brown sugar

[edues]

Anyone ever use brown sugar in wine?

 

[pumpkinman2012]

I personally feel that it would add an unpleasant taste to any red grape wine, and possibly over power the delicate flavors of a white wine.

 

[edues]

Just got a "mikes hard lemonade" with brown sugar and was wondering if I could work the brown sugar into wine somehow. The "mikes" was really good!

 

[gregbathurst]

It is strange how "brown sugar" means completely different things in Australia and the USA. In Australia brown sugar is caramel flavoured sugar used to make cakes, puddings and cookies. In the USA it is just raw sugar with some molasses. (then there is the rolling stones song which also has 2 meanings).
It makes following recipes a bit complicated.

 

[edues]

Same thing either way! Any good ideas????

 

[bernardsmith]

Hi edues, Gregbathurst makes a good point. If by brown sugar you mean sugar with added molasses then you may want to experiment first by fermenting some molasses. You may find that while molasses may work with a lemon based wine it may not work so well with milder fruit flavors. In fact you may find that fermented molasses is not very pleasant. If by brown sugar you mean raw sugar then again, why not experiment with a small batch of fruit. It's not my thing but I believe that a number of folk on this forum add brown sugar to apple juice to make a higher alcohol cider or apple wine. I prefer to taste the fruit when I make a wine and I think molasses overwhelms any other flavor (a bit like buckwheat honey in a mead - More is always less in my opinion but many others would disagree)...

 

[edues]

It might be worth a try. At least a little bit of it maybe a sugar syrup after fermentation to taste.

 

[Yooper]

Fermented brown sugar tastes horrible to me. It's molasses, but without any sweet taste at all. I'd use great caution in adding it to a wine or cider, unless I knew I loved it. I hate it, but find it somewhat tolerable in a big brown ale if it fits the flavor profile. In wine, it's a terrible flavor to me.

 

[Cyclman]

+1, I just hate molasses when fermented. Now, Candi Sugar in wine might be interesting!

 

[edues]

Candi sugar? Never Hurd of it but I'll look into it. Thanks for the tip's everyone!

 

[TasunkaWitko]

Fermented brown sugar tastes horrible to me. It's molasses, but without any sweet taste at all. I'd use great caution in adding it to a wine or cider, unless I knew I loved it. I hate it, but find it somewhat tolerable in a big brown ale if it fits the flavor profile. In wine, it's a terrible flavor to me.

If corn sugar is unavailable, would plain white sugar work just as well?

Thanks ~

 

[Frognostic]

One of the first fermented beverages I made used demerera sugar.

Grated some marrows, added demerara, then added more grated marrow, stacked it up in layers.

Marrow leached out juices, melting the sugar which collected at the bottom of the bucket.

Fermented this sugary concoction but it finished very, very sweet and I didn't age it long enough.

I think it would be an interesting technique to try with other fruits and vegetables and with other sugars, even if it was just getting a sugar infused with a certain flavour.

I saw a video from China of them doing something similar with white sugar and plums.

 

[Yooper]

If corn sugar is unavailable, would plain white sugar work just as well?

Thanks ~

Yes, that is what I always use.

 

[TasunkaWitko]

Thanks!

 

[edues]

Can you use the demerera auger just like regular sugar? That sounds like a great idea if I can find it around here. I live in Wisconsin about a mile off of lake Michigan. Due to the lake micro environment it serves as a great place for fruit trees and grape vines. Also a steady natural temp control for fermentation. For the people who are different countries Wisconsin is in the northern middle of the u.s. lake Michigan is one of the largest freshwater lakes in the world. Over 300 miles wide 600 miles long.

 

[Frognostic]

Can you use the demerera auger just like regular sugar? That sounds like a great idea if I can find it around here. I live in Wisconsin about a mile off of lake Michigan. Due to the lake micro environment it serves as a great place for fruit trees and grape vines. Also a steady natural temp control for fermentation. For the people who are different countries Wisconsin is in the northern middle of the u.s. lake Michigan is one of the largest freshwater lakes in the world. Over 300 miles wide 600 miles long.

I think you can it's just got a different taste profile to white sugar.

In Finland they make Sima which is mostly Muscovado sugar and water with some seasonings. I heard they drink it when it's still fermenting, though, so I don't know what to think about it really.

 

[kryten]

My experience has been that the effects of brown sugar on a fermentation largely depends on the yeast being used.
When I made Hard Cider with brown sugar using wild yeast the molasses flavor was pronounced. Then I made Apple wine with brown sugar and Vintners Harvest brand SN9 strain yeast no samples had any molasses taste.
In conclusion: think about what you want your finished product to taste like.
If you want that kind of flavor use brown sugar and then select a kind of yeast that is not going to ferment dry or deliberately stop your ferment to retain the flavor. Alternatively simply use plain sugar and once you are done back sweeten with a touch of molasses or brown sugar.

 

[JKaranka]

I think you can it's just got a different taste profile to white sugar.

In Finland they make Sima which is mostly Muscovado sugar and water with some seasonings. I heard they drink it when it's still fermenting, though, so I don't know what to think about it really.

Sima is delicious! You ferment it for a day or two, then bottle and refrigerate (to carb). It gets a gentle carbonation in the fridge and it's still nicely sweet from the remaining sugar. Flavourings are very basic: some lemon juice and peel, and raisins. When the raisins float, it's ready to drink.

 

[Grenadier]

I've just started a coffee wine with dark brown sugar, my first experiment with brown sugar. It seemed to be a natural thing to try, as people drink coffee with brown sugar. I'll let you know how it turns out.