Bottle priming with dark brown sugar

Would there be any benefit or problem with using dark brown sugar as a primer for bottling? Would this tend to change anything in the final taste? or color? does anyone do this? would this be a dumb thing to do?

I personaly wouldn't to be honest. Been reading up on what exactly yeast does and how it works here lately, and learned a lot about the different steps yeast go through consuming the sugars. I just learned the other day there are something like 7 different kinds of sugar in a brew. Yeast start off with the easiest one and work their way up the ladder to the more hardy sugars. You are priming the bottles to let the yeast start the process all over again in each bottle to create your carbonation. So you would want a less complex (or sugars easier for the yeast to eat) in this stage IMO.

It is basically the same principle where most folks don't like filling their brew with just plain sugar (like some of the can kits call for). Most folks I know will add another can of malt instead to get the better sugars to make the yeast happier, thus creating a superior brew. If the yeast aren't happy.... The brew isn't going to be either...lol

Someone please correct me if I'm wrong on this thinking....

Maveric777 said:

Someone please correct me if I'm wrong on this thinking....

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You are right in your thinking that you want to prime bottles with simple sugars. But brown sugar is a simple sugar, it's just sucrose with caramel coloring/flavoring added. I have primed with dark brown sugar before and it works fine, if it is a light enough ale a bit of flavor will come through from it too. I would recommend using the same amount by weight as your recipe calls for corn sugar.

THere's a couple of commercial Pumpkin Ales that prime with brown sugar, and I've done it myself...For all intents and purposes it is just white sugar without the molasses removed. After the sugar is eaten by the yeast to prime the bottles it leaves a nice flavor behind, that I think compliments some dark ales.

Treat it for measuring purposes as table sugar, btw.

thanks to all. again.

AND a response from REVVY! i am honored. honestly. the amount of info and help you put out on this site is impressive, humbling and inspiring.

i think i will try it with the porter i am bottling tonight. for some reason it just seemed like it might compliment it well. will let you all know how it comes out in 3 weeks, maybe 2.

I primed with brown sugar once, but wouldn't do it again. My beer was fine, but I decided I could get the same result in other easier ways.

The problem is that when you vary the type of sugar, this alters how much carbonation will result. Brown sugar doesn't have the same density as corn sugar, so my usual measurement gave different results to what I was expecting, and the batch came out slightly undercarbed. I'm sure with time I could re-learn exactly how much of any given brand of brown sugar to use for different carbonation levels, but why bother when I already know how to judge that accurately for my usual corn sugar?

If you want the flavor of brown sugar, there are easier ways to get it: just add some (or a small quantity of molasses) to your wort. That keeps the dark sugar (which you are adding for color and/or flavor) separate from the priming sugar (which you are adding for carbonation), giving you the flexibility to tweak their quantities independently, so adjusting one will not mess up the other.

I primed with brown sugar on my Dogfish Head Punkin Ale clone. Came out fine. Maybe a slight less carbed then I would like. But I would definitely do it agian in my pumpkin ale (if I can remember). I have no idea how much I added though.

I just brewed an "Imperial" Honey Brown Ale. Thinking I might try priming with this on a couple bottles and see how it tastes. Those of you who have done it before, think it will go good with the style?

Shawn Hargreaves said:

The problem is that when you vary the type of sugar, this alters how much carbonation will result. Brown sugar doesn't have the same density as corn sugar, so my usual measurement gave different results to what I was expecting, and the batch came out slightly undercarbed. I'm sure with time I could re-learn exactly how much of any given brand of brown sugar to use for different carbonation levels, but why bother when I already know how to judge that accurately for my usual corn sugar?

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Thats why when priming it with Brown sugar, you don't use the same amount as for corn sugar...you use the same amount as you would TABLE sugar...Because it really is just table sugar.

Here's what Palmer says.

You can prime your beer with any fermentable that you want. Any sugar: white cane sugar, brown sugar, honey, molasses, even maple syrup can be used for priming. The darker sugars can contribute a subtle aftertaste (sometimes desired) and are more appropriate for heavier, darker beers. Simple sugars, like corn or cane sugar, are used most often though many brewers use dry malt extract too. Ounce for ounce, cane sugar generates a bit more carbon dioxide than corn sugar, and both pure sugars carbonate more than malt extract, so you will need to take that into account. Honey is difficult to prime with because there is no standard for concentration. The gravity of honey is different jar to jar. To use honey, you will need to dilute it and measure its gravity with a hydrometer. For all sugars in general, you want to add 2-3 gravity points per gallon of beer to prime.

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You can see in Palmer's nomograph the difference needed between corn and cane....

chefchris said:

I just brewed an "Imperial" Honey Brown Ale. Thinking I might try priming with this on a couple bottles and see how it tastes. Those of you who have done it before, think it will go good with the style?

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I think it goes great with any strong brown ale...or porter.

stupid question: (we are Americans, pity us.) when you buy 5 ounces of priming sugar is that weight or volume?

How about caramelizing the brown sugar/water priming mixture a bit by boiling it down? just a thought.

jordnthoms said:

stupid question: (we are Americans, pity us.) when you buy 5 ounces of priming sugar is that weight or volume?

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I always go by weight, a habit acquired from decades of baking, where ingredients should always be weighed.

I say do it!! Pretty Much all my darker brews (quad, Belgian strong dark, 2 brown ales, porter, and milk stout) i use brown sugar. I like it personally. having done the same brown ale with corn sugar, and again with Brown sugar, i do notice a very slight flavor contribution.

And i always measure my priming sugars by weight, not volume. No matter the type of sugar.

This thread is probably way too old to get me a response, but, I had a batch of Brewer's best robust porter going. It was time to rack to secondary and I wasn't real happy with my IG of 1.041 so I got the bright idea of dumping a POUND of dark brown sugar into the secondary before I siphoned the beer in. (several bottles of hopslam may have contributed to this decision) Needless to say, it has been bubbling away for a couple of days. Two questions. One - how long should I wait before bottling? And 2 - Is it gonna taste awful? Thanks in advance.