What sugar should I use in Saison?

Hi,

I'm making a Saison.

I'm planning on adding a pound of highly fermentable sugar, as the style requires.

What kind of sugar should I use? white sugar or corn sugar?

Or maybe something more interesting like Demarera (very pale brown sugar) or honey?

I think the second category can be a nice option, what do you guys think?

I've never brewed a Saison, but looked through the Saison recipes in the recipe section. It looks like you could use about any sugar you wanted. I saw recipes containing sucanat, turbinado sugar, candi sugar, table sugar and honey, etc...

I'd go the unique route and try something out of the norm.

I recently used 1 lb table sugar. Corn sugar will dissolve more readily I believe.

I use 12% of plain old table sugar in mine.
Rice solids might also work nicely.

My local health food store has Fructose in the bulk section. This is one of the products of invert sugar (candi sugar). I am planning on using it in my upcoming saison.

just use cheap table sugar, damnit. You don't need invert sugar or candi sugar or anything like that. The only reason to use anything other than table sugar is if you want some of the byproduct flavors from unrefined sugar...like sucanat, molasses, etc.

Evan! said:

just use cheap table sugar, damnit.

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This is nearly quotable.

Germey said:

My local health food store has Fructose in the bulk section. This is one of the products of invert sugar (candi sugar). I am planning on using it in my upcoming saison.

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I doubt if there will be any difference from corn sugar, since Saison usually has about 15% sugar, and not higher. All Monosaccharide (glucose, fructose etc.) are highly fermentable, so you will get great attenuation.

I tasted it in biology lab, and it IS fruity, btw.

Evan! said:

just use cheap table sugar, damnit. You don't need invert sugar or candi sugar or anything like that

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I do use a lot of plain sugar in brews... I totally agree with you

Evan! said:

The only reason to use anything other than table sugar is if you want some of the byproduct flavors from unrefined sugar...like sucanat, molasses, etc.

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thats exactly what I'm wondering. Should I want these in a Saison?

ohad said:

thats exactly what I'm wondering. Should I want these in a Saison?

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No.
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Plain old cane sugar is just fine in that proportion. I do like to use the superfine version for priming though as it dissolves quick and easy in room temp beer @ bottling time.

Now, I would much prefer if I could say "I can tell the difference", but my clumsy palate probably couldn't in a side by side sampling. That said, the most recent zymurgy has an article on exactly this subject, and a panel of tasters could tell the difference. They tested Belgian Candy, Corn, Cane, and Brown at 12.5% and the candi was the best at 1 month through 5 months. The rankings of the others changed over time. Corn was #2 in the first month but fell apart after 5. Brown swapped places with Corn, going from last to second after 5 months.
FWIW, I ain't paying for candi sugar or going through the hassle of making invert. No way.