Priming with Fructose

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jcassady
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Priming with Fructose

Post by jcassady »

I am currently unable to get any "Priming Sugar" Dextrose, but do have a store near by which carrier fructose, could I use this to prime my current batch of beer (a Porter) and if so do I still use the standard 3/4 cups or less?
BillyBock
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Sugar

Post by BillyBock »

Just use 3/4 cup of standard table sugar (sucrose). I'm not sure about fructose, but sucrose and dextrose will ferment out completely. Plus you probably won't pay an arm and a leg either.
Sisu
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Agreed

Post by Sisu »

Table sugar is just fine when it comes to priming. There's just not enough table sugar mass in 3/4 - 1 cup to make your beer taste like cider (I assume that's what you're worried about with table sugar vs dextrose).
Raydownunder
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Table sugar is OK

Post by Raydownunder »

You will not have any problems with table sugar for priming and I have been using it for years and years and years.
Cheers
Ray
jcassady
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Exactly, but...

Post by jcassady »

Good to hear that I could use table sugar as well. I was worryed about the cider taste, but if I recall correctly doesn't it take longer for the yeast to break down sucrose since they first have to break it down in to dextrose and fructose?

I found a box (1 lb) of fructose for about $2.50 and figured I just pick it up to avoid any potential problems. I havn't made a beer yet that I thought was bad and I didn't want to take a chance with this one.
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petermyers
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Post by petermyers »

Dude. As far as I am aware, it is the fructose element of sucrose that gives beers made with table sugar that cidery taste. Therefore if you haven't primed with the fructose yet... then don't. Just use the table sugar as that way there will be too little fructose in the end product for any aftertaste to come through.

Cheers,
Pete

EDIT: Heh! Just realised the date of the original post ... I dare say you would have tasted the end product a while back. How did it turn out? Did the fructose leave any taste?
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Mesa Maltworks
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"Cidery/Winey" Flavor Fault Is Not Sugar Derived..

Post by Mesa Maltworks »

petermyers wrote:...As far as I am aware, it is the fructose element of sucrose that gives beers made with table sugar that cidery taste.


The "cidery" flavor you are referring to will not occur in the beer given the ratio used to prime in relation to the beer volume. The flavor fault being discussed is not sugar specific, but rather related to the temperature of fermentation and yeast strain characteristics. Too high of a fermentation or/and too high of a yeast population leads to the "winey/cidery" perceptions.

As far as fructose, it can be used as a priming agent and will not result in any flavor differential from using sucrose or dextrose. Some yeast strains, however, do take a bit longer to metabolize fructose, but it will still work. The disadvantage is the cost... it is more expensive than sucrose.

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