powdered sugar or granular?

[LarryC]

I will be bottling a batch of Belgian ale this weekend and I have both pure cane powdered sugar and pure cane granular sugar. Is one better than the other for bottling primer?

 

[Pappers_]

I've never heard of anyone using powdered sugar. I'll be interested in learning if anyone does that.

 

[baystatebrew]

no knowledge of powdered sugar. cane sugar is sucrose which is rapidly fermentable by beer yeast. i'd stick with that since there appears to be no documentation of the use of powdered cane sugar for priming (i checked papazian's joy of homebrewing and found no mention of it...only cane sugar, which is sucrose), though experimentally, i'd also be interested in hearing about results of powdered cane sugar as the priming sugar.

 

[Edcculus]

Powdered sugar has some other additives. I know for a fact it has corn starch. Maybe some other anti caking agents. I doubt corn starch will really hurt anything, but good luck trying to clear the beer!

 

[LarryC]

Thanks for the feedback folks. I guess what made me wonder is the bottling sugar I get when I order a kit from places like Austin Homebrew. The priming sugar they send looks a lot like powdered sugar but there isn't anything on the bag that identifies it.

I think I'll stick with the granulated cane sugar and let someone else experiment

 

[kcpaige89]

Thanks for the feedback folks. I guess what made me wonder is the bottling sugar I get when I order a kit from places like Austin Homebrew. The priming sugar they send looks a lot like powdered sugar but there isn't anything on the bag that identifies it.

I think I'll stick with the granulated cane sugar and let someone else experiment

The stuff in the Austin kits is Dextrose, aka corn sugar. I'm sure powdered sugar wouldn't hurt, but I've heard dextrose touted as the best. You can buy corn sugar at some grocery stores, but if not any old sugar will work, including DME.

 

[Diver165]

Powdered sugar contains cornstarch. I wouldn't use that in my beer

 

[jollytim]

Powdered sugar contains cornstarch. I wouldn't use that in my beer

Why? Cornstarch will drop out. All you really need to be concerned about is how much powdered sugar equals how much table sugar.

I am not able to answer this question (but google can). Cornstarch, if really an ingredient in powdered sugar, will settle out. No worries.

You just have to compensate for the difference of powdered sugar vs cane sugar.


Cane vs. Dextrose is an old argument. I find NO difference. I use table sugar all the time to prime. I don't concern myself with the theoretical difference between cane and corn. I consider both this same for priming.

Now if you are considering sugar for fermenting, then there is a slight difference, but not enough to be worried about. If you consider them the same, you will not notice much of a difference in the final product (that is my opinion). I challenge you to prove that there is a significant difference.

Use the powdered sugar. Anything that is an additive, will settle out.

 

[devilishprune]

If anything, I would think that the powdered sugar would have a different "functional density", since the particles are smaller and can pack more efficiently than just granulated sugar. If you use it by weight it should be the same as cane sugar, but it would be volumetrically different (ie. 1/2 cup wouldn't be the same sugar content).

 

[jollytim]

Exactly. And according to "Joyofbaking.com"

1 cup confectioners (powdered sugar) = 115 grams
1 cup granulated sugar = 200 grams.

This can be confirmed in the 'common knowledge' kitchen substitution (which I subscribe to) of:

One cup of granulated sugar is equal to approximately 1 3/4 cups of packed powdered sugar.

 

[Pappers_]

Thanks for the feedback folks. I guess what made me wonder is the bottling sugar I get when I order a kit from places like Austin Homebrew. The priming sugar they send looks a lot like powdered sugar but there isn't anything on the bag that identifies it.

I think I'll stick with the granulated cane sugar and let someone else experiment

Larry, the priming or bottling sugar sold by lhbs's is corn sugar.

 

[akthor]

If powedered sugar has corn starch in it and it will just settle out wouldn't that give you a lot more sediment in the bottom of your bottle???

Why would you do that?

Also a pound of Corn sugar aka "priming sugar" is like 80 cents a pound which is miniscule so why mess around with either table sugar or powdered sugar???

Even if you don't have a LHBS a natural foods place or even a grocery store should have corn sugar.

 

[Diver165]

All I know is that if I want to thicken a sauce or gravy adding cornstarch is the way I do it. It does a darn good job too. Again, not in my beer. But if you're into laddling a pint. Lemme know how it goes LOL

 

[doulovebeef]

you could always make ur own powdered sugar, just throw measured cane sugar into a blender and blend the crap out of it. i wouldnt recommend trying to hold onto homemade powdered sugar for any time period though since sugar is hygroscopic and will pull the moisture right out of the air and it will turn into a very solid brick.