is it better to use sugar or dextrose in priming bottles?

[guest]

I was told by the HBS that it is better to use dextrose than sugar when priming bottles.. any ideas?

if i use dextrose will it be the same amount like sugar?

[Dogger Dan]

Dextrose, It is a single molecule which is easily fermentable and there are no left over unfermentables, Sugar (sucrose) is made of two and needs to be split before fermenting leaving some left over junk.


Dogger

[BPJ]

It makes no real diference which you use for priming bottles. Sugar does leave a cider flavour if it used in thebrew, but the amount used for priming the bottle is so small that it has no effect on the overall flavour.
Either way use the same amount.

I use sugar becuase I use a "Kangabroo" sugar dispenser for priming bottles, which needs thegranules or it clogs up.

[gregb]

I find that priming with Dextrose gives me finer bubles and a tighter head.

[wombat]

i indeed concur.
-wombat

[BPJ]

gregb

I only drink straight frome th stubby so haven't paid too much attention to head, bubbles etc. Have you done direct comparisons between bottles primed with sugar vs dextrose from the same batch?

[thehipone]

The only thing I can add is that dextrose seemed to make bottling my hefeweizen impossible. THe natural foaminess of the wheat beer combined with the fine powdered dextrose created a gusher out the top of the bottle, making it pretty difficult to fill to the brim. ALthough I have noticed that the head on the cane sugar primed bottles is quite coarse.

[gregb]

Not made any 'pepsi challenge' type comparisons between dextrose and white sugar primed bottles. I bulk prime so that would be tricky.

It was more of a general observation that I noted when I changed over.

Cheers,

Greg

[pelican]

I use the australian sugar from bundaburg canes. basicly for the only reason of supporting our cane farmers

[wombat]

i did a comparison between white sugar and dextrose on the same batch only once, but i used a carefully measured solution of dextrose and just used the scoop for the white sugar. the dextrose beat the hell out of it
though, i must admit that after about three months in the bottle, the difference was not nearly as noticable as at 6 weeks.
-wombat

[can-o-worms]

Since this thread has been mentioned as one of the better ones on priming, I'll drag it up out of the archives.
Not really a question though.... just want to add my 20yen worth.

I read quite a few times that priming with sucrose would not affect the taste, even in this thread it has been mentioned that the amount is too small to make any difference. I just want to say that i have found that to be completely untrue. I recently primmed half a brew with primming tabs, and the other half using 2x3gram sugar sachets (in each beer of course).

Anyway, the beer primed with sucrose had that real old 'homebrew' taste. I gave one to a friend and he said it was just how he remembered the stuff his dad used to make.
The sucrose taste may mellow out, but it is there after adding only 6grams per 633ml bottle.... and carbonation is nothing to write home about.
Patrick

[peterd]

For various reasons, I have decided that if I am going to use dextrose, I have to bulk prime (and, as discussed in another thread, I am sort of against bulk priming at the moment ).
I have done a comparison of priming some of a brew (Black Rock Bock) with dextrose, some with sugar (sucrose): for that particular brew, the difference was noticeable, and I preferred the one primed with sugar.

[Dogger Dan]

I love to bulk prime

Dogger

[Oliver]

I love to bulk primeDogger

Really? I hadn't noticed

Oliver

[the Baron]

For People using sugar just a note

Austrlian Owned Companies: CSR, Greens, Queensland's Own, Sugarless (could actually be an artificial sweetener), Saccharin and Sugarella

Foreign Owned Companies: Bundaberg Sugar (used to be Aussie owned), Hardings, Equam Nutrasweet, Splenda, Sugarine

Not all of these are sugars, some are artificial sweeteners but they are listed together under the one heading in my Ausbuy Guide (I have the 2004 version, hopefully no others have been sold off since then).

[Oliver]

Nice advice, Baron.

I hate all these Aussie firms being sold. National Foods is the latest. Maker of the superb hangover cure otherwise known as Farmer's Union Iced Coffee.

Cheers,

Oliver

[NTRabbit]

Nice advice, Baron.

I hate all these Aussie firms being sold. National Foods is the latest. Maker of the superb hangover cure otherwise known as Farmer's Union Iced Coffee.

Cheers,

Oliver

At least the carton and name are heritage listed, should stop any marketing inspired moves to desecrate it.

[Brew Nerd]

I agree with the Dextrose = Tiny Bubbles.
Bulk Priming seems to be the best way for me (for the last 20 anyway)

I used this as a bit of a guide
http://www.brewrats.org/primer.html

Just don't forget to add 15% weight for the dextrose.

[Dogger Dan]

Bubble size has nothing to do with the sugar but rather the temp the beer is stored at. Really try it out, take a bottle of dex primed and stick in the fridge after you have the carbonation and then drink it against one stored at room temp.

Sorry, I should be careful there, the sugar does have something to do with bubble size but that it is due more to the fermentability rather than the difference of sugars, but my point here is CO2 is CO2 whether it is from dex, lactose, sucrose, glucose, maltodextrin or your CO2 cylinder

And yes, lactose ferments, just not with the type of yeast we use for beer

Dogger

[General]

Going by Doggers note, would that mean that the malt, and more sprecifically, how "sticky" it is would give tighter bubbles, based on that the same amount of CO2 is present, but that something in the bubble's own surface tention makes thenm tighter or looser.