Adding sugar that isnt sugar

General homebrew discussion, tips and help on kit and malt extract brewing, and talk about equipment. Queries on sourcing supplies and equipment should go in The Store.
Damien1
Posts: 11
Joined: Friday Mar 25, 2005 4:25 pm
Location: Perth

Adding sugar that isnt sugar

Post by Damien1 »

I'm new to this forum and having only made several brews i guess and im new to that aswell. I have read about replacing normal sugar with dexztrose and other stuff to enhance flavour. My reason for this post is to ask whether golden syrup or anything like that can be added instead of sugar to give a different taste. Is it possible to do this without makinmg a horrid tasting brew?

Thanks
damien
kitkat
Posts: 55
Joined: Thursday Mar 17, 2005 5:27 pm

Post by kitkat »

sugar is probably what will give the worst taste to your brew. Try dextrose, or better, liquid or dried malt extract.
munkey
Posts: 221
Joined: Thursday Jan 20, 2005 4:08 am
Location: united kingdom

Post by munkey »

im my exsperianse adding anyting but malt + bad taste,
iv read that honey works well but never tryed it.
but if you add malt you realy need to add hops to ballance, and then things start becoming more complicated,

do you want to keep it simple, and cheep, or still cheep, by comparason and make realy tasty beer, but more effort.
thease are the questions you need to ask yourself,

if you add sucrose (table shuger) or any other shugers that arnt readly fermentable by yeast, the yeast will have to secrite an enzime to split it into (glucose+fructose) and this prosess makes a horible taste im most beers, by adding just glucose you eliminate this prosess, but i think that the alcohol prodused by glucose tastes strong and possibly cidery,

you need a ballence of sweetness and hops to mask this taste, i was looking at ways of doing this before i started brewing from all grain,
the things i looked at were hops and invert shuger, now my findings showed that inverted shuger in theory is table shuger, split into the glucose and the fructose by another prosess, this is an easy process you can do in your kitchen invert shuger recipy i think that syrup is allready inverted?

but inverted shuger is sweet and any left over after fermentation would make your brew realy sweet so i was looking at adding hops to ballense it out, you can eather buy normal hopps or hop pellets and boil when you do your kit, or the easy and more controlled option untill you know what your doing is a thing called iso hops, whish is pre prepaired hops that you can add to your brew after its all brewed if you think it needs to be bitter.

this is the all out cheep cheep cheep way and could make your brews better and still cheeper,
but making good brews is a totaly difforent question which could not be awnsered in one post.

things to look at in this case would be, how is beer realy made, what beers do i like and how do they get made, how can i simulate that prosess in my kitchen,
Dogger Dan
Posts: 3168
Joined: Thursday Aug 26, 2004 10:43 am
Location: Lucan, Ontario, Canada

Post by Dogger Dan »

Well,

I have nothing to add...... I do like my honey though

Dogger
"Listening to someone who brews their own beer is like listening to a religous fanatic talk about the day he saw the light" Ross Murray, Montreal Gazette
User avatar
gregb
Moderator
Posts: 2620
Joined: Saturday Sep 25, 2004 9:12 am
Location: Sydney

Post by gregb »

HBS and even some supermarkets/department stores carry some brewing sugars. eg: Coopers Brew Enhancer 1 and 2. Brewiswer Ultrabrew. Each of these is usually a mix of light and or dark malts, dextrose and maltodextrin in varying proportions. I found that they are a good way to experiment with different tastes. Dextrose is 100% fermentable and will not otherwise affect the taste or body of the beer. Maltodextrin is not fully fermentable and will add body or 'mouthfeel' to the beer but not otherwise affect the taste. Malt will change the taste as well as adding body etc, but in a good way. Some of the bags will actually give details on them as to what you can expect.

or have a squizzy: http://www.countrybrewer.com.au/webcontent39.htm

Your HBS should also be able to provide some hops in little teabag type things. These hop bags are a good way to experiment with the different tastes.

