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DME vs Dextrose for priming bottles

Post #1 made 13 years ago
by iijakii
Used DME on a stout this weekend instead of the usual corn sugar since I was out. I've heard a lot of debate on pros and cons, curious if you gents have any experience.

Pros I have heard:
Creamier/frothier head.

Cons:
Longer to carbonate
Uneven carbonation (although I think this is a user mistake from not mixing properly)
Effects the taste while dextrose wouldnt (I'm not worried about a tiny amount in a stout though, maybe a clean lager I would be weary of)
Corn sugar is cheaper.
Last edited by iijakii on 02 Nov 2010, 02:43, edited 1 time in total.

Post #3 made 13 years ago
by hashie
I assume from your post that you are using the DME for priming. In which case I think you'll notice very little difference. If, on the other hand, it was for raising OG, then I agree with BB that you would get a better mouthfeel and creamier head with better retention.
"It's beer Jim, but not as we know it."

Post #4 made 13 years ago
by iijakii
Oh, yeah. Priming, sorry if that was not clear. Figured being in the bottling section it would be.

I'm hoping it's not much different. If it's the same I'll stick with corn sugar, boiling extract is always a foamy mess.

Post #5 made 13 years ago
by hashie
It would be obvious if I took notice of the sections before I read the posts :P

I always use white sugar (cane sugar) for bottle priming. For the small amount that is going in I don't think it is going to do much to the end product.
Last edited by hashie on 02 Nov 2010, 05:29, edited 5 times in total.
"It's beer Jim, but not as we know it."

Post #6 made 13 years ago
by BrickBrewHaus
I assumed you were talking about priming so I guess I should have put more emphasis on the the word "might". Let me restate: MIGHT add a little extra to the mouthfeel since it is slightly less fermentable than corn sugar. :)

Fact is, its such a small amount that it may not make a noticeable difference. But I vaguely remember reading on a forum where someone primed with something other than pure corn or cane sugar, maybe molasses, and the taste contribution from that was too much. So who knows, my gut tells me it will add very little but some random guy on some random forum may have suggested otherwise (gee, I'm sounding less and less credible as a type :headhit: ).

MOVING ON...

Let us know how it turns out. I've been interested in using different priming sugars (DME, honey, molasses, etc.) to see if that would add another dimension to the beer. Obviously it wouldn't be appropriate for some styles, but adding a darker DME to a stout or honey to a wheat beer makes sense to me and might give some nice, subtle tones of deliciousness :).
Last edited by BrickBrewHaus on 02 Nov 2010, 06:12, edited 5 times in total.

Post #7 made 13 years ago
by hashie
BB, I tried using chilli to prime once. I had read on some forum somewhere that using a single chilli instead of priming sugar (apparently there is enough sugar/fructose in a chilli) would carb the beer and give a chilli kick.

Well the beer turned out to have a nice chilli kick, great for a summer quaffer, but was as flat as a tack and therefore not drinkable. Luckily I only tried this on 6 bottles, not a whole batch.

Live and learn.
"It's beer Jim, but not as we know it."

Post #8 made 13 years ago
by BrickBrewHaus
You're talking about a chili pepper, right? At first I thought you meant the tomato sauce-based "soup" with ground hamburger and beans, but then I re-read your post :idiot: .

Well I guess that puts to rest the idea that there are enough sugars in a chili to support proper carbonation.

What if you were to redo that, except this time add additional corn sugar to achieve full carbonation? I'm guessing you'd retain the "chili kick" and also carb fully.

BTW...Sorry iijakii for high jacking the thread.

Post #9 made 13 years ago
by hashie
Yes that would work BB, I'll give it a go later, in the Summer, when I have fresh chillies to use.

On the other hand, chilli con carne in heer ??? :shock: :pray:
"It's beer Jim, but not as we know it."

Post #12 made 13 years ago
by EoinMag
I've used a number of different sugars for priming.

Standard white sugar
Glucose
DME

I find the results are best with DME and there is a frothier head with better mouthfeel, but to be honest I'd be hard pressed to tell that if I had not primed the bottles myself.
Presently I am tending to use glucose as I have a 400g tub open that needs using and DME is such a mess especially from my 25KG box of it.

It does take longer to prime also when you use DME.
http://beernvictuals.blogspot.com/ My blog, If you like what you read post a comment on the blog comments section thanks, BIAB post coming soon.

Post #13 made 13 years ago
by iijakii
Been over two months now and this batch still has a poor carbonation. It seems like a beer that's one week old or something. It goes pfft when I open it, pours a head that dissipates within a minute or two, and there's no actual carbonation in the beer itself.

I also have an IPA that's nearly this old that is doing the same thing though (Used Dextrose in this however). I've read that colder temperatures can effect carb times drastically, but my apartment is only lower-mid 60 F!


I really want to start kegging after this. 16 gallons of beer here not carbonating.
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