Beginner questions about Smells and Sugar.

CokaColumbo

Hi,

I'm going to start brewing beer tomorrow with the Coopers Canadian Blonde lager can and have a couple of questions.

Am I right in assuming that both glucose and dextrose are pretty much the exact same thing? Secondly, are these substances ideal for use as brewing sugar? Also, to be sure, should I be adding 1kg of dextrose/glucose along with the Coopers into my bucket, along with everything else, during the initial fermentation prep?

Finally, my parents aren't too keen on the whole home-brewing idea largely because they think the house is going to become permeated with an awful alcohol/beer smell forever. Is this correct? Does the fermentation process pump out serious odours for a week and last for a lot longer?

Thank you all.

BeerNut

CokaColumbo wrote: »

Am I right in assuming that both glucose and dextrose are pretty much the exact same thing?

Yes.

CokaColumbo wrote: »

Secondly, are these substances ideal for use as brewing sugar? Also, to be sure, should I be adding 1kg of dextrose/glucose along with the Coopers into my bucket, along with everything else, during the initial fermentation prep?

Err, no. Adding sugar to a beer kit is a recipe for poor beer. Dry malt extract (aka spraymalt) will give much better results. If you're going ahead with the sugar: yes, it all goes in at the same time -- just don't expect the finished product to be much cop.

CokaColumbo wrote: »

Does the fermentation process pump out serious odours for a week and last for a lot longer?

No. The fermentation process pumps out water and carbon dioxide, neither of which smell of anything. Alcohol doesn't smell of anything either, for that matter, but that bit stays in the beer.

rubadub

BeerNut wrote: »

Err, no. Adding sugar to a beer kit is a recipe for poor beer. Dry malt extract (aka spraymalt) will give much better results.

Would some kits not be developed with the presumption some people will be using sugar though? i.e. they might treat their malt differently and try to give it more taste to compensate for the lack of taste in the sugar. Though I know some kits say you can use either. Light spraymalt should not impart much flavour though, it can be expensive and might be cheaper to just go with an all malt kit to begin with.

If you do use glucose it is usually cheapest to get it in the babyfood section in supermarkets, about €1.20 for 500g

think the house is going to become permeated with an awful alcohol/beer smell forever. Is this correct?

There is not much smell, a lot of CO2 is given off though so I would brew in a ventilated area just to allow it clearout, it is like being in a stuffy room otherwise. I used to have a hose going from my sealed fermentation vessel which went out the vent in my bedroom.

The real danger of smell is when bottling, many people mess up their first syphoning attempt and beer spills everywhere. It is best to do it outside for this reason, it is also best to practise bottling a few times using just water, but do practise putting it into bottles and stopping the flow. I have seen lads stuck with a finger over a syphon tube doing the splits to reach sugar or knocked over bottles! It is best to have a helper with you.

BeerNut

rubadub wrote: »

Would some kits not be developed with the presumption some people will be using sugar though? i.e. they might treat their malt differently and try to give it more taste to compensate for the lack of taste in the sugar.

They don't seem to. The exception are the strong Belgian-style kits -- sugar's OK there.

rubadub wrote: »

Light spraymalt should not impart much flavour though

Exactly. Whereas sugar can give you a thin cidery nastiness.

rubadub wrote: »

might be cheaper to just go with an all malt kit to begin with.

Yes, I'd say if you're serious about kit brewing, go with the all-malt ones. But that's not what the OP has.