Brown Sugar Wash?

[TexianPatriot]

Anyone experiment around with brown sugar to make a rum or neutral spirit? Could you taste the differences between brown, regular sugar, and molasses in their finished product? What I don't understand is why brown sugar is more expensive than white. Don't they have to run cane sugar through all sorts of processing to get it clean and white? Seems like that would add to production costs. Or maybe the demand for white is so much greater than brown that the production of brown falls and the brown sugar that does hit the market sells for a premium. I dunno. Your thoughts?

[joes2]

Typically, brown sugar is just white sugar with some molasses added to it. More is added for dark brown sugar and less for light. I think it costs more because the companies charge the higher amount and people are willing to pay for it. Although, there is the added expense of molasses and processing.

[StabbyJoe]

I was under the impression that brown sugar was white sugar that hadn't had molasses taken out of it yet.

I believe pint uses molasses for a neutral... (could be wrong)
As far as a neutral goes you want the most sugar for the least money, so that's why most use white sugar over molasses or brown... just cheaper. I imagine that if someone who made neutrals found a place with brown sugar cheaper than the white sugar they use, they'd convert to brown. It would have more flavor to get rid of, but that doesn't seem to be a problem.

Only time I've actually heard of using brown sugar in a wash is when someone was using it as an alternative for molasses for rum... I'm sure that it'd work just fine for a neutral and maybe a rum, but for most there are cheaper things with better results.

I'm curious to see if anyone here does use it, now that I've typed all this...

[blanikdog]

I use brown sugar for everything. Doesn't seem to make any difference and it's a lot less expensive.

blanik

[StabbyJoe]

Less expensive than white in Aus evidently, and where the OP is from (America?) it's more expensive than white... interesting, that...

Just looked up on a random online shopping supermarket site for a quick comparison... cheapest (this place doesn't do bulk) was $1.09 for 1kg brown sugar, and $5.49 for 5kg white sugar... so they're the same here in NZ.

Wierd.

[HookLine]

Less expensive than white in Aus evidently, and where the OP is from (America?) it's more expensive than white... interesting, that...

Just looked up on a random online shopping supermarket site for a quick comparison... cheapest (this place doesn't do bulk) was $1.09 for 1kg brown sugar, and $5.49 for 5kg white sugar... so they're the same here in NZ.

Wierd.

Wow. Brown sugar here is about 3 times the cost of white/raw sugar.

[tracker0945]

I'm with Hookline on this one of price, where do you get yours from Blanik that it is cheaper than white?

Cheers.

[blanikdog]

IGA Supermarket when it's on special. A lot cheaper, I think. But after the stuff up with aussie beamaphile earlier, who knows.

Perhaps I should stop posting or maybe just disregard any of my posts.

I must be effing losing it faster than I think I am. SHIT!!!!!!

[punkin]

There can be confusion tween brown sugar and raw sugar, and i think the terms are interspersed in different countries.

I use mostly raw sugar in 25kg bags, although i often get broken 25kg bags of white sugar as gifts

I think the ujsm taste benefits from the extra flavour of the raw sugar, and i only ever go to 50% white sugar when i have the free stuff. Different with the Lime wash and some other stuff where i don't mind using white.


Does anyone else here reckon that white sugar ferments slower and not as powerfully as raw sugar

[Rudi]

I have found raw sugar ferments quicker than white sugar and also gives a better taste to UJSM style ferments.Maybe has some nutrients still left and not refinned to the shithouse.
Tastes better in coffe too

[HookLine]

I like the taste of raw sugar too, and it is the main one I use for all ferments, partly for taste, partly coz it is the cheapest.

[blanikdog]

OK guys. I just checked my stock and I use RAW sugar not brown, even if it is a brown colour. I must check what the difference is.

[Dnderhead]

http://www.greenlivingtips.com/articles ... sugar.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" rel="nofollow

[HookLine]

OK guys. I just checked my stock and I use RAW sugar not brown, even if it is a brown colour.

Ahh, that explains the price mix-up.

I must check what the difference is.

Raw sugar is the first pass through the refining process, and brown sugar is fully refined white sugar with molasses mixed back in. The only difference between light and dark brown sugar is the amount of molasses used.

EDIT: Dunder beat me to it.

[TexianPatriot]

in that case, where can I find raw sugar in the states?

[DestructoMutt]

"your" gov'mn't made it illegal for unprocessed sugar to be sold in the states - one of those early presidents did it - jefferson, or adams - something about protecting the country's own sugar companies and not wanting the cheap imports.

by the way every ime this subject comes up, i wonder about the brown sugar from C&H, their packaging blurb says that their brown sugar isn't just coated whited sugar but true unbleached sugar with some of the cane syrup still on/in it. so, does anybody in the states of america know for certain what the regulation regarding sugar is? (yeah, i was having a go about the early president thing.....maybe...)

