Sugar, sugar, sugar.

[Yeast of Eden]

Probably a noob question, probably wrong forum, if so my apologies.
Basically, I've read the forums and most on line guides and haven't been able to find a specific answer. As I'm just beginning, and using basic kit, I thought (probably incorrectly) one of the first things I can safely experiment with is sugar, now from reading extensively on line, I already know this is a potential minefield, if only due to interchangeable names for various types of sugar, candi/rock etc etc but my main two queries are;
i) Demerara Sugar. Is this suitable?, as I'm wondering what qualities the molasses content with bring to an ale, and if it is suitable, what quantities should be used compared to standard sugar.
ii)Honey. Again, is this suitable as a partial sugar substitute, or best added later in the process as a flavouring, or could it be added at the bottling stage as finings? And would it have to be pasteurised, as I believe honey can contain various potentially problematical organics.
Any help, comments, ideas or experiences would be most welcome.

Andy.

 

[Yeast of Eden]

Obviously i dont want to wander over into Mead territory just yet.

 

[SteveM]

Using honey or sugar is an enormous discussion area. I am going to suggest that until you get a few batches done, you stick with malt extract and don't use sugar except to prime. Most writers will tell you that sugar in any form should be avoided as a basic brewing ingredient since it is for the most part used as an extender, resulting in no more than a sharp but otherwise neutral taste.

 

[Revvy]

I agree with Steve..in the beginning work with proven kits, and don't add anything...You need to work on your brewing process initially...and working with a kit is ALMOST foolproof...if you make a mistake then you ca usually figure out what you did wrong for next time...if you add other variables to the mix, then there's no way of diagnosing what went wrong...

Read this sticky... https://www.homebrewtalk.com/showthread.php?t=54362

Having said this..if your recipe calls for adding table sugar, swap that out for malt extract....

Later when you get some batches under your belt, there's plenty of info on different sugars all over the place.. THe book Radical Brewing as well as Designing great beers are good resources...But if you don't have the fundamentals of brewing down then you won't really appreciate/understand the variables that come into play when adding adjuncts.

 

[Yeast of Eden]

Cheers guys.

 

[Yuri_Rage]

Rather than blindly adding ingredients to your brews, check out some existing recipes using honey, molasses, maple syrup, and Belgian candi sugar. You'll find plenty of them by searching HBT or just using a simple Google search. You won't find too many beer recipes using Demarara and/or turbinado sugar since cane sugar tends to impart a bit of a cider flavor.

Be careful with recipes you find on the internet. Try to find some evidence that a recipe turned out well. Use caution with any recipe calling for more than 1 lb of any sugar product per 5 gallons. Adding too much sugar to a recipe is often the hallmark of an overzealous new brewer trying to make something he can call his own.

 

[Yuri_Rage]

One more thing - a single thread on the subject is enough.

The other one has been axed.

 

[brewt00l]

er....did you delete my reply in the process of deleting the other thread?

 

[Revvy]

One more thing - a single thread on the subject is enough.

The other one has been axed.

Ok..whew I thought I was seeing things...there were 2 threads...