Homebrew shop is closed and I need something today!

The homebrew shop where I'm at is closed and I needed 4 ounces of dextrose and a cheesecloth to strain my hopped cider today, can I use a clean rag soaked in star San?

I have used pantyhose a few times... Tried cloths before but they get clogged fast.

Also why not just use table sugar??

Skip the desxtrose and use table sugar. If you needed 4 ounces, use ~3.6 ounces of table sugar to get the same effect.

Try whole foods...or a health food store for Dextrose. Table sugar will work, but I'd wait until tomorrow.

I've seen cheesecloth at my local Kroger (Grocery Store) most fabric shops will have it too. You'll still want to star san it regardless.

Use table sugar. Works fine.

An alternate would be to use apple juice. Use half a pint of juice for each gallon being bottled.

For a strainer. Go to the hardware store and get a 5 gallon paint straining bag. Sanitize and put it over the end of the cane that goes into the cider being bottled (on the inlet side). These bags are very useful, and can be rinsed, dried and re-used.

Cheesecloth is available in just about every store on the planet....especially every grocery store.

Pickled_Pepper said:

Table sugar will work, but I'd wait until tomorrow.

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Why? Both sugars ferment out completely, leaving zero residue or flavor contributors behind. I know that old school "wisdom" says to be scared of table sugar for cidery flavors, but you won't get these unless you are using tons of sugar in your beer. Priming with table sugar works great.

The paint strainer mentioned above are a great reusable strainer/steeping/hop bag. If you don't have one I highly recommend getting one.
Now foods sells dextrose and you should be able to find it at a health food store or it is a common post workout supplement as well so you might look at GNC or vitamin cottage or some place like that. If you are using it for priming your bottles, table sugar is an option. Also you could use DME, you need to use more but it has worked well in cider for me in the past.

homebrewdad said:

Why? Both sugars ferment out completely, leaving zero residue or flavor contributors behind. I know that old school "wisdom" says to be scared of table sugar for cidery flavors, but you won't get these unless you are using tons of sugar in your beer. Priming with table sugar works great.

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I don't doubt you one bit. Never tried table sugar myself, but if I had a choice of waiting a day for what I normally use and using something I'd never tried before...I'd wait until tomorrow.

Pickled_Pepper said:

I don't doubt you one bit. Never tried table sugar myself, but if I had a choice of waiting a day for what I normally use and using something I'd never tried before...I'd wait until tomorrow.

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Fair enough. I used dextrose for the first couple of batches befre I tried sucrose. Why pay as much for one baggie of dextrose as you pay for 5 pounds of table sugar?

Same head quality, just as eay to use, dirt cheap.

I've also used maple syrup, which gives a little maple flavor (and also carbs up really nicely).


Sorry if I came on a bit strong. I hate seeing myths repeated to new brewers.

I use table sugar with all of my belgians, and they have all turned out FANFREAKINGTASTIC. Just buy some pure cane table sugar

homebrewdad said:

Sorry if I came on a bit strong. I hate seeing myths repeated to new brewers.

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No worries. I didn't mean to come across as dextrose being the 'only' method. Just what I would use. If I've learned anything at all in brewing over the years...it's patience. Waiting a day on something isn't the end of the world

I've always wanted to use maple syrup in fermentation. I've tried a couple of ciders that use it and was impressed with the complexity it adds.

Pickled_Pepper said:

No worries. I didn't mean to come across as dextrose being the 'only' method. Just what I would use. If I've learned anything at all in brewing over the years...it's patience. Waiting a day on something isn't the end of the world

I've always wanted to use maple syrup in fermentation. I've tried a couple of ciders that use it and was impressed with the complexity it adds.

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I agree 100% on patience. I think that may be the best skill for new brewers to learn. I'm also a believer in doing what works for you - there are TONS of approaches to brewing, but if what you are doing gives you beer you are happy with, you are doing it right (no matter what others may say).

Maple goes well with brown ales. I had never even thought of it in a cider. That sounds like a neat idea. If the day comes that I do manage to brew some cider, I might prime a half dozen with maple syrup.

I just bottled some cider with maple syrup yesterday. Hoping it turns out awesome!

I don't think it will hurt you if u wait til tomorrow and buy dextrose. Tons of recipes call for it for bottling for a reason.

ThaBrewFather06 said:

I don't think it will hurt you if u wait til tomorrow and buy dextrose. Tons of recipes call for it for bottling for a reason.

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And all of them also call for racking to secondary after about a week, which we all know is usually not the best thing to do.

Calder said:

And all of them also call for racking to secondary after about a week, which we all know is usually not the best thing to do.

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No kidding. I would submit that tons of recipe KITS call for dextrose, because homebrew shops make 3000% profit on those tiny baggies of sugar.

How many actual RECIPES do you see that specify dextrose to prime with?