# Brown sugar vs white



## ctshep97 (Jun 27, 2014)

has anyone used brown sugar instead of white sugar in wine making. if so what difference did it make?


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## Runningwolf (Jun 27, 2014)

Some folks use it for apple and pair wine.


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## djrockinsteve (Jun 27, 2014)

Like Dan said.

It does change color and taste a bit but not a huge difference. White sugar is easier.


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## PatrickShiflet (Jun 27, 2014)

Do you use the same amount as with white sugar?


Patrick


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## djrockinsteve (Jun 27, 2014)

When I made my apple wine I used pure apple juice and added the extra sugar half white and half brown. I still inverted it to help the yeast feed on it. 

It darkened it a bit and the brown sugar did add a small taste to it but not major difference.


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## beggarsu (Jun 28, 2014)

I used dark brown sugar in Red Dragon Spice Chai Wine and in Ginger wine (2 pounds ginger in 12 litres).

Not Brown sugar - *Dark Brown Sugar*

It's a major taste difference and the taste is delicious ut not appropriate for many wines maybe not for reds - grapes but who knows??!!! maybe it's an experiment. 


I was debating it just today as I was in the bulk food store and buying sugar to fortify my Blackberry Blast cooler (Merlot Red Wine base - RJ Spagnols kit). I considered for a moment dark brown sugar but remembered the rich taste so I decided that was too much of a risk in taste variation and probably would not work out or go with the blackberry and Merlot .

For the Ginger and Chai , it is great! 


_Apple and Pear - yeah that's a suggestion I can see that!_


I guess you have to taste it and decide what it goes with. 
...
But again I found it a major taste difference. I used it for scratch wines, meaning not a kit , meaning all the alcohol came from the dark brown sugar. I made it into simple syrup as as to how much I just add till I got the right S.G usually 1.082 - 1.090


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## GaDawg (Jun 28, 2014)

Isn't brown sugar just white sugar with molasses added?


Sent from my iPad using Wine Making


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## beggarsu (Jun 28, 2014)

GaDawg said:


> Isn't brown sugar just white sugar with molasses added?
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPad using Wine Making



The"just ' part involves having a manufacturing facility and a refinery and it can get quite complicated.

It could be "added" or it could be created in the normal extraction of sugar. from beets or from sugar cane. 

Natural brown sugar is not added but "produced from the first crystallization of the sugar cane. Some natural brown sugars have particular names and characteristics, and are sold as turbinado, muscovado, or demerara sugar Also there is _kokuto_ made from a Japanese production method.

Also there is second molasses and third (blackstrap ) molasses.




> However it is made, brown sugar is essentially incompletely purified sugar colored and flavored by other plant matter.



http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brown_sugar

http://www.boston.com/business/articles/2011/10/03/just_what_is_brown_sugar/


You can buy molasses separately select regular of blackstrap and make a white sugar/ molasses combination to taste.


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## Turock (Jun 29, 2014)

Brown sugar can give a carmel flavor to the wine so be sure that's what you want before using it.


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## Shanghai Wine Maker (May 23, 2022)

Once we get out of quarantine and can buy as much sugar as we want I am planning to make two small batches of "wine" just with sugar. One white, one brown. I want to get an idea of what each one tastes like and that will give me a better idea how to use them making wine.

Has anyone else tried this?


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## BigDaveK (May 23, 2022)

Shanghai Wine Maker said:


> Once we get out of quarantine and can buy as much sugar as we want I am planning to make two small batches of "wine" just with sugar. One white, one brown. I want to get an idea of what each one tastes like and that will give me a better idea how to use them making wine.
> 
> Has anyone else tried this?


My coffee wine was made with dark brown. It's in bulk now and I'll probably back sweeten with more dark brown.
I may use some light brown to back sweeten my banana wine.

I haven't performed any tests but I've read that the molasses of the brown sugars may overpower a "delicate" wine. I guess the rule of thumb would be to use it as a complimentary flavor.


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## Raptor99 (May 24, 2022)

@Shanghai Wine Maker Your experiment is a great idea! Let us know how it turns out. It's a great way to isolate the flavor profiles of different types of sugar.

For my peach wine, I use 50% white sugar and 50% brown sugar. Brown sugar and peaches go together very well, so I like the flavor. Brown sugar in banana wine sounds good as well. But I would not add it to most other fruit wines. My starting point is always "What do these ingredients taste like together?"


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## Darrell Hawley (May 24, 2022)

Shanghai Wine Maker said:


> Once we get out of quarantine and can buy as much sugar as we want I am planning to make two small batches of "wine" just with sugar. One white, one brown. I want to get an idea of what each one tastes like and that will give me a better idea how to use them making wine.
> 
> Has anyone else tried this?


I had enough cherries one year to try it out with 2 carboys, with 1 all white sugar and the other half white/half brown sugar. The majority of the people liked the half & half mixture.


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## Shanghai Wine Maker (May 29, 2022)

Darrell Hawley said:


> I had enough cherries one year to try it out with 2 carboys, with 1 all white sugar and the other half white/half brown sugar. The majority of the people liked the half & half mixture.


Cool. I like the spirit of experimentation.


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