How to make Belgian Candi Syrup

[shearclass]

my question was not related to Golden Syrup, but thanks for the irrelevant reply anyway!

I asked what the difference in taste would be between doing a belgian beer with candi sugar, and the same beer with normal sugar?

I have done a Trippel kit but just used normal sugar.

Cheers

 

[StubbsPKS]

my question was not related to Golden Syrup, but thanks for the irrelevant reply anyway!

I asked what the difference in taste would be between doing a belgian beer with candi sugar, and the same beer with normal sugar?

I have done a Trippel kit but just used normal sugar.

Cheers

If you followed the kit instructions, I'm sure it will make a fine pint :)

 

[shearclass]

Hopefully mate!

I'm not doubting that candi sugar makes a difference, i am just trying to understand what sort of difference it makes.

 

[StubbsPKS]

Hopefully mate!

I'm not doubting that candi sugar makes a difference, i am just trying to understand what sort of difference it makes.

Only way to tell is to try it out :)

 

[shearclass]

Only way to tell is to try it out :)

Or someone could just explain!

 

[luckyeddie]

Only way to tell is to try it out :)

Or someone could just explain!

1. You control the colour to suit the style of beer
2. There is a certain sense of satisfaction over having created something with your own fair hands
3. Because it takes a couple of hours, you have the opportunity to sit in the kitchen and gently sip a couple of brews while you are doing it.

 

[shearclass]

1. You control the colour to suit the style of beer
2. There is a certain sense of satisfaction over having created something with your own fair hands
3. Because it takes a couple of hours, you have the opportunity to sit in the kitchen and gently sip a couple of brews while you are doing it.

Ah thanks. So there is no flavour benefit then, just makes it look nicer?

I like reason 3 though.

 

[luckyeddie]

1. You control the colour to suit the style of beer
2. There is a certain sense of satisfaction over having created something with your own fair hands
3. Because it takes a couple of hours, you have the opportunity to sit in the kitchen and gently sip a couple of brews while you are doing it.

Ah thanks. So there is no flavour benefit then, just makes it look nicer?

I like reason 3 though.

I wouldn't like to say whether there is a flavour benefit or not - I always make Candi for Belgian beers. The only Belgian style brews I did before I went AG were kits and so had ordinary brewing sugar added - admittedly they were Brewferm kits which are excellent - but I much prefer my own beers. The Candi I made a few weeks ago was very deep red and had definite toffee-like notes of carameliisation - I'm sure this came through in the beer.

Let's put it this way - I wouldn't use it in a lager.

 

[shearclass]

Thanks both.

Let's put it this way - I wouldn't use it in a lager.

#

I wasn't going to, but i do have 2 brewferm kits in the garage waiting to be kicked off, and i have 1 other brewferm kit, (my first brewferm) fermenting currently, which will be bottled on Saturday.

 

[luckyeddie]

Of course I do suspect that the Brewferm kits have a degree of 'candi' sugar added to them before condensing . . . Adding more might very well increase the 'caramel' notes until it becomes overpowering . . .The better quality kits (read more expensive) are probably best made up using good old table sugar (sucrose) as the manufacturer will have taken care to ensure that the flavour balance will be correct using plain sugar . . . using other things might very well throw the flavour balance out of the window completely

Yep - totally agree with this.

One of the benefits of AG of course is that we sink or swim dependent upon our own efforts, and that we can, if we are lucky (or in some especially rare cases, highly skilled and experienced), end up drinking the beer we want to drink, as opposed to drinking the beer the manufacturers want us to drink.

That's not so say that a bit of tinkering with kits isn't permitted - just so long as it is recognised that a formulation is put together by the manufacturers with a specific purpose in mind. It's a bit like the old standard "The value of investments may go down as well as up".

 

[luckyeddie]

Thanks both.

Let's put it this way - I wouldn't use it in a lager.

#

I wasn't going to, but i do have 2 brewferm kits in the garage waiting to be kicked off, and i have 1 other brewferm kit, (my first brewferm) fermenting currently, which will be bottled on Saturday.

I'd follow Aleman's advice if I were you. Brewferm make the best kits I have ever tasted - and substituting 'candi' for sucrose just might screw the taste profile up.

 

[shearclass]

Even though brewferm suggest ysing candi sugar?

Ok well if you think I'm good to use plain ol' sugar with my brewferm xmas I will do! Sorry to hijck this very informative post.

 

[luckyeddie]

Post deleted upon reflection. Don't post when you are angry.

 

[luckyeddie]

Even though brewferm suggest ysing candi sugar?

Ok well if you think I'm good to use plain ol' sugar with my brewferm xmas I will do! Sorry to hijck this very informative post.

http://www.homebrewit.com/instructions_brewferm.pdf

Yes, Brewferm do suggest that you can use Candi sugar. I honestly don't know what difference it will make to the taste, because I've never used table sugar in any AG beer and never used Candi in a kit.

 

[shearclass]

Don't post when you are angry.

Don't know what i did to make you angry, but I apologise. I will not harrass you further.

 

[mattybabsy]

resurrecting this thread cos I have a question- just got brewferms Abbey, Grand Cru and Diabolo. Should I use a (coopers?) brew enhancer pack with these for the sugar? It says I can use raw cane sugar- is that stuff able to be bought at tescos? I'm just wondering if there's a simpler less intimidating alternative to making this candi sugar?!

 

[WelshPaul]

Just wanted to say thanks for this guide. I'll be making a couple of kits of Brewferm's Gand Cru this weekend to be drunk at Christmas time and I plan on using candy syrup instead of brewing sugar. :

 

[luckyeddie]

Don't post when you are angry.

Don't know what i did to make you angry, but I apologise. I will not harrass you further.

You probably asked questions I could not answer. Looking back, it's probably me who should apologise, so let's call it quits.

 

[luckyeddie]

resurrecting this thread cos I have a question- just got brewferms Abbey, Grand Cru and Diabolo. Should I use a (coopers?) brew enhancer pack with these for the sugar? It says I can use raw cane sugar- is that stuff able to be bought at tescos? I'm just wondering if there's a simpler less intimidating alternative to making this candi sugar?!

I must confess that when I was brewing the Brewferm kits, I only used common-or-garden Tate & Lyle sugar. Since I've been brewing all-grain, I've only used Candi (made from the same supermarket table sugar) so I have too many variables to draw a conclusion.

I've got it down to a fine art now. If I'm doing a tripel, I make the syrup as soon as the mash starts (an hour is plenty). If I'm doing a Dubbel or a Christmas beer (see LE's AG#19 - Snappy's Christmas Special) I start it off when I've just put the boiler on to heat the strike water. That gives me the extra three quarters of an hour to really darken the syrup and add complexity to the flavour.

 

[Dave1970]

Thanks for the guide, just made a small batch for a Brewferm Grand Cru kit. Made it using Silver Spoon sugar because that was what we had...I'm assuming that having been cracked its beet rather than cane origins won't matter any more? Very easy & surpisingly quick (about 50 mins) using lemon juice as the acid. Would never have considered it without your guide...thanks again