A couple of final things - get a book or something to record details of you brews so that if you find a mix that you really like you reproduce it. Dont be afraid to experiment the worst that can happen is you come up with a beer that you have to give away to your piss head mates. Remember always to keep things clean and sanitised.


Cheers and good luck,

Greg
normell
Posts: 55
Joined: Monday Mar 14, 2005 10:30 am
Location: Castlemaine Vic.

Post by normell »

munkey wrote:im my exsperianse adding anyting but malt + bad taste,
iv read that honey works well but never tryed it.
but if you add malt you realy need to add hops to ballance, and then things start becoming more complicated.
What a load of muhanga, malt is one of the best things to add instead of sugar.
The only complicated thing is trying to read your spelling.
Normell
"Every day above ground is a good day"
munkey
Posts: 221
Joined: Thursday Jan 20, 2005 4:08 am
Location: united kingdom

Post by munkey »

normell wrote:
munkey wrote:im my exsperianse adding anyting but malt + bad taste,
iv read that honey works well but never tryed it.
but if you add malt you realy need to add hops to ballance, and then things start becoming more complicated.
What a load of muhanga, malt is one of the best things to add instead of sugar.
The only complicated thing is trying to read your spelling.
Normell
correct me if im wrong but isnt that what i wrote.

i agree with the spelling thing tho, i was tested for dislexia but they said i was just plain lazy,
i also agree with that, :lol: :lol: :lol:

i tryed to awnser his question without preaching about what he should do, he has obviously researched the malt/dexstrose and brew enhanser route, he only asked about golden syrup, and that is inverted shuger, i exsplained how it works and a cheeper way of achiving symalar results,

and the complications are that balensing the ibu`s with the estimated leval of unfermentables left, i was trying to keep it simple (like some of the readers) and awnser the question with something not allready sugested in a large persentage of threds, food for thought

munkey :D
Dogger Dan
Posts: 3168
Joined: Thursday Aug 26, 2004 10:43 am
Location: Lucan, Ontario, Canada

Post by Dogger Dan »

Lets let it go folks, its Easter. Seems like there is a whole bunch of attitude going around these days, me included.

My horns hurt enough

Lets have a cold one

:wink:

Dogger
"Listening to someone who brews their own beer is like listening to a religous fanatic talk about the day he saw the light" Ross Murray, Montreal Gazette
normell
Posts: 55
Joined: Monday Mar 14, 2005 10:30 am
Location: Castlemaine Vic.

Post by normell »

Dogger Dan wrote:Lets let it go folks, its Easter. Seems like there is a whole bunch of attitude going around these days, me included.

My horns hurt enough

Lets have a cold one

:wink:

Dogger
Its only 9.30AM, thats MORNING, bit early for me to have one yet Dogger.
Point taken, Munkey, I hate to see wrong advice given tho.
Hey Munkey try http://www.iespell.com I use it all the time.
Normell
"Every day above ground is a good day"
grabman
Posts: 1080
Joined: Wednesday Sep 29, 2004 11:38 pm
Location: Perth, Australia
Contact:

Post by grabman »

9.30 isn't too early Normell, that's all in your mind!

On a different tack that Iespell link looks great, could use that at school with my students!!

Who says you don't learn things in here!!
Some people say I have a drinking Problem....
I drink, I get drunk, I fall over....
What's the problem?


http://www.brodiescastlebrewing.com/
normell
Posts: 55
Joined: Monday Mar 14, 2005 10:30 am
Location: Castlemaine Vic.

Post by normell »

grabman wrote:9.30 isn't too early Normell, that's all in your mind!

On a different tack that Iespell link looks great, could use that at school with my students!!

