Microbrewery Sugars & Non Fermentables

Microbrewery Sugars & Non-Fermentables

As a brewer, you know that sugars are a vital part of what makes your brew successful. The malt you use determines the sugar content of your finished beer, unless you choose to add fermentable or non-fermentable sugars into your recipe. That’s when things get a little more interesting.

Fermentable sugars, like dextrose, sucrose, and candy sugar, are all fermentable. That is to say, if you use these sugars in addition to your brew, they will increase the alcohol content, because yeast can convert them into alcohol. Other fermentable sugars that can add flavour as well as boost the alcohol content of your beer are found in honey, maple syrup, molasses, and treacle.

Spraymalt and Liquid Malt Extract (LME) are both examples of fermentable sugar products that actually do impact the flavour and body of your beer, as well as converting well into alcohol. 

If you are looking for a sugar that will add body and head retention but will not impact the alcohol content of your beer, maltodextrin is unfermentable. This means that yeast cannot use it as food, and therefore cannot convert it into alcohol. Some brewing sugars are part fermentable sugars, and part maltodextrin for this purpose.

Lactose is also unfermentable. Found in milk, brewers like to use lactose to add body, creating a thicker texture in their beer, such as in so-called “milkshake” beers. 

For more information on brewing sugars, or to discuss your microbrewery’s needs, give us a call. 

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