Corn Sugar, or dextrose, is used to "prime" your beer to produce natural carbonation in the bottle. "Priming" is the act of adding a small amount of fresh fermentable sugar to the beer just before bottling so that the residual yeast will consume it and produce carbonation in the sealed bottle. We recommend corn sugar for this purpose because it is easy for the yeast to consume and has a neutral flavor profile, meaning it will leave your beer tasting the way you designed it!
Use 4 oz of corn sugar to prime 5 gallons prior to bottling. Dissolve the corn sugar in 1-1.5 pints of water and boil for 5 minutes to sanitize prior to mixing with your beer.
Corn sugar can also be used to boost your original gravity without impacting the beer's flavor profile. Adds 1.037 points per pound per gallon (PPG) to your specific gravity.