Alternative to brewing sugar?

Lazy Bhoy

I usually brew cider kits that I buy online from various home brew suppliers and also order brewing sugar (1kg packs) too. Lately the prices have been rapidly rising and the sugar packages sometimes gets damaged during delivery.

I was looking to cut out ordering the brewing sugar online and just keep buying the cider kits from them instead but I am not sure of my alternative options.

Would it be ok to just use table sugar from the supermarket instead? Would there me any difference in the taste or the brewing process? Or what other options would there be to ordering brewing sugar from the online home brew stores?

FAET

Brewing sugar is Dextrose, which can also be got from supplement shops (like bulk.com); although home brew store may be cheaper.

Table sugar may give a less "clean" taste, but you mightn't notice any difference.

mikewest

Brewing sugar is mostly invertase or "candy sugar". You can make your own with citric acid purchased from the local chemists ( most of them have it on the shelf)

Do you need this as it is only needed for certain speciality beers. It adds a certain kind of sweetness as it does not break down or ferment the same as sucrose. If you are brewing dry ciders, lob in as much "el cheapo" sugar from the cheapest supermarket special you can find, they're all the same (ish). For medium ciders, use less sugar.

Lazy Bhoy

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120262765#Comment_120262765

I usually just brew apple cider kits (Mangrove Jacks). The instructions say to add 1kg brewing sugar (Dextrose). There is a small sachet of non fermentable sweetener included in the cider kit and the instructions say to add none of the sachet for dry cider, or half the sachet for medium cider, or all of the sachet for sweet cider. I normally just add half of the sachet for medium cider and it works out just fine.

But it is the 1kg of brewing sugar/dextrose that I am looking to replace. If I could just use the bog standard 1kg of table sugar or granulated suger that I can buy in the super market then that would be much handier. Once it does not taste too different then I wouldn't mind. I just thought that I would ask on here first to see if anyone else tried it.

FAET

Maybe try it next batch and see if you notice any difference; I doubt you will to be honest.

I've used small amounts of table sugar occasionally and not noticed any difference.

Lazy Bhoy

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120262934#Comment_120262934

Yeah, I will be sticking a brew on in the next couple of days and I think I will give it a go. Hopefully there wont be too much difference.

Supercell

I regularily (continiously since MUP) brew cider and just use normal granulated sugar or demerara if i'm feeling fancy, you're wasting your money on "brewing" sugar in my opinion. For back sweetening I use Eritritol (cheapest supplier i've found is nutsinbulk.ie ).

Bottled one DemiJohn at lunch today, others bubbling away happily..with granulated sugar, the one on the right has cherry syrup in it from Lidl which gives a nice taste, the fella on the left will be bottled this weekend and the bottles at the back in a few weeks time.