Viejo
Active Member
I've been experimenting with alternatives to corn sugar for bottle conditioned beer.
I like bottles because they are portable, self-contained single serving containers. When I bottle, I feel like I'm putting up canned fruits for the winter, like treasure for later. I can see how much I have of each brew, and mourn the passing of each session as it's used up. Maybe there will be a time and place for kegging, but for now, I'm happy with bottles.
I am not a fan of corn sugar, or anything made from corn for that matter. It's in virtually everything we eat, and I don't want any more of it in my diet than absolutely necessary. For a reality check on how corn has infused itself into every corner of our culture, read Michael Polan's book "An Omnivore's Dilemma," and you'll get a sense of the scale of the corn agri-industry.
OK, enough politics. After a brewery tour at Dogfish Head last winter, I learned that they bottle-condition their 75 Minute IPA (a blend of 60 Minute and 90 Minute) with maple syrup. The guide said that they were going to try using more maple syrup, sourced from the family farm in New England, in some of their other brews. I've tried to convert the carbohydrate value of maple syrup to the equivalent of corn sugar, and have come reasonably close, but I'm not quite there yet. Every beer I've conditioned with maple is perfectly carbonated at 4 weeks, but overly effervescent when conditioned longer than 6-8 weeks, leading to the conclusion that it takes much longer to attenuate than corn sugar. Since I don't have the patience to lay down a bunch of under-carb'd beer for that long, I'm obviously looking for other alternatives.
Here's a photo of an ESB I bottled in June, half carbonated with DME (left) and half with corn sugar. I used Beersmith to calculate the amount of each based on 2.2 volumes. After conditioning for two months, I chilled two bottles for an identical period of time to compare carbonation, head retention, lacing, mouthfeel and other intangibles.
Findings:
Initial carbonation: waaay too high, especially for an ESB. Next time I use DME, I will recalculate the amount to try to keep it under control.
Head retention: wonderful -- foamy, resilient, persistent.
Lacing: just what I look for in a good beer.
Mouthfeel: bready, smooth, rich, comforting, especially compared with corn sugar.
So, what's your experience with alternative carbonation techniques? I'd be interested in hearing ideas about how to calculate amounts of any sugar substitute along with your personal results and preferences.
Thanks!
I like bottles because they are portable, self-contained single serving containers. When I bottle, I feel like I'm putting up canned fruits for the winter, like treasure for later. I can see how much I have of each brew, and mourn the passing of each session as it's used up. Maybe there will be a time and place for kegging, but for now, I'm happy with bottles.
I am not a fan of corn sugar, or anything made from corn for that matter. It's in virtually everything we eat, and I don't want any more of it in my diet than absolutely necessary. For a reality check on how corn has infused itself into every corner of our culture, read Michael Polan's book "An Omnivore's Dilemma," and you'll get a sense of the scale of the corn agri-industry.
OK, enough politics. After a brewery tour at Dogfish Head last winter, I learned that they bottle-condition their 75 Minute IPA (a blend of 60 Minute and 90 Minute) with maple syrup. The guide said that they were going to try using more maple syrup, sourced from the family farm in New England, in some of their other brews. I've tried to convert the carbohydrate value of maple syrup to the equivalent of corn sugar, and have come reasonably close, but I'm not quite there yet. Every beer I've conditioned with maple is perfectly carbonated at 4 weeks, but overly effervescent when conditioned longer than 6-8 weeks, leading to the conclusion that it takes much longer to attenuate than corn sugar. Since I don't have the patience to lay down a bunch of under-carb'd beer for that long, I'm obviously looking for other alternatives.
Here's a photo of an ESB I bottled in June, half carbonated with DME (left) and half with corn sugar. I used Beersmith to calculate the amount of each based on 2.2 volumes. After conditioning for two months, I chilled two bottles for an identical period of time to compare carbonation, head retention, lacing, mouthfeel and other intangibles.
Findings:
Initial carbonation: waaay too high, especially for an ESB. Next time I use DME, I will recalculate the amount to try to keep it under control.
Head retention: wonderful -- foamy, resilient, persistent.
Lacing: just what I look for in a good beer.
Mouthfeel: bready, smooth, rich, comforting, especially compared with corn sugar.
So, what's your experience with alternative carbonation techniques? I'd be interested in hearing ideas about how to calculate amounts of any sugar substitute along with your personal results and preferences.
Thanks!
