Fermenting things other than barley

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wbargz

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I know that this is forum is dedicated to brewing beer, but I've been thinking about brewing things other than beer and can't find another more appropriate place to post this question. Feel free to redirect me if you know of a more appropriate forum.
How does ale, champagne, or any other yeast react to fermenting cane sugar. I've been experimenting with fermenting tea with brown sugar and demerara sugar and thinking about trying stuff like maple or agave. The result we have from using sugar as a base so far is somewhat lacking in character but seemingly alcoholic. We're working on adding some body and character to the brew but wonder if there is likely to be some downsides like fusels to brewing with really basic sugars.

Has anybody done this before? What is the best kind of yeast to be using? Are there any caveats to brewing with just sugar?

Thanks for reading, and I look forward to any feedback I might get.
 
That just sounds disgusting. I dont want to sound rude, but you arent trying to make hooch are you? We get a few kids coming in here wondering how to ferment hooch under their bed so their parents don't know. The questoin and this being your first post is a flag, thats all.

If you are serious, it seems like kind of a bad idea. I can't see myself wanting to drink that. Your best bet however would be to ferment dextrose, not table sugar. Dextrose is comprised of 2 glucose molecules and is very easy for yeast to use. Cane or table sugar is a bond of glucose and fructose. This is slightly harder for yeast to ferment. That is why beer with too much table sugar addition can turn out cidery and have hot alcohols. Either way, I can't imagine it would taste good.

Also, if you want a cheap easy and tasty brew, just search "apfelwein". It is a pretty popular recipe around here for sparkling cider using store bought apple juice.
 
I dont think he is trying to make hooch Im actually kind of curious myself. There is nothing wrong with experimentation... sure you might get batches of nasty or undrinkable stuff but why not try new things.

If anyone has any ideas/suggestions please feel free to post them up.
 
Just google fermenting sugar. HBT is about brewing beer, wine, & cider, not hooch.
 
This is a beer/wine/mead/cider forum.

We are about quality brewing, with a tasty drinkable product. While experimenting might be fun, you can certainly find other websites to discuss "other" things. This is not the place for it.

You can google all kinds of things made with sugar and water and yeast. We will be keeping Homebrewtalk.com a forum for beer/wine/cider/mead.

Edit- I was typing my response while Edwort was replying! So, ignore my response and listen to him!
 
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