Just opened my second kit, Woodforde’s Admiral Reserve and the instructions make no reference to adding 1 kg of sugar as per the other kit I made. It has a small sachet of Golding Hop Powder, is this some chemical substitute for sugar that is new to me. How will it ferment if it does not have any sugar added?
I have searched the forum under Admiral Reserve and not found an answer yet.
Thanks Tobey
Confused about No brewing sugar with Woodforde’s Admiral Res
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Kev888
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Re: Confused about No brewing sugar with Woodforde’s Admiral
Hi,
there are really two types of kit; the one you have used before sounds like a single-can kit and contains 'some' malt extract, which provides some maltose for the yeast to ferment. The kit then lets you choose what else to use to make up the rest of the fermentable matter needed - you used sugar (sucrose or maybe glucose) which is what instructions often suggest, but at extra cost you could have added yet more malt extract instead. Malt is considered to be better than sugar in some ways because it isn't as fully fermentable, which may sound strange but it means that some character (body, taste and sweetness) is left afterwards. But its down to personal taste and budget and some sugar isn't unusual, especially if its a strong beer that would be too heavy or costly with all malt.
The woodefordes kits are two-can kits already containing enough fermentables to complete the fermentation to the strength required, so you don't need to add any more - if you did it would be stronger than they intended. Woodefordes have pitched their kits towards the higher end of the market and so decided to go for more malt on your behalf (which is why their kits cost more than many).
The hop sachet is another refinement; in many kits the hop extract is already mixed in, in this case they feel there is some advantage in keeping it separately and mixing when brewing. To be honest I'm not sure how much difference it makes, but it certainly isn't about fermentable but is instead about hop taste and bitterness.
Cheers
kev
there are really two types of kit; the one you have used before sounds like a single-can kit and contains 'some' malt extract, which provides some maltose for the yeast to ferment. The kit then lets you choose what else to use to make up the rest of the fermentable matter needed - you used sugar (sucrose or maybe glucose) which is what instructions often suggest, but at extra cost you could have added yet more malt extract instead. Malt is considered to be better than sugar in some ways because it isn't as fully fermentable, which may sound strange but it means that some character (body, taste and sweetness) is left afterwards. But its down to personal taste and budget and some sugar isn't unusual, especially if its a strong beer that would be too heavy or costly with all malt.
The woodefordes kits are two-can kits already containing enough fermentables to complete the fermentation to the strength required, so you don't need to add any more - if you did it would be stronger than they intended. Woodefordes have pitched their kits towards the higher end of the market and so decided to go for more malt on your behalf (which is why their kits cost more than many).
The hop sachet is another refinement; in many kits the hop extract is already mixed in, in this case they feel there is some advantage in keeping it separately and mixing when brewing. To be honest I'm not sure how much difference it makes, but it certainly isn't about fermentable but is instead about hop taste and bitterness.
Cheers
kev
Kev
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Tobey
Re: Confused about No brewing sugar with Woodforde’s Admiral
Thanks Kev, you have also answered a few other questions that were sitting at the back of my mind, i'm learning more and more each day! Cheers Tobey