway, try the homebrew stores first, and then call around to some hippie stores. I pay about $.99/pound for it.

__________________
Broken Leg Brewery
Giving beer a leg to stand on since 2006

timotb

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When considering the cost per pound for corn (.99) to cane (.45) sugar, I dont see any advantage to use corn sugars when cane produces the same result for cheaper. Or does Corn sugar produce less Fusels? Comments?

Rick500

Recipes 

If you're going to use sugar, cane sugar is fine.