[wineo]

For raw sugar in the states,look for the Zulka brand.Its from mexico,but I found it at walmart in the ethnic food section.
I have done alot of experimenting with all these sugars,so I thought I would chime in on what I have learned.
White sugar will be cleanest for neutral.Raw sugar has some neutrents left in it,and ferments easier,but with more flavor.
Brown sugar will ferment easy,and will have some good rum flavors in it.Brown sugar,and fancy molassus makes real good rum.
I have also used demerea sugar,and it also has some flavors,but more like the raw sugar.Not really rum like,but not bad.
I have also used raw sugar,and molassus,and it made a real good white rum.The one thing to remember when fermenting any of these sugars is to keep the starting sg at 1080 or under,and use plenty of yeast so they will ferment cleanly and finish fairly fast.The higher the alc% of your wash,the more you may get unwanted flavors.You will get more flavor to carry over at a lower gravity.OK,I"ll shut up now.

[Prole]

Howdy folks,

In the states raw sugar can be found in Indian groceries. They call in Jaggery and it usually comes in a lump like stuck tgoeth brown sugar. After reading this thread I may try it in a wash.

[hsthompson]

I just finished 3rd 30 gal wash with brown sugar, the first two I did like wineos plain old sugar wash except I replaced the white sugar with brown and It turned out great, This third one I added yeast nutrient , 15 tsp and I started with a higher sg( .095-.097) Lets just say this thing has made a mess and in a little over 48 hrs it has droped below .95 . I also let this one ferment in the shop and the wash stayed around 85f . I will be running it this weekend, and I wonder if it will be much different taste wise than the others? I am very new to this but I thought I would let you all know my brown sugar trials.

[Tater]

Are any of you guys inverting the sugars?

[Uncle Remus]

I've used Rogers Golden Sugar for rum several times, but I add a liter or so of molasses too to each batch. It makes for a good rum. I now use wheat germ as well in my rum as well as a half a cup or so of lemon juice, I get a much faster ferment with the wheat germ. Yes I guess I do invert the sugar, I bring it all to a boil for several minutes.

I buy Rogers golden sugar in Costco for $45 for a 40kg bag..... that works out to about .50 a lb or so... about the same price as white sugar when it's not on special. We buy organic raw sugar to use around the house, for sweeteners etc. I don't know what the price of the raw is it also came from Costco. Maybe I'll give it a try one day. I've looked in the US Costcos for brown sugar and it is considerably more expensive than in Canada.

[wineo]

I havent inverted it on these brown sugar and molassus washes.I ferment mine at 1070sg with 2 cups of red star{in 24 gallons}and they ferment like hell with dogsheads on the 2nd day.Since I started doing lower gravity ferments,I stopped inverting.

[Stinker]

Hey Texian, you can always cross the line to the Bayou State and swing by one of the Sugar Mills. This time of year (grinding season) it's not hard to come by 20-40lbs of raw sugar (light brown in color) from one of the tour guides.

[Stinker]

If you want to read a little about milling sugar cane try here http://www.coratexas.com" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" rel="nofollow These guys make RAW Sugar, then ship it off to refineries for the production of "store bought sugars". The brown sugar they make here is not bleached yet or refined in any way.

[lliw]

What does inverting mean??

I just put the following ferment on:

6 L molasses
3Kg Brown sugar
1Kg white sugar
The total volume was 25L
25 hour turbo yeast

I'm not sure how it will go it has pretty much stopped with a SG of 1.03, my previous brews of white sugar have all stopped at 0.9, i'm guessing this one is higher because of the stuff that wont ferment in the molasses.

Is that right?

[Hawke]

Inverting sugar is done by boiling in an acidic solution for several minutes.

[rad14701]

Sounds like the wash is either done or the ferment stalled, lliw... I don't recall many people using Turbos yeast with molasses and/or brown sugar... Do you know the staring gravity of the wash or just the final gravity...???

[punkin]

1030 sounds close.

If it doesn't taste sweet it's right to go.

[rednose]

In Ecuador, where I actually live, white and brown sugar has the same price, 0.70 USD/Kg.

Molasses are 0.20 USD a Kg if in cristal, in liquid is much cheaper but don't have the actual price.

I'm not a big rum fan but wonder what else you can do with molasses.

I use brown sugar for everything. Doesn't seem to make any difference and it's a lot less expensive.

blanik

[Beerswimmer]

I use 50/50 molassas and raw sugar in my rum wash. Tastes great! I get the raw sugar at the grocery store in the ethnic isle. The brand starts with a "z" IIRC.