Priming sugar question

I forgot to pick up corn sugar when I bought the ingredients for my ESB. Just wondering what I could substitute instead? Maybe powdered sugar, confectioners sugar, or something else? Just don't want to drive the 40 min back to my HBS, and don't want to use something that will negatively affect the taste.

anything with sugar in it will work. you could even use honey if you had any. just make sure you do the math and use the right amount.

TipsyDragon said:

just make sure you do the math and use the right amount.

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By that he means find a priming sugar calculator and it will tell you what amount to use, depending on what you choose. cane sugar or dme would be your best bet and what you most likely have on hand. I'd recommend against honey if you're new to this. Different honey can have vastly different amounts of sugar in them, making the calculator a bit of a crap shoot.

There's a calc in my signature or you can google one.

Alternatives sugars for priming include Turbinado, Dememera sugar (both should be in your local grocery store), honey (use 1.25x the amount of regular sugar to match CO2 volumes). You could use some extra light DME if you have it on hand (you should anyways, for making starters)...

I used honey for my first several batches. Now I'm trying turbinado/dememera sugar. Basically, I'm using anything EXCEPT super-processed white sugar.

This site is a decent one for calculating how much sugar to use... I cross reference that against the tool in Beer Smith... Usually, they're close enough to each other to not matter.

VTBrewer said:

Different honey can have vastly different amounts of sugar in them

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hate to do this to you but site your source. i've never heard this before.

Just what I was told by some of the local producers that I get honey from, after blowing up a few bottles using the 1.25 x method the first time I tried it.

I have to agree with TipsyDragon here... Although I was using wildflower honey, from the same source for my priming... 1.25x is a solid modified. IF you find it's not carbonating enough, add a bit more. If too much, then back off a little.

I'm waiting for my first brew primed with turbinado sugar to be ready for sampling (coming up on the 2 week mark)... I'm already planning to prime at least the other batches I have in fermenters with it...

VTBrewer said:

Just what I was told by some of the local producers that I get honey from, after blowing up a few bottles using the 1.25 x method the first time I tried it.

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How MUCH did you use?? What was your CO2 volumes target and what bottles? I've gone up to about 2.5 CO2 volumes without any issue in Grolsch style bottles.

VTBrewer said:

Just what I was told by some of the local producers that I get honey from, after blowing up a few bottles using the 1.25 x method the first time I tried it.

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works for me. thanks i never knew that.

Its probably only to do with raw honey from the local producer, I suspect off the shelf it would be fine. I just didn't like the mess so didn't give it a shot again.

Yeah, I didn't want to use the same honey I'm using for my meads... I am using raw honey off the shelf though. It is filtered, and probably blended to make sure it's virtually identical from batch to batch...

I stopped using it mostly because I want to test with the other sugars before going back to it. I want to see if these add any flavors (at all) to the brews. Or add any character to them...

I use common table sugar for priming because it's cheap and readily available. As VTBrewer said, check the amount you use, because you need less sucrose than dextrose to achieve the same carbonation level.
With the small amount used for priming, you shouldn't get any off flavors. Don't use special sugars that have cornstarch added to them to prevent caking.

-a.