Corn Sugar: Bad?

[Sneaker]

I just got a Brewer's Best Holiday Ale kit. It came with 1 lb. of corn sugar. From what I have read thus far, corn sugar is not a desirable ingredient.

So I am hesitant to start, but I am also hesitant to stray from the recipe.

Any thoughts/suggestion?

 

[riverfrontbrewer]

Whats wrong with corn sugar?

 

[Tonedef131]

It's probably included for an alcohol boost, you can leave it out if you want but your OG will be lower than predicted.

 

[McGarnigle]

If the recipe had a large portion of sugar compared to malt, that would be bad. Otherwise, I would say brew with it. (Make sure it isn't for priming; if it's one full pound, it isn't.)

 

[OHIOSTEVE]

You sure thats not your priming sugar?

 

[Sneaker]

You sure thats not your priming sugar?

There's a separate packet of priming sugar. And the directions mention adding the corn sugar.

 

[Sneaker]

If the recipe had a large portion of sugar compared to malt, that would be bad.

Ah. That's probably where I got the impression that corn sugar was bad. Thanks.

 

[beerthirty]

This is a holiday ale, I'm sure its for alcohol boost. Not having looked up the kit, I would guess that you are dealing with something in the range of 7-9%.

 

[IrregularPulse]

yeah, it is fine for this kit, You just don't want to use 1lb DME and 6 lbs sugar!

 

[SBor02]

I just brewed the BB Holiday Ale and moved it to secondary a week ago. I sampled what was in the thief and it tasted excellent already. I followed the directions to a T so I would say go for it.

 

[rico567]

Corn sugar (dextrose / glucose, same thing) is just going to ferment, produce alcohol and contribute nothing else to the beer. That's why it's also used for priming. Tables giving the amount of alcohol per given weight are available elsewhere. If it's present in a kit as an adjunct, as stated earlier it's strictly for an alcohol boost. The only reason you would leave it out is if you didn't want the extra ABV.

 

[andrewp]

when would you add this? preboil?

can you use cane sugar also to increase alcohol?

 

[McGarnigle]

You could add cane sugar just as well as corn sugar. During the boil is fine, but if the beer is really big, some people hold back and add it to primary as fermenting dies down (you'd have to boil it in water first to sanitize, then cool).

 

[andrewp]

for an alcohol boost do you recommend honey or sugar?

 

[carnevoodoo]

for an alcohol boost do you recommend honey or sugar?

If you just want alcohol? Sugar. It is all fermentable. Honey will leave other things behind.

 

[andrewp]

I'm thinking about using both. Cane sugar for alcohol during the boil. Honey post boil for alcohol and flavor. Should that work?