"Brewer's" ingredients vs. grocery store

[Superkabuto]

Homebrew Heaven sells "brewer's" brown sugar and "brewer's" honey. I needed both for a barleywine so I bought them (at a premium price). The consistency of both were unlike what you would expect of honey and brown sugar you would find at the grocery store. I want to make the barley wine again, so I'm wondering if I could just buy the honey and brown sugar at the grocery store or if I really need "brewer's" ingredients. What do you-all buy when you need honey or brown sugar.

Thanks

Rich

 

[wilserbrewer]

I would think brown sugar is brown sugar and would source it locally. There are many grades and varieties of honey, so I'm at a loss there. I would source these ingredients locally, but no expert here. Shipping and HBS prices can kill the cost/batch, which likely prompted the ?.

 

[DevilsCreekBrewing]

I buy my sugar and spices at The Bulk Barn. ymmv, don`t know if they are just Canadian, but there is likely something like it your way.

 

[Superkabuto]

Ok, so buying special honey and brown sugar from a brew supply online for a high price is not worth it when I can buy them from a grocery store.

 

[samc]

Don't specifically know what kind "Brewer's Brown Sugar" is, but you can buy many different grades & types of brown sugar. Same with Honey.

Some people brew with generic 2 row grain and others insist on using specific name branded grains.

Only way to know is to try them. I usually taste the ingredients before brewing and the difference would have to be substantial for me to think that I could tell in the final product.

 

[Valcarde]

I buy my sugar and spices at The Bulk Barn. ymmv, don`t know if they are just Canadian, but there is likely something like it your way.

Corn sugar for 1.29 a pound. You just can't go wrong! I got my corn sugar from there when I made apfelwein.

 

[GuldTuborg]

Corn sugar for $1.29/lb? Hell, I can get turbinado and Sucanat for less than that buying locally. There's nothing different about sugar or honey that makes it favorable to brewers, unless you're talking dark candi sugar (which you can easily make at home).

Find a local hippie mart that will sell you turbinado in bulk and a farmer's market for the honey. Taste a bunch of honeys and see what you like. Chances are you'll get a superior selection and price shopping locally.

 

[DevilsCreekBrewing]

Corn sugar for $1.29/lb? Hell, I can get turbinado and Sucanut for less than that buying locally. There's nothing different about sugar or honey that makes it favorable to brewers, unless you're talking dark candi sugar (which you can easily make at home).

Find a local hippie mart that will sell you turbinado in bulk and a farmer's market for the honey. Taste a bunch of honeys and see what you like. Chances are you'll get a superior selection and price shopping locally.

You're also in the US, we're in Canada. We pay more for just about everything, plus the HST

 

[The_Professor]

I'm gonna agree with wilserbrewer. I think Brown Sugar is Brown Sugar as long as you know if you want light or dark. Not even sure how much difference that would make.

With the honey you would need to match the type of honey. If you don't it will not necessarily be bad but also not necessarily the same flavor profile.

 

[jpc]

Corn sugar for $1.29/lb? Hell, I can get turbinado and Sucanut for less than that buying locally.

Sucanut? For less than $1.29 a pound?

My only question: is that based on her weight, or yours?

 

[GuldTuborg]

Sucanut? For less than $1.29 a pound?

My only question: is that based on her weight, or yours?

Excellent catch! Must be based on hers; that would explain why I've always gone for the petite women.

Er, fixed my faulty spelling above.

 

[Valcarde]

Corn sugar for $1.29/lb? Hell, I can get turbinado and Sucanat for less than that buying locally. There's nothing different about sugar or honey that makes it favorable to brewers, unless you're talking dark candi sugar (which you can easily make at home).

Find a local hippie mart that will sell you turbinado in bulk and a farmer's market for the honey. Taste a bunch of honeys and see what you like. Chances are you'll get a superior selection and price shopping locally.

Considering the local HBSS was selling corn sugar for 6$ for 2 lbs, I figure it's a deal.

 

[Superkabuto]

Thank you everyone for your help. When I first started brewing a spent a ton of money shipping 6# of honey from CA to PA because I wasn't sure if the honey at the grocery store would work for brewing.

By the way, the recipe for my barley wine is here: https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f12/richs-extreme-sleeper-state-barley-wine-178924/

 

[DrawTap88]

Supermarket honey isn't real honey. It has been diluted, has sugar, preservatives added(which are bad for yeast), and who knows if it's tupelo or orangle blossom honey. DO NOT buy it at a supermarket.

Go to the local farmer's market and get something that is organic and real. It'll also be better for you since you can then experiment with different types of honey. Also, no preservatives so it's safe for the yeast.

 

[Bobby_M]

That is propaganda. Supermarket honey is just wildflower honey that's been heat treated to avoid crystalization. It doesn't need preservatives and even if they did add anything, it would have to say it on the ingredients list.

I'm not suggesting you buy the stuff to make mead with but a pound of it in a batch of beer would be completely indistinguishable from high end honey.