# corn syrup in beer does it matter ? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** beer\ **Created:** [February 25, 2019, 10:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/corn-syrup-in-beer-does-it-matter/830207 "2019-02-25T22:03:09Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 16\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![nightshadea](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/7ba0ec/32.png) [@nightshadea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nightshadea)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2019, 10:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/corn-syrup-in-beer-does-it-matter/830207/1 "2019-02-25T22:03:09Z")
is it a big deal ? Apparently buds super bowl comercials are scuttling a big multicorp campaign because they called out beer makers that use corn syrup [https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/companies/buds-super-bowl-ad-threatens-to-derail-beer-alliance/ar-BBU0xdK?li=BBnbfcN#page=2](https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/companies/buds-super-bowl-ad-threatens-to-derail-beer-alliance/ar-BBU0xdK?li=BBnbfcN#page=2) Other than corn syrup being the food and drink version of tobacco these days Does it matter in taste color ect? Or is but just grasping at anything to be “different?” Ive never drank beer enough to know the difference as my preferences were bourbon (and a ince irish when I could afford) and vodka …. ---
**Author:** ![DrFidelius](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/drfidelius/32/3447_2.png) [@DrFidelius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrFidelius)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2019, 10:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/corn-syrup-in-beer-does-it-matter/830207/2 "2019-02-25T22:12:34Z")
It makes no difference in corporate mega brews. I also doubt the yeast care what type of sugar they are fed, but I am willing to be educated Sent from my SM-G930T using Tapatalk ---
**Author:** ![D\_Anconia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/67e7ee/32.png) [@D\_Anconia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/D_Anconia)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2019, 10:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/corn-syrup-in-beer-does-it-matter/830207/3 "2019-02-25T22:17:19Z")
It’s my understanding that corn syrup (and not high fructose) is used in the fermentation process, but does not wind up in the final product. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2019, 10:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/corn-syrup-in-beer-does-it-matter/830207/4 "2019-02-25T22:18:21Z")
Yes, yes it does. A lot. Corn as an adjunct gives a distinctly different taste to beer. Corn syrup? Depends one where and how they use it. Drink a Busch next to a Bud. You can taste the difference quite clearly. What makes the commercial suspect is the fact that A-B uses both rice and corn in their various brews. ---
**Author:** ![Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba9def/32.png) [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Just_Asking_Questions)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2019, 10:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/corn-syrup-in-beer-does-it-matter/830207/5 "2019-02-25T22:50:18Z")
What’s especially annoying about the whole campaign is: The “other guys” have always been using corn syrup. It isn’t like “new Coke”. If you liked Miller or not before, you still do. Nothing’s changed. It’s as phony as the “[doesn’t turn pink in the can](https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/think-unpink/)” urban legend. Just A-B assuming their target market is as stupid as everyone thinks they are. And they probably are. No Corn Syrup! Dilly-dilly! ---
**Author:** ![Dallas\_Jones](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dallas_jones/32/3277_2.png) [@Dallas\_Jones](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dallas_Jones)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2019, 11:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/corn-syrup-in-beer-does-it-matter/830207/6 "2019-02-25T23:19:02Z")
Budweiser is just beer made from rice. ---
**Author:** ![D\_Anconia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/67e7ee/32.png) [@D\_Anconia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/D_Anconia)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2019, 11:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/corn-syrup-in-beer-does-it-matter/830207/7 "2019-02-25T23:24:32Z")
> [@silenus](#): > > Yes, yes it does. A lot. Corn as an adjunct gives a distinctly different taste to beer. Corn syrup? Depends one where and how they use it. No, no it doesn’t. See the link provided by the OP. ---
**Author:** ![TroutMan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/troutman/32/6721_2.png) [@TroutMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TroutMan)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2019, 11:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/corn-syrup-in-beer-does-it-matter/830207/8 "2019-02-25T23:39:22Z")
> [@D\_Anconia](#): > > It’s my understanding that corn syrup (and not high fructose) is used in the fermentation process, but does not wind up in the final product. That’s an odd way to look at it and is more a matter of semantics than reality. The reason they say corn syrup doesn’t end up in the final product is because it is fermented. But by the same token, you could say that barley doesn’t end up in beer either, which is kind of stupid. The adjuncts you use in brewing will certainly affect the taste. Rice (used in Bud) is very neutral and doesn’t contribute a lot of flavor. Corn has a slightly sweeter, smoother taste. Barley is richer and gives more flavor than either corn or barley. So is corn bad? It just depends on your beer preference. There’s nothing inherently wrong with any adjuncts beyond personal preference. It’s a dumb commercial that is only trying to piggy-back on people’s bad impression of high-fructose corn syrup. ---
