Best Sugar

[MCHB]

Hi Friends
I am brewing all grain beer. I have two kinds of sugar available, fructose and glucose(corn) , which one is better for fermentation and carbonation? or no deference?
Thanks

 

[jtratcliff]

Both are fully fermentable and will boost ABV and dry out your beer without adding flavor or body. I *think* corn sugar is more easily digestible by the yeast... So I'd use that over pure fructose.... the fructose will work, it just might take longer...

I use white table sugar (sucrose ... 50% glucose, 50% fructose) to boost ABV in my apfelwien and as priming sugar for my beers all the time.

 

[bkboiler]

For carbonation I like a blend of dextrose and maltose, but use sucrose in a pinch.

 

[jtratcliff]

dextrose and glucose are the same, chemically... Dextrose (D-glucose) is just the naturally occurring form of glucose. as a opposed to L-glucose which is synthesized...

So all dextrose is glucose, but not all glucose is dextrose

 

[jtratcliff]

For carbonation I like a blend of dextrose and maltose, but use sucrose in a pinch.

Never tried using maltose.... Do you just use DME?

And how do calculate the amount to use when it's mixed w/ dextrose? Is it as simple as : I want 2.5 volumes of carbonation, so use the amount of dextrose to get 1.25 volumes a the maltose to get 1.25 volumes (or some other combination to get to 2.5), or is it more complicated that?

I don't think I've seen a priming calculator that does mixed priming sugars...

 

[firerat]

dextrose and glucose are the same, chemically... Dextrose (D-glucose) is just the naturally occurring form of glucose. as a opposed to L-glucose which is synthesized...

So all dextrose is glucose, but not all glucose is dextrose

I love learning new stuff.

 

[jtratcliff]

I love learning new stuff.

You and me both!

I was pretty sure dextrose was just another name for glucose from following other threads here on HBT, but I googled it to be sure I wasn't spreading misinformation...

So I learned something new, too!

 

[CascadesBrewer]

The better one is probably the cheaper one. I cannot say I have ever seen fructose available for sale. A search shows that that it is often sold in the $8+ per pound range (though some stores price it similar to other sugars).

I tend to use standard table sugar (Sucrose).

 

[Calder]

I just use table sugar for additions and priming. I have not seen any difference between that and corn sugar, and it is a lot cheaper and more readily available.

 

[bkboiler]

It was my understanding that a lot of carb drops are blends of dextrose and dme, but I could be wrong.
I believe that I read that it has something to do with yeast metabolism (not switching sugar types right off the bat), but all I've noticed with carb drops is slightly finer bubbles, no flavor difference.

 

[tyrub42]

I'd vote dextrose. Fructose might give the same result but might be worse. Don't think there's any way it'd be better plus it's likely more expensive. After that xbmt for sucrose vs glucose, I use glucose for any recipe additions but use sucrose and a long boil for bottle conditioning

 

[TwistedGray]

If you have signatures enabled, however that works, I made a thread on here for carb'ing with table sugar. Otherwise, I'll edit this tomorrow with a link, if I don't forget.

 

[Vale71]

For yeast, fructose is a smidge better as all glucose needs to be converted to fructose in order to enter the glycolysis pathway. This does save a step (isomerization) in the process but the energy costs are the same so there is no real advantage either way.
In practical terms, use whatever is best for you and the yeast will be happy either way.

 

[catdaddy66]

Never tried using maltose.... Do you just use DME?

And how do calculate the amount to use when it's mixed w/ dextrose? Is it as simple as : I want 2.5 volumes of carbonation, so use the amount of dextrose to get 1.25 volumes a the maltose to get 1.25 volumes (or some other combination to get to 2.5), or is it more complicated that?

I don't think I've seen a priming calculator that does mixed priming sugars...

I use some DME to prime before bottling, and it's been very reliable. Occasionally will use some to help bump up the OG.

 

[AlZilla]

So ... I'm not a beer maker, I just like reading the general discussions.

But I have a question. OP says he's making an "all grain" recipe. Doesn't that mean no added sugar? I could see it being all grain if the only added sugar were at bottling time. but he specifically says "fermentation".

Just curious, no criticism implied or intended.

 

[Shaika-Dzari]

For priming, I'd vote table sugar. It's cheap, available and it work.
To boost ABV, I would probably use maple syrup, honey or belgian candi sugar.

 

[jtratcliff]

So ... I'm not a beer maker, I just like reading the general discussions.

But I have a question. OP says he's making an "all grain" recipe. Doesn't that mean no added sugar? I could see it being all grain if the only added sugar were at bottling time. but he specifically says "fermentation".

Just curious, no criticism implied or intended.

All grain as opposed to extract or partial mash... As in you get *most* of your fermentables from soaking grains to extract sugars (mashing the grains). In an extract batch, you use LME (liquid malt extract) or DME (Dry Malt Extract) as your main fermentables... The extract manufacturer has done the mash step for you. Sometimes a handful of steeping grains are used for color and/or flavor... In a partial mash, you use some mashed grains and some LME/DME...

It's still all grain, even if you add sugar or other adjuncts (honey, belgian candy, maple syrup, etc.).

 

[TwistedGray]

This thread - Individual Bottle Priming Instructions with Cane Sugar

 

[DBhomebrew]

So ... I'm not a beer maker, I just like reading the general discussions.

But I have a question. OP says he's making an "all grain" recipe. Doesn't that mean no added sugar? I could see it being all grain if the only added sugar were at bottling time. but he specifically says "fermentation".

Just curious, no criticism implied or intended.

All grain vs extract.

For extract, you're getting 80-100% of your sugars from malt extract, dry or liquid. That's your base and you can then use specialty grains to add color, flavor, etc. These need not be mashed, they arrive with the starches already converted to sugar ready to be steeped like a tea before mixing in the extract.

For all grain, the brewer is starting off with kernels of malted grain. That 80-100% of the final sugar load is in that base grain and needs to be converted from starch in a mash. On top of that, the brewer can add specialty grains, flaked cereals, or sugars.

 

[AlZilla]

Got it - so in Beer World, All Grain means no extracts. In the Land of Distilled Spirits, All Grain means no added sugar.

I appreciate the explanations.