Priming sugars

Grains, malts, hops, yeast, water and other ingredients used to brew. Recipe reviews and suggestions.

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HardcoreLegend
Pale Ale
Pale Ale
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Joined: Sat Mar 02, 2002 11:49 am
Location: Roscoe, IL, US

Priming sugars

Post by HardcoreLegend »

I am an extract brewer who commonly uses good old corn sugar for priming the beer for bottling. I am interested to get opinions on using other things such as molasses, brown sugar, etc. I am working on a recipe for a porter right now, and wanted to try something a little different. also, I was thinking of adding some vanilla extract to about a gallon of the finished porter at bottling time to add flavor as an experiment, how much should I add? Thanks all!
Fraoch
Double IPA
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Fermentability

Post by Fraoch »

Theakstons 'Old Peculiar' is as far as i am aware primed in the barrel ( or used to be) with treacle giving it a very unique taste. Anything fermentable can be utilised to extract various qualitys within the finished product, I have often used soft brown sugar to prime with if i feel the finished product came out a touch dry. Obviously the darker the priming sugar the more residual the flavour, lighter syrups are around 75% fermentable and treacle and molasses will fall below that mark, although i do not have the figures. These are not that important because if you are priming with say molasses then your beer will be of a dark nature and should by rights contain many dextrins which, given enough time will prime the beer anyway.So allow alittle more for priming with dark sugars but also allow an extended maturation.
Good health

Fraoch
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