**Author:** ![wguy123](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wguy123/32/3161_2.png) [@wguy123](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wguy123)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2019, 5:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/corn-syrup-in-beer-does-it-matter/830207/9 "2019-02-26T17:09:58Z")
Not sure if it is corn vs rice, but If I’m going to drink yellow beer, I prefer it come from corn (Coors is my go-to yellow). I never buy Bud products. ---
**Author:** ![bobot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bobot/32/21622_2.png) [@bobot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bobot)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2019, 5:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/corn-syrup-in-beer-does-it-matter/830207/10 "2019-02-26T17:21:25Z")
The only thing that matters is what the beer tastes like. I can taste the corn in Miller Lite, and am not a fan. If you like the taste of any beer, there’s nothing wrong with it. Drink up! ---
**Author:** ![wguy123](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wguy123/32/3161_2.png) [@wguy123](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wguy123)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2019, 5:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/corn-syrup-in-beer-does-it-matter/830207/11 "2019-02-26T17:26:17Z")
> [@bobot](#): > > The only thing that matters is what the beer tastes like. I can taste the corn in Miller Lite, and am not a fan. If you like the taste of any beer, there’s nothing wrong with it. Drink up! Salud! ---
**Author:** ![ThisSpaceForRent](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thisspaceforrent/32/345_2.png) [@ThisSpaceForRent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThisSpaceForRent)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2019, 10:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/corn-syrup-in-beer-does-it-matter/830207/12 "2019-02-26T22:38:01Z")
It is a trash commercial…They are NOT talking about HFCS…they are talking about simple corn syrup, which is an adjunct in MANY Craft beers…Bud definitely excluded. Marketing ploy…plain and simple. ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2019, 12:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/corn-syrup-in-beer-does-it-matter/830207/13 "2019-02-27T00:58:51Z")
[Speaking of sweet beers…](https://www.wavy.com/news/local-news/norfolk/smartmouth-s-new-flavored-beer-is-magically-ridiculous-/1808934645) ---
**Author:** ![China\_Guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/779978/32.png) [@China\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/China_Guy)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2019, 5:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/corn-syrup-in-beer-does-it-matter/830207/14 "2019-02-27T05:05:10Z")
Pot, kettle, black. Budweiser uses a shit ton of rice in their beer. That makes Bud (and let’s be clear the American bud is a pale imitation of the original Czech Budweiser) and all the major brands pointing fingers at each other for putting low cost, generally neutral adjuncts into their beers. Whether it’s rice or corn, there ain’t a huge amount of difference, and most brewers would say at best these are flavor neutral. You can go with purists that say the [Reinheitsgebot](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reinheitsgebot)(German purity law of 1516 that decreed beer shall be made from barley, water and hops) is the holy grail. Of course there was beer that predates the Reinheitsgebot that used other ingredients. For my own brewing, I use plenty of adjuncts including corn and rice, and I like to think I make damn good bber. And “corn syrup (and not high fructose) is used in the fermentation process, but does not wind up in the final product” has already been addressed above. But I’ll pile on and add “what about the water?” No offense to the poster, but any further comments would need a pit thread. As a home brewer and craft brewer aficionado, I say use whatever ingredients you like, for whatever beer you like, served at whatever temperature you like, in whatever vessel you like. And if that means Miller Lite in a brown bag, then knock yourself out. I might point and laugh, but it is truly no skin off my nose if you drink Schaffer for the taste. ---
**Author:** ![nightshadea](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/7ba0ec/32.png) [@nightshadea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nightshadea)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2019, 10:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/corn-syrup-in-beer-does-it-matter/830207/15 "2019-02-27T10:13:42Z")
I never drank enough beer to know a difference ……although I do know a better alcohol related use for corn than beer but thats not exactly legal… ---
**Author:** ![Oredigger77](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/oredigger77/32/3181_2.png) [@Oredigger77](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oredigger77)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2019, 4:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/corn-syrup-in-beer-does-it-matter/830207/16 "2019-02-27T16:32:40Z")
Just as a note corn syrup and malt extract are both just ways of speeding the integration of sugar into a wash and allow for faster extractions of all of the starch to sugar then into the wash. Aside from what the initial grain is there isn’t a lot of difference between malt extract (some enzymes) and corn syrup and most of the large brewers are also using malt extract. As an FYI some distillers are using corn syrup and malt extract to make whiskeys too so this isn’t just a beer world thing. I personally don’t like the use of syrups and extracts because I think they eliminate some of the complexities that come along with the grain during the mashing process but there is nothing inherently wrong with using them.