Can I substitute for Dextrose?

[cowawookie]

I heard from a few people that you can use powdered sugar as a substitute for dextrose and it won't change anything.

Is this true? Thoughts?

 

[BarleyWater]

Absolutely not true. They are made from different things, will result in different flavors and require use at different rates.

What is it that you don't have dextrose for that you are doing?

 

[Brewsmith]

Powered sugar has cornstarch in it. Do not use it. Substitute regular table sugar for the corn sugar.

 

[Kai]

I'd use table sugar before powdered sugar, for sure. A few things to keep in mind:

-Dextrose has only about 80% the potential yield of table sugar, so you'll need less table sugar.
-Yeast handle different sugars differently. Dextrose is supposed to impart a smoothness and mildness, while I think sucrose (table sugar) is drier and crisper. (Is that right?)

As brewsmith said, powdered sugar is cut with cornstarch or flour, so you don't want to use that. You'd get, at the very least, less fermentibility and noticeable starch haze. I don't know what it'd do to flavour.

 

[EvilTOJ]

DME is an even better substitute for dextrose. What do you need the dextrose for?

 

[cowawookie]

DME is an even better substitute for dextrose. What do you need the dextrose for?

Priming for the bottles.

 

[mrkristofo]

use DME instead. Don't ciderize your beer at the last step.

 

[Yooper]

For priming with DME, add 1 1/4 cup DME to 2 cups boiling water and stir until dissolved. Boil that a couple of minutes, and then cool. That will work much better than table sugar.

 

[5 Is Not Enough]

Truthfully, I've used both DME and Dextrose for bottle conditioning. I've not really noticed a difference, but I haven't tried them side by side either...

 

[malkore]

use DME instead. Don't ciderize your beer at the last step.

sorry, but 5 oz of sugar is not going to ciderize beer. even a lb of sugar in the wort won't ciderize if you maintain the right temperature range for primary.