Look around here on HBT, there are 1000s of recipes posted. Our
Recipe Database (it's also a forum), has tested recipes, many are very detailed and contain feedback, some extensively.
Although some beer styles may include a relatively small percentage of (simple) sugars, in addition to malt sugars (from extract or made from all-grain), most beers don't include simple sugars. It thins the beer, while raising alcohol, but does not provide flavor or body.
That outfit you're dealing with, using an abundance of sugar in
all their recipes is something pretty much all people-in-the-know frown upon. Yes, some beginners' kits, such as those marketed by Mr. Beer, Coopers, etc. also include an abundance of simple sugars and the "beer" it produces is not very good. Pretty much undrinkable, if you ask around.
For comparison, many homebrewers produce beers in their homes (kitchen, laundry room, garage, basement, patio, back yard, etc.) that rival many commercial craft beers.
Beer contains 4 main ingredients:
- Water (clean and fresh)
- Malt. From one of these, or a combination of them:
- Malted grain and unmalted grain adjuncts (all grain or partial grain brewing, or steeping)
- Liquid Malt Extracts (LME, "malt syrup")
- Dry Malt Extracts (DME, "malt powder," "spray malt")
- Hops
- Yeast
If you're really interested in homebrewing read up on what it takes. There are plenty of resources. HBT (this site) is one of them.
I can recommend reading John Palmer's
How to Brew. There's an old, online version for the basics. His 4th edition book is a lot more detailed and updated with modern day ingredients and methods.
If there's a homebrew club in your area, check em out. Maybe you can attend some brew sessions.