EDME Stout with Demerara Sugar???

[xpers]

Hi

Newbie (first post) here... I have brewed a few wines and I am about to go for my first beer.

I have the kit and a tin of EDME stout. The only thing is I only have demerara or standard white sugar. I don't live near a brew shop so have to order via the internet so this takes time and extra money for delivery.

I want to get things started quickly but I don't want to spoil it by not using brewing sugar/malt etc. Will it be ok to use demerara, or should I hold fire for a few more days/spend a few more pounds and get brewing sugar???

Also someone mentioned throwing in a small handful of good instant coffee into the mix as this adds to the taste. Any thoughts on this?

Thanks in advanced!

[OldSpeckledBadger]

The best you can do is use spraymalt instead of sugar.

[Ady1975]

Hi, welcome.
You have 2 choices as i see it...
use sugar, the benefits of this are 1. you get started straight away (i know how exciting it is getting that first brew going) 2. you'll have a guide for next time, should you use a brew enhancer. If, like me, your first brew is made using a beer enhancer instead of sugar, you have no way of knowing just how much of a difference it had made or if it's worth the extra cost. I sometimes I wish i'd started with a sugar brew just so i can 'know for sure'.
choice 2. wait...

whatever you decide, good luck my friend, I've just put another brew on the go, the more I do, the more patient I get, and that seems to be the key to success with this brewing lark!!!

[craigjoneswales]

I have made this kit before and currently have another one fermenting as we speak

ITS GORGEOUS

do you have a wilkinsons near you? if so pick up a kilo of BKE

dont use sugar use Beer kit enhancer (BKE) this is a mix of brewing sugar and spraymalt

sugar will make it thin with no body

also make it to 30 pints

might also be worth using a kilo of spraymalt instead of sugar or BKE if u can get it.

[craigjoneswales]

Spraymalt also is not as fermentable as sugar hence why i make that kit to 30 pints or so

[xpers]

Ok then the general opinion is not to jump in with the demerara but instead wait and get some brewing sugar/spraymalt...

I may have to overrule most of you and go with Ady1975. Mainly due to my impatience and eagerness to get cracking and have it ready for my birthday next month. I will possibly try brewing it to only 30 Pints though...

Cheers

[WishboneBrewery]

I used just a bit of Demerara sugar in a Geordie Yorkshire bitter, and now its got some good maturing done its tasting pretty good with the subtle sugar flavour coming through.

I say with your stout kit though, use Dark Spray Malt

[xpers]

Ok finally persuaded to wait a few days more and ordered some beer kit enhancer, so I will go down the sensible route and do it properly....

If it is only advisable to do this kit to 30 pints with BKE, is it worth adding some extra sugar with the BKE to do 40 pints?

Does anyone have any thoughts about putting a small handful of instant coffee to add to the flavour as this was suggested to me.

[OldSpeckledBadger]

Ok finally persuaded to wait a few days more and ordered some beer kit enhancer, so I will go down the sensible route and do it properly....

If it is only advisable to do this kit to 30 pints with BKE, is it worth adding some extra sugar with the BKE to do 40 pints?

Adding the BKE and about 300-400g household sugar will bring the alcohol content to about the same as the 1Kg sugar option. Personally I don't bother about the ABV as long as it tastes OK.

Does anyone have any thoughts about putting a small handful of instant coffee to add to the flavour as this was suggested to me.

Do it straight first. If you feel it's lacking something then experiment on the next brew.

[timothio]

Adding the BKE and about 300-400g household sugar will bring the alcohol content to about the same as the 1Kg sugar option.

Would you say that was a general rule for all kits where you use BKE rather than sugar? I like my beer to be about 4.5 - 5% (hello, my names Tim, and I'm an alcoholic). I've used 1 kg BKE on all my (3!) kits and made them up to the 5 gallon mark, the first 2 kits I've done I forgot to take the OG, guess I was too excited to be brewing, but on my latest kit my OG was pathetic, about 1035 if I remember right... That wont even be 3.5% by my reckoning! I just hope the taste makes up for it, cos I'll have to drink a a lot more of the damn stuff!

[OldSpeckledBadger]

Would you say that was a general rule for all kits where you use BKE rather than sugar?

I wouldn't as far as claiming it to be a general rule but from the playing about I've done with Graham's Beer Engine it seems that way. Household sugar gives you a stronger brew but it'll taste thin and watery. To get the sort of gravity you're after and keep the quality you'd to use something like 1.5Kg spraymalt and 500g brewers sugar but then your cheap 1 can kit is suddenly costing about the same as a 2 can kit (assuming you stick a 40 pint brew length).

[arturobandini]

Most Kit Beers are preferably made up with 100% spraymalt. When making up kit lagers it's probably better to use BKE as you don't want a lager too malty and need some of the thiness the brewing sugar will provide. Belgian Beer kits I'd use 100% table sugar of either colour depending on the beer.

[brysie]

hi xpers,

lots of interesting advice there.

ive only been brewing beer since christmas and had loads of help from these fellows on here.
but, i can safely say that the best bit of advice ive been given was from ditch who said `brew the kit as per the manufacturers instructions,
then and only then will you know if a. you like it and b. it needs improving. the only exception [with a stout] is replace the sugar with dsm.`

you might want to increase the amount of spraymalt 20 or 30% or reduce the amount of water added to keep the abv up.
and as soon as you bottle/keg this one, whack a coopers stout on for comparisons sake

[xpers]

Firstly thanks for all the advice. This forum is such a great resource for newbies like me...

OK got things started yesterday afternoon. I used 1kg BKE and 400g household sugar as recommended by OldSpeckledBadger. Just checked it and all seems to be well with a nice four inch foam head on the top. It smells nice too.

I do have a couple of questions though:

On the instructions it says to ferment between 18-21C. I realise this is recommended but just out of interest what is the maximum and minimum temperature range that you can stay within before if causes issues?

The other question is, is it a problem (other than it's bloody heavy!) with moving the fermenting bin whilst the stout is fermenting? I was going to leave it ferment in my garage which had a nice constant temp of around 20C last week with the nice weather, but last night it was only around 15 in the evening so I moved it through the door into the kitchen where it is warmer. So any issues with moving it carefully?

Cheers

P.S. Will definitely be trying the Coopers Stout next time as it seems almost everyone on here is drinking it.

[Jerry Cornelius]

I'm certainly no expert, however regarding your temperature question, from what I understand the temperature is as much to do with the yeast used; ale yeasts have slightly different ranges to each other, whilst lager yeasts are able to tolerate much lower temperatures. If you go lower than recommended, the yeast goes dormant and fermentation stops; higher, and the yeast is so active it produces undesireable flavours.

As far as moving the bin goes, the danger here is oxidation, which again will produce off-flavours. As long as it doesn't slosh about and aerate the wort, you'll be okay.