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Author Topic: Palm Sugar?  (Read 2939 times)

Offline P.J.

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Palm Sugar?
« on: February 14, 2012, 02:14:42 pm »
I bought some palm sugar at an Indian grocery and used it in a Belgian Blonde.
The stuff I bought was sort of oily & pressed into little "pucks" and came from Thailand.
It had interesting aromatics and left a nice residual sweetness to the finished beer.
However, because of the oily nature of the sugar the finished beer has a hazy clarity.
And as someone noted in an ealier post, it also contributes a bit of a buttery slickness to the beer.

My question is:
Is this sugar the same thing as Jaggery?
If not, how does Jaggery differ from the palm sugar that I used?

P.J.


P.J.

Offline tschmidlin

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Re: Palm Sugar?
« Reply #1 on: February 14, 2012, 03:27:24 pm »
Is this sugar the same thing as Jaggery?
If not, how does Jaggery differ from the palm sugar that I used?
Jaggery is generally unrefined cane sugar, palm sugar is also unrefined but comes from different plants.  I find them to be very similar in flavor profile when eaten side by side, although the jaggery is much more intense.  It has a lot more molasses flavor to it and tastes a bit like candied yams.  I've never used them side by side in  beer though.

i wouldn't blame the haze on the palm sugar by the way, I've used it in beers that came out brilliantly clear.
Tom Schmidlin

Offline gmac

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Re: Palm Sugar?
« Reply #2 on: February 14, 2012, 03:33:43 pm »
Not your question but I made an ale with Jaggery and it was also crystal clear.  I'd think your haze is something else.  If it was oily, you'd have poor head retention and my beer also had excellent head retention.  I don't actually think there is much oil there, it just has a buttery texture that gives that impression. 
I think "Gur" is the name for palm sugar while as Tom points out, Jaggery is from sugar cane.  I also think that there is a lot of confusion between the two and I could be totally wrong.

Offline P.J.

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Re: Palm Sugar?
« Reply #3 on: February 14, 2012, 04:10:05 pm »
The palm sugar that I used had a nice creamy sweetness to it and a hint of coconut.
I didn't get any molasses aroma or flavors.

At what point in the boil should you add palm sugar, or any unrefined sugars?
I was trying to preserve the aromatics, so I put it in 10 min before flame out.
Could it be I didn't boil it long enough?
P.J.

Offline tschmidlin

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Re: Palm Sugar?
« Reply #4 on: February 15, 2012, 12:57:47 am »
I don't see a problem with the last 10 minutes, as long as it dissolves.  That's all you really need to worry about.
Tom Schmidlin