The best sugar for distilling in fermentation

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ByThe Brew Mechanic
best sugar for distilling depends on your distilling process

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Crafting your own spirits can be a rewarding endeavour, and navigating the intricacies of sugar selection is a crucial step in the fermentation process. You will be able to decide what is the best sugar for distilling. 

It is an overview of different sugar types, their suitability for fermentation, and key factors to consider when choosing.

What are the best sugar for distilling Used In Fermentation 

Cane Sugar: Refined table sugar (sucrose) is best for a neutral wash as the sugar does not impart flavours to the wash. In this process you must add nutrients to the wash as a sugar wash does not make nutrients.

Brown sugar: It has a rich content of molasses in it and contains essential vitamins needed by the yeast during fermentation. It does influence the flavour, aroma and alcohol content (rum) of the final product.

Molasses: It is an energy source (form of sugar) that is used in a wide range of products (harvest of yeast cells). But what concerns us is it role in the alcoholic process.  

Inverted sugar: Formed when the bonds in the sugar (sucrose) are broken which comprise of 50 fructose / 50 glucose, results in a thick sweet syrup.

The old folk would take brown sugar invert it, turn it into brown toffee “Tomaleki” that was cooked in the oven.

Refined white sugar is sucrose, which is made up of fructose and glucose bonded together. Yeast only feeds on the glucose.

Inverted raw brown cane sugar has impurities that contains various flavours and aromas that brewers are looking for.

Corn Sugar  (Single mole dextrose): Better known as Dextrose. The yeast reacts easier with dextrose as it has been split from double-mole sucrose. Dissolve faster in water than white sugar. More expensive than cane sugar for the DIY this can be a problem. 

Craft Spirits and Sugar Types:

Rum: Made from sugar cane products like cane juices and molasses. 

Whisky: Derived from barley, wheat, corn, and rye, which are converted into fermentable sugars.

Best Type Of Sugar For Fermentation

Reflux still = White (cane) Sugar / Sugar wash

Dextrose / white cane sugar, as it will fully convert to alcohol during fermentation best for a neutral wash as they do not impart flavours. But nutrients must be added in this process as a sugar wash does not make nutrients. 

Pot still Process = Brown Sugar / Mash

Brown sugar has molasses in it with various nutrients as feed for the yeast and flavours the wash which makes it good for pot still process. Sugar from fruits, barley, wheat etc.

Basics of a Sugar Wash:

A sugar wash is simply a combination of sugar, water, nutrient complex and yeast in ratio. A sugar wash does not make nutrients. You must add a complex of nutrients (food) for the yeast to eat and grow.

Yeast is the heart of the reaction. What I suggest is to make a yeast starter and include 100ml of the pre-made-up nutrients in the sugar wash dilution by doing this you are proofing the yeast before adding to the rich sugar wash solution. The yeast starter should double, then triple in size in the container within 10 minutes telling you yes the Yeast is healthy. 

As I have mentioned before, you as a newbie should start on a simple sugar wash fermentation to distillation, and learn all the rules of which there are many as this will help you should you decide to go the pot still route. Pot still fermentation (mash) is for advanced brewers. 

Here when making a sugar wash you must be careful to make sure that the sugar-water ratio is correct as you can “poison” the sugar with too much sugar.

Understanding Sugar In Fermentation (Sugar Wash) 

The sugar level in the fermentation will determine the whole process. There is a fine balance between sugar, water, yeast and nutrients added and alcohol produced. Simple but not followed will cause you grief.

A healthy sucrose concentration is between 3.8 and 4.1 based on a 25 litre wash, this will vary slightly depending on the yeast used and what level of alcohol (purity) you are looking for. 

Role Of Sugar In Fermentation

It has a very simple role but to convert to alcohol with yeast and nutrients. This is done in the second phase of alcoholic fermentation ‘anaerobic phase” by producing 95% conversion of ethanol and CO2 and 5% other volatiles. 

Function Of Sugar?

Sugar is used to sweeten, preservative, Fermentation, flavouring, density controller, and able to lock in the moisture thus keeping your goods from drying out during baking are a few to mention.  

Sugars In Alcohol Process

In whisky, here the sugars come from the grains that are used to make the mash through a process of removing the sugar from wheat, barley, corn etc. for fermentation.

Neutral spirit uses cane sugar/dextrose in fermentation.

Before distillation at the end of fermentation, there must be no sugars or yeast in the product as it will cause problems while distilling.

Before you transfer the fermenter to the kettle it is fully fermented. Then a clarifier (fine agent) is added to help remove all yeast and solids and clarify the solution. Only clear liquid should be transferred to the kettle for distillation.

Distillation And Sugar DIY

There are two types of distillation to alcohol:

Reflux still Process:

The first being using a kettle, reflux Column condenser system where all the flavour and aroma is removed to make a pure spirit with a high ABV 90 > 95%. The sugar chosen here would be such that it does not impart the flavour to the distillate for a neutral spirit. Cane sugar/dextrose. No sugar in the distillate

Pot still Process:

Pot Still when distilled does retain the ingredient’s aroma and flavour (no internals in the short column section) but makes a product with lower purity and ABV 60 > 80 proof. The distillate made (pure whisky) will have no fermentable sugar in the end product. In distillation, sugar will not vaporise and be left in the bottom of the kettle as a heavy end. 

Factors To Consider When Choosing Sugar 

The best sugar for distilling will determine the type of product you are making in the fermentation process followed by the distillation stage. Choose a neutral sugar for the reflux distillation column. 

Purity

When buying sugar buy a known brand. Check on the label that it says 100% pure sugar. The only way you can check it is visually, white or off-colour? Packet hard or soft can possibly indicate the age? Sugar tasted should be sweet. 

Availability

Cane / Dextrose sugar is common so can be found at all supermarkets. 

Costs

The cost of sugar is relatively cheap compared against brown sugar, Dextrose and inverted sugar. For a neutral wash, it is better to use table sugar as the conversion rate is good plus the sugar used does not impart flavours or aromas to the final distillate. 

Extra Information

Converting sugar to alcohol is not a new process but one that has been around for a long time. 

The one big difference today is that the making of alcohol has improved dramatically on the engineering side aided with new instrumentation, controllers and laboratories to accurately check samples. The use of stainless steel units.

At NCP Chemical in Durban the final sale of pure drinkable ethanol is done by a selected panel for checking odours by nose. You can use an Olfactometry meter to determine the concentrations of the vapour.

The making of alcohol is split into those with a higher ABV for making vodka and whisky via etc. distillation processes.

Again these are split into Reflux control (90 > 95) ABV and Pot still distillation 80% proof, 40% ABV. The second type is wines up to 15% and beers up to 8% > through fermentation but not distilled. 

In industry today the distillation methods are: 

Fractional distillation

Steam distillation

Vacuum distillation. Altering the BP ranges by dropping them, makes for finer control.

We want you to understand the best sugar for distilling by your own

Selecting the right sugar for your sugar wash is essential for crafting desired spirits. By understanding the best sugar for distilling by the characteristics of different sugars and factors influencing fermentation. You can make informed choices and confidently embark on your home brewing journey.

Last Updated on Jan 02, 2024 by The Brew Mechanic

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With 35 years of knowledge of being a chemical engineer in alcohol manufacturing plants, my mission is to teach the next generation of home distilling alcohol brewers at a supernatural speed.

My reviews are based on real-life experiences with reflux stills, sugar wash, troubleshooting and mystical chemical reactions.

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