What effects do different types of sugar have on the flavour of ginger beer?

Question

I've been brewing ginger beer with raw cane sugar and have always found the short window between when the mixture becomes recognizable as ginger beer and when it turns into face-melting acid is quite enjoyable. I was just wondering though, does the type of sugar have an impact on that window? If I switched to a highly processed table sugar, would that result in a more or less acidic brew? I never buy white sugar and don't want to waste a brew, so if anyone knows, please share your experience.

EDIT:

I'm using real ginger beer plant (a symbiotic culture of bacteria and yeast) as my fermentation agent

Answer 1

Some ginger beers are fermented with a ginger bug or a combination of brewer's yeast and lactobacillus. Depending on what bacteria can be co-resident with the yeast, acidity can happen. Lacto should produce a "lemony" acidity. Kombucha and some wild fermentations can also have acetobacter, which produces a vinegar taste. The type of sugar won't have a large impact on flavor, especially in the presence of strong flavors from lacto or acetobacter or the ginger itself. In a "normal" fermentation (one where bacteria is kept at a minimum), sugar just ferments out and produces alcohol, but some sugars are harder to consume by some yeast, leaving some residual sweetness and flavor. Is the "face-melting acid" flavor like lemonade or like vinegar or something else? I suspect the acidity is due to fermentation characteristics (like bacteria) rather than the type of sugar used, but it's a bit hard to tell without more information. In a sour-style beers, yeasts (like Brett) or lacto or other sour bacteria will consume the remaining sugars after the primary yeast has finished, getting more sour over long periods of time.

EDIT: I was checking in on a sour mash this morning and a couple of things occurred to me. In a sour mash, you are attempting to control what bacteria grows by controlling the temperature. Acetobacter; the vinegar component in the Ginger Plant inoculation, grows best at around 77-86 F (25-30C). By lowering the fermentation temperature you could limit the bacteria production and favor the yeast. I sort of like doing the opposite with Kombucha (ferment with a brewbelt to keep it at 78+F to favor the acidity and ferment for longer).

Also, if you are re-using your culture (GBP), the culture will change composition over time to favor the conditions, so the vinegar taste (acetobacter to yeast ratio) would be enhanced over generations by using higher fermentation temperatures. By the same token, using a lower fermentation temperature and harvesting, you will discourage the acetobacter population (raise the yeast to acetobacter ratio) in the culture over time, producing a more neutral flavor.

Answer 2

A ginger beer plant is traditionally used with white refined sugar for the typical flavour. It is OK to use unrefined sugars and they may help keep the colony healthy if used occasionally. Try a couple of brews with white sugar to see what happens.

Ginger beer plant should be primarily lactobacillus and the yeast Saccharomyces florentinus though it may be much more complex - it should not be dominated by acetobacter - if you follow a trad ginger beer recipe it should sustain the balance naturally. The scoby is very resilient and self balancing.

A ginger beer will turn a bit more acidic of over the course of a few weeks - and if you like the soft buttery trad ginger beer complex flavour you should drink ferment 3-5 days in primary and just a day or two in bottle until it is carbonated. Are you simply keeping it too long before you drink it ?

Ginger beer is a quick simple brew that is normally made and drunk fresh and not stored for more than a couple of weeks at most - over which time the flavour will evolve. Mine gets drunk as soon as it is ready - unlike my wines that are often stored for years.