Who says you don't learn things in here!!
Yeah, and it's FREE too

Normell
"Every day above ground is a good day"
Dogger Dan
Posts: 3168
Joined: Thursday Aug 26, 2004 10:43 am
Location: Lucan, Ontario, Canada

Post by Dogger Dan »

Thanks Guys,

By the way its 1930 Good Friday here, certainly a good time to have a bunch of beers

Dogger
"Listening to someone who brews their own beer is like listening to a religous fanatic talk about the day he saw the light" Ross Murray, Montreal Gazette
User avatar
gregb
Moderator
Posts: 2620
Joined: Saturday Sep 25, 2004 9:12 am
Location: Sydney

Post by gregb »

...its 1930 Good Friday here...
Why such a late start? :D
Last edited by gregb on Saturday Mar 26, 2005 3:30 pm, edited 1 time in total.
normell
Posts: 55
Joined: Monday Mar 14, 2005 10:30 am
Location: Castlemaine Vic.

Post by normell »

Didn't think Canada was that far behind the time, it's 2005 here

:lol: :lol: :lol:
"Every day above ground is a good day"
munkey
Posts: 221
Joined: Thursday Jan 20, 2005 4:08 am
Location: united kingdom

Post by munkey »

ha ha ha ha ha its not the first time iv been sent a link to a spelling and grammer website, seriously!!!!

i realy think i am dislexic tbh, i am good at maths and science, and am curently studdying design and graphics, but after countless atempts at english my brain just ejects it as usless infomation,

didnt mean to come across so agressively normell, its just people oftern feel challenged by my aproche to things and i like to show that my thoughts arent unfounded and full of wind, :D :D

happy easter w-end guys, the day of the BBQ cometh, its my mates b-day and easter weekend, so im happy happy happy.
going to get a cow out of the freeser and take that,
Shaun
Posts: 655
Joined: Friday Dec 03, 2004 8:48 pm
Location: Melbourne
Contact:

Post by Shaun »

munkey I am the same science and maths I can do in my sleep but English forget it. It has something to do with the side of your brain that is dominant I have been told?? I write my messages in word then cut and paste here to check the spelling

Back to the original question on sugars I recommend to start, try the beer enhancer kits (coopers, Brewiser, or any from a HBS) then move to all malt brews. You will notices a difference between sugar and the enhancer kits then a difference again between enhancer kits and all malt.

Work up to all malt and don't be afraid to experiment use different amounts of different malts/sugars and see what you like. The more malt you use the sweeter the beer will be as you use more malt you may need to add extra hops to balance the beer.

Have fun playing :D .
munkey
Posts: 221
Joined: Thursday Jan 20, 2005 4:08 am
Location: united kingdom

Post by munkey »

Shaun wrote: Have fun playing :D .
and drinking :lol: :lol: :D
Robbo
Posts: 24
Joined: Monday Jan 03, 2005 12:29 pm
Location: Portland, Vic.

Post by Robbo »

Damien, just have fun trying out different stuff. I used golden syrup once and it was drinkable, quite a conversation piece really. I thought it was too sweet and slightly metallic (might have been my new tooth filling) but women seemed to like it (the beer not the filling). Try strawberry jam if you like, you just never know what you might create. The worst that can happen is you end up with a brew for the neighbour. Just Have fun. :D :D :D

P.S. Let us know if you try the jam.
"Beer - it's not just for breakfast any more."
Damien1
Posts: 11
Joined: Friday Mar 25, 2005 4:25 pm
Location: Perth

Post by Damien1 »

Thanks heaps, will try and try and try till i get it rogiht
Dogger Dan
Posts: 3168
Joined: Thursday Aug 26, 2004 10:43 am
Location: Lucan, Ontario, Canada

Post by Dogger Dan »

Robbo

My neighbour keeps having to go to the hospital and hes blaming it my freebie homebrew. Phhhh. Whats he know.
:lol: :wink:

Dogger
"Listening to someone who brews their own beer is like listening to a religous fanatic talk about the day he saw the light" Ross Murray, Montreal Gazette
Post Reply