Priming Debate

So, we're debating over the pros/cons of using DME vs Corn Sugar for our priming sugar...

Does it really make a difference? Most things I read suggest that corn sugar doesn't impart any flavors. Obviously expense factors into this discussion, but our main concern is getting good, solid carbonation appropriate to the beer style.

So, if we're brewing a lighter ale, and we want it to have a refreshing amount of bubbles, are we better off with corn sugar, which I have read carbonates quicker/more reliably? Or is there just not that much of a difference, either way? Might it make sense for other styles to opt for a different priming sugar?

I'm sure this has probably been discussed here before, but my glance through the stickied posts in this thread didn't really go in-depth enough to satisfy my curiosity.

i would suggest sticking with the tried and true corn sugar.

but i have heard of people keeping 2 liters of the wart in a sanitized jug then adding it back in at bottling time instead of corn sugar. in theory this wont affect the taste of the beer because your adding more of whats already in there in the same proportions and the yeast will ferment it back to beer levels during carbonation.

Is corn sugar the same as household sugar?

Because I have heard varying stories of the differences between table sugar and corn sugar & their respective effects on beer's taste.

Patrick

Wow, using some of the wort...that's an interesting idea. Seems like you might get a varied amount of carbonation, depending on the sweetness of your wort. Would you use brix as a gauge? What brix is corn sugar, typically?

pweizman said:

Is corn sugar the same as household sugar?

Because I have heard varying stories of the differences between table sugar and corn sugar & their respective effects on beer's taste.

Patrick

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I'm not the expert, but I know that they are not the same thing. Corn sugar is from corn (obv), whereas table sugar is derived from sugar cane or beets, I believe. I think they are chemically very different, and will break down differently in the fermentation process. Papazian says to basically never use table sugar.

ronzonie7 said:

I'm not the expert, but I know that they are not the same thing. Corn sugar is from corn (obv), whereas table sugar is derived from sugar cane or beets, I believe. I think they are chemically very different, and will break down differently in the fermentation process. Papazian says to basically never use table sugar.

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Table sugar = Sucrose - C12 H22 O11

Corn sugar = Dextrose - C6 H12 06

They're different simple sugars that can be used. I think for priming they're pretty interchangeable.

If you want "to have a refreshing amount of bubbles", you can also use Honey.

From what I understand, using DME will give you finer bubbles than using corn sugar. My one attempt at using DME for priming was a disaster. Think beer with very little carbonation.

If you put "beer priming sugar calculator" into google, you can find several calculators which will help you figure out how much sugar or DME you need for a certain type of beer for priming.

FWIW you can pretty much interchange corn and cane sugar for priming. Most times you are going to use between 4 and 5 oz. for 5 gallons, so it really doesn't affect the taste.

I used DME for my last batch (first time) and it turned out well. The foam was much (creamier?) than cane sugar. However, it did take a while - 7 weeks to full carbonation.

i agree with not using table sugar. from what i read it can produce an apple flavor in your beer. honey dose work good but be careful how much you use. honey is VERY fermentable. i don't know the exact figures but i know its more fermentable than corn sugar and if you use to much your bottles will explode.

Brewheads.com has a priming sugar calculator that works for all the ingredients mentioned in this thread, along with several others. I ran several of the beers I have made through it, and it seems to work just fine.

LibertyBrewer said:

Brewheads.com has a priming sugar calculator that works for all the ingredients mentioned in this thread, along with several others. I ran several of the beers I have made through it, and it seems to work just fine.

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Thanks for the link. Looks like there is no real answer, like most things in life. YMMV might as well be etched into our carboys.

Corn sugar is simplest, as it is the most well documented method of priming homebrew. Table sugar is nearly interchangeable with corn sugar (for the purpose of priming) and won't produce off-flavors by using the small amount required to prime. DME is a bit more expensive and works slower, but it appeases the purists. Other fermentables like honey, maple syrup, brown sugar, molasses, agave syrup, etc will work, but determining the correct amount may prove difficult.

A real purist may prefer krausening to other methods (adding wort back into the finished beer). Here is a short article describing the process:

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/wiki/index.php/Krausening

Yuri_Rage said:

A real purist may prefer krausening to other methods (adding wort back into the finished beer). Here is a short article describing the process:

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/wiki/index.php/Krausening

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Argh, you beat me to it. Thanks for the link, too!

I thought of a different take on this question last night...

What do commercial breweries do? Do they do something similar to the Charmat method of making sparkling wine (hit it with C02, or something)? What about craft brewers who commercially bottle beer?

From what I understand most commercial breweries will pasteurize and artificially carbonate their canned and bottled brews.

thirdedition said:

From what I understand most commercial breweries will pasteurize and artificially carbonate their canned and bottled brews.

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That makes since, for consistency's sake. Is there a 'small bubbles' vs 'big bubbles' debate, in that case, like the Champagne/Charmat differences?

Condensed of what I've read about:

Corn Sugar - Most often used. Works well, and imparts no off-flavors.
Table Sugar - Works equally well and imparts no off-flavors (at the amount used for priming).
DME - Requires more and can take longer to work. Also adds more solids, hence more sediment in the bottle.

Papapzian was probably correct in his book by not recommending table sugar to your beer, but only at levels MUCH higher than the amount used for priming. I have personally used table sugar with no difference in outcome that I can tell. But I mostly keg now and force carb...

I have used both corn sugar and table sugar for priming and I can not tell the difference. FWIW I have only bottled about 15 batches so I don't have a huge resume of experience, but I decided to use table sugar because it it cheaper and is always in the house. Again, I have detected no difference in taste or in the head formation / bubbles in the beer in the table sugar batches (about 5 now).

ronzonie7 said:

I thought of a different take on this question last night...

What do commercial breweries do? Do they do something similar to the Charmat method of making sparkling wine (hit it with C02, or something)? What about craft brewers who commercially bottle beer?

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The brewpub I got a tour of ran their beers through a DE filter and then into a large tank and hit it with CO2. I'm sure the brewers that bottle probably do pretty much the same thing.

Kraeusening is no doubt the best way. It will leave the beer uncharged from it's original profile. Sugar will dry it out and add ABV, but it's generally only a few gravity points and hardly noticeable. I have carbbed to 4 volumes with 8 oz cane sugar (about five gravity points.) At that high of carbonation it will start to have a noticeable impact on body and ABV.

I was just looking at Beersmith, and for a 5 gallon batch it called for 5.29 oz. of DME for priming. It wouldn't take a real math wizard to convert that to a certain amount of unfermented wort. I'll be brewing this weekend (my attempt at cloning Goose Island Harvest Ale) and I may just set some aside and give it a shot!