Enhancers Vs brewing sugar Vs can sugar

Get advice on making beer from raw ingredients (malt, hops, water and yeast)
Post Reply
Jim2
Steady Drinker
Posts: 66
Joined: Sun Mar 27, 2022 6:45 pm

Enhancers Vs brewing sugar Vs can sugar

Post by Jim2 » Fri Jul 22, 2022 12:16 am

Dose anyone know the different results you would get compering all 3 since the price makes a big difference

What do the big brewers use?

Brew suger/ glucose is £2.60/kg and cane sugar is 65p/kg so is the quality of beer any different?

Thanks

User avatar
MashBag
Even further under the Table
Posts: 2140
Joined: Wed Oct 23, 2013 7:13 am

Re: Enhancers Vs brewing sugar Vs can sugar

Post by MashBag » Fri Jul 22, 2022 7:12 am

Big brewers I understand use a mixture of different sugars.

I use cane based household granulated (when required) for the reason you mention.

I do NOT use beet based household granulated sugar if I can help it. I do believe it leaves an earthy aftertaste.

Rookie
Falling off the Barstool
Posts: 3552
Joined: Fri Nov 23, 2007 5:30 pm
Location: Fort Wayne, Indiana

Re: Enhancers Vs brewing sugar Vs can sugar

Post by Rookie » Fri Jul 22, 2022 2:40 pm

Jim2 wrote:
Fri Jul 22, 2022 12:16 am
Dose anyone know the different results you would get compering all 3 since the price makes a big difference

What do the big brewers use?

Brew suger/ glucose is £2.60/kg and cane sugar is 65p/kg so is the quality of beer any different?

Thanks
What beer do you want to use the sugar in?
I'm just here for the beer.

User avatar
bitter_dave
Even further under the Table
Posts: 2043
Joined: Thu Dec 29, 2005 1:00 pm
Location: Whitley Bay

Re: Enhancers Vs brewing sugar Vs can sugar

Post by bitter_dave » Fri Jul 22, 2022 5:27 pm

I'm assuming you are talking about adding a kilo of sugar to a one can kit? If so, that's going to result in a rather thin tasting beer imo. I don't think there is going to be a huge difference between brewing sugar and cane sugar in that regard. Better off replacing at least some of the sugar you need to add with dried malt extract (DME). It's more expensive but will result in a tastier beer.

Brewers would not use anywhere near that quantity of sugar (if any at all). They might use a range of different invert sugars or varying degrees of darkness depending upon the effects they want to get.

guypettigrew
Even further under the Table
Posts: 2626
Joined: Mon Mar 22, 2010 7:10 pm
Location: Christchurch, Dorset

Re: Enhancers Vs brewing sugar Vs can sugar

Post by guypettigrew » Fri Jul 22, 2022 7:27 pm

Or perhaps use two cans?!

Guy

Jim2
Steady Drinker
Posts: 66
Joined: Sun Mar 27, 2022 6:45 pm

Re: Enhancers Vs brewing sugar Vs can sugar

Post by Jim2 » Fri Jul 22, 2022 7:42 pm

Yes it was the add a kilo of suger to the tin thing

So what about the likes of Carling and John Smith's?

User avatar
IPA
Under the Table
Posts: 1731
Joined: Wed Dec 07, 2011 9:29 am
Location: France Gascony

Re: Enhancers Vs brewing sugar Vs can sugar

Post by IPA » Sat Jul 23, 2022 1:22 pm

Jim2 wrote:
Fri Jul 22, 2022 7:42 pm
Yes it was the add a kilo of suger to the tin thing

So what about the likes of Carling and John Smith's?
Is there anything to like about Carling and John Smiths =D> =D>
"You're not drunk if you can lie on the floor without holding on." Dean Martin

1. Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well-preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways, thoroughly used, totally worn out and loudly proclaiming... "f*ck, what a trip

It's better to lose time with friends than to lose friends with time (Portuguese proverb)

Alone we travel faster
Together we travel further
( In an admonishing email from our golf club)

f00b4r
Site Admin
Posts: 1528
Joined: Fri Jul 11, 2014 10:54 pm
Location: Berlin

Re: Enhancers Vs brewing sugar Vs can sugar

Post by f00b4r » Sat Jul 23, 2022 2:31 pm

Jim2 wrote:Yes it was the add a kilo of suger to the tin thing

So what about the likes of Carling and John Smith's?
A lot of macro beers are brewed to 8-9% and then liquored back using water with no oxygen in. Even these beers don’t use huge amounts of sugar, although I am sure helps that they get more than 100% mash efficiency from their mash process.

WalesAles
Falling off the Barstool
Posts: 3899
Joined: Thu Jan 24, 2013 11:07 pm
Location: South Wales UK.

Re: Enhancers Vs brewing sugar Vs can sugar

Post by WalesAles » Sat Jul 23, 2022 5:07 pm

f00b4r wrote:
Sat Jul 23, 2022 2:31 pm

helps that they get more than 100% mash efficiency from their mash process.
f00,
How can they get more than 100% efficiency? #-o
Just asking. :roll:

WA

f00b4r
Site Admin
Posts: 1528
Joined: Fri Jul 11, 2014 10:54 pm
Location: Berlin

Re: Enhancers Vs brewing sugar Vs can sugar

Post by f00b4r » Sat Jul 23, 2022 6:59 pm

WalesAles wrote:
f00b4r wrote:
Sat Jul 23, 2022 2:31 pm

helps that they get more than 100% mash efficiency from their mash process.
f00,
How can they get more than 100% efficiency? #-o
Just asking. :roll:

WA
Something that I wondered too when I first read that it was possible!
If you take a look at this discussion here it talks about a “congress mash “, basically a test that is used to calculate what the potential extract of a malt is; the macro producers use equipment that rings every last bit of sugar out of the malt that they can and so can “beat” the results of that standard test.

Jim2
Steady Drinker
Posts: 66
Joined: Sun Mar 27, 2022 6:45 pm

Re: Enhancers Vs brewing sugar Vs can sugar

Post by Jim2 » Sat Jul 23, 2022 7:14 pm

f00b4r wrote:
Sat Jul 23, 2022 2:31 pm
Jim2 wrote:Yes it was the add a kilo of suger to the tin thing

So what about the likes of Carling and John Smith's?
A lot of macro beers are brewed to 8-9% and then liquored back using water with no oxygen in. Even these beers don’t use huge amounts of sugar, although I am sure helps that they get more than 100% mash efficiency from their mash process.
They do it with things like orange juice as well as it save transport costs

So brewing stronger gives a more efficient mashtung right?

But again they are not using any added suger?

f00b4r
Site Admin
Posts: 1528
Joined: Fri Jul 11, 2014 10:54 pm
Location: Berlin

Enhancers Vs brewing sugar Vs can sugar

Post by f00b4r » Sat Jul 23, 2022 8:13 pm

It can makes thing cheaper if they are transporting the beer before before packaging (or receiving it in the UK from abroad or another site for packaging).
They save on mash tun and fermenter/bright tank space and costs. It isn’t increasing efficiency by assuming for a higher gravity, the efficiency is driven by the “mills” that they use etc.
Some beers are using sugar in their recipes but the homebrew one can kits are using a very high ratio, hence why they can appear thin and people often use DME instead.

Post Reply