Newcastle clone, Using Brown Sugar

Hey guys/gals,

We're starting a Newcastle clone tonight and the recipe calls for true brown sugar. We went to the latino grocery market and got a hard cake of sugar (looks like a fat brown frisbee.

We were wondering when you are to put it in, beginning of boil? I assume stirring would be more essential than usual because you don't want the sugar to burn.

The real question here though is when you put it in.


Thanks in advance.

You can put it in near the end of the boil. Just long enough to sanitize it. Maybe 5-10 minutes.

Hey thanks a lot for the quick response,

Is there a reason for putting it in so late in the process?

Well there is no real reason to put it in earlier. You may get carmelization or scorching if you do. Of course if that is what your flavor profile calls for you may want to. But for a newcastle clone I'm guessing not.

The real purpose for the boil is to sanitize, isomerize alpha acids in the hops, and to boil off undesirable precursors (more relevant in all grain brewing). I have heard of extract brewers who put most of their extract in during the last ten minutes of the boil just to sanitize.

DubBrew said:

Well there is no real reason to put it in earlier. You may get carmelization or scorching if you do. Of course if that is what your flavor profile calls for you may want to. But for a newcastle clone I'm guessing not.

The real purpose for the boil is to sanitize, isomerize alpha acids in the hops, and to boil off undesirable precursors (more relevant in all grain brewing). I have heard of extract brewers who put most of their extract in during the last ten minutes of the boil just to sanitize.

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Good grief I love this board.

Thanks again.