Not a newby, but a few simple questions

Hi all,

I've been kit brewing for a couple of years now, but reading these
posts I feel like an absolute novice. Scouring the FAQ hasn't provided
me with some simple answers, so here I am.

1) Granulated sugar vs. glucose - Why ?
Why does my brewshop sell glucose. The propriator told me that
using sugar (sucrose) means the yeast has to convert the sucrose to
glucose to start working. However when I asked it this speeding up
fermentaton, he said no. I asked if it affected the taste, and got a
"no" again. In that case (I thought, but didn't say) why sell it ?

2) Glass carboys.
The FiL (a keen amatuer) has loads of glass carboys (5 liter) for
winemaking. However my local brewshop sells plastic ones, and has been
unable to get the glass ones for a while. Has plastic replaced glass
on safety grounds. Having done a wine, and seen the pressure that
builds up when clearing, I can believe this one.

3) Sealing fermentor/airlocks.
I originally used to simply put the lid on my primary fermentor,
but not clip it down. I had no problems. Yet the 25l wine kit I got
came with a clip on lid and airlocks. Why use airlocks for wine, not
beer ? I experimented with a batch of beer fermented in the wine bin
(with lid & airlock) and it came out fine. I know the airlock os to
prevent contamination of the wine, but why is beer less susceptible ?
Or is it ?

Hope you'll go easy on me ... I don't think I'll ever get into the
nitty-gritty of growing my own hops, and making my own wort (kits do
fine for me), but I enjoy the process of making my own beer. You can't
describe the satisfaction of popping the cap and pouring your own brew
into a glass, sipping it, and realising how bland most mass-produced
beers are.

.

Relevant Pages

  • Re: Aging In Bulk Vs Aging In Bottle
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  • Re: Wine & beer (was: Evening popcorn)
    ... Some fake butter spray and salt plus a wine glass refill and I ... I could probably eat the "typical American diet". ... Still, if I have a beer or a glass of wine, that is the time when I ...
    (alt.support.diabetes)
  • Re: Not a newby, but a few simple questions
    ... giving the beer a "cidery" taste. ... unable to get the glass ones for a while. ... Yet the 25l wine kit I got ... is effectively called "open fermentation" - in years gone by all ...
    (rec.crafts.brewing)
  • Re: Wine Question
    ... Light may impact wine, but only at a tiny fraction of the rate it bothers ... Green glass is about as useless as clear for beer. ... became the norm like green beer bottles for imported beers. ...
    (rec.crafts.brewing)
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