Can Golden Belgian Candi Syrup be substituted?

I want to do a Belgian Golden Ale for my second brew and I looking at some recipes and most call for around 2 lb Golden Belgian Candi Syrup and I was wondering if table sugar would have the same effect?

Table sugar is just the same as candi sugar for clear... of it is colored candi, then it will be contributing flavor , and you should p probably use the Candi syrup.

Candi syrup will include some water, shop you may need less table sugar.

Okay that answers my question, thanks! So I could essentially make the syrup with water and sugar?

If you google, you can find out how. (example).

Funny. I was going to use Belgian Candi (solid) this weekend and I was just going to pay for it. But thanks to this thread, I decided to try to make my own. It was really easy so I imagine syrup is too.

Wow, that is super easy, thanks woozy! I will definitely be making both now. It's much cheaper and allows me to control that much more of the recipe. Cheers!

If someone wants to explain to me what an "invert" sugar is and why that matters and why you can't just use sugar, I'm all ears.

woozy said:

If someone wants to explain to me what an "invert" sugar is and why that matters and why you can't just use sugar, I'm all ears.

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table sugar versus inverted

Thanks. But, no offense, I found this Wikipedia page on inverting sugar (invert sugar is dextrose and glucose rather than sucrose) and this one on candi sugar ("It is used to boost the alcohol content without adding extra body to the beer, and without forcing the yeast to produce invertase") somewhat clearer.

I wonder if I can use a squirt of StarSan for the acid? Ha! too lazy to go get lemons or acid...

I didn't use any acid. Just heat. Seems to have worked just fine.

... vinegar is acid. And, hell, so is StarSan (isn't it?)...

woozy said:

Thanks. But, no offense, I found this Wikipedia page on inverting sugar (invert sugar is dextrose and glucose rather than sucrose) and this one on candi sugar ("It is used to boost the alcohol content without adding extra body to the beer, and without forcing the yeast to produce invertase") somewhat clearer.

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You're close... but not quite right.

Corn sugar = dextrose = glucose
Beet/cane sugar = table sugar = sucrose = fructose+glucose bonded.
Invert Sugar = Sucrose split into constituant Glucose+fructose.
Malt sugar = maltose = glucose+glucose bonded

I've read from someone that homemade candi sugar is far more unfermentable that it should be. Not sure from where but you might wana check before you do it

woozy said:

If you google, you can find out how. (example).

Funny. I was going to use Belgian Candi (solid) this weekend and I was just going to pay for it. But thanks to this thread, I decided to try to make my own. It was really easy so I imagine syrup is too.

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Not really. Different products that will result in different outcomes.

woozy said:

I didn't use any acid. Just heat. Seems to have worked just fine.

... vinegar is acid. And, hell, so is StarSan (isn't it?)...

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So how would one know you weres succesful?

DPB

DPBISME said:

So how would one know you weres succesful?

DPB

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Well... cause it looked like I was successful? Cause the recipes with acid varied in the amount of acid and most said it was a catalyst to speed up the process? cause if failure was an option, the recipes provided no method of distinguishing between success and failure? 'cause lighten up dude; brewing beer is supposed to be fun and sugar is sugar and so what if the yeasties need to work harder to produce invertawhatzazine; they yeasties are young and healthy and the exercise will do them good?

I don't know. But I produced a beautiful rock hard sheet of utterly translucent clear as glass material that had a different texture and stickiness and sweetness than sugar with a nice caramel taste (I chose to cook it till in was a beautiful amber yellow). I really don't think sucrose would have this texture so I assume I did it correctly.

My understanding is that heat is more important than acid. And I do remember once decades ago I tried to make candy and I didn't heat the sugar enough and the instead of the rock solid invert sugar I got the sheet of sugar just sort of wilted and turned soft. I think that's what failure would have been like. This is the point were I'd pull out my trump card and say I know I succeeded because my candy thermometer said I heated to 275 F. But I don't have a candy thermometer and I didn't want to expose my cooking thermoter to temperatures so high, so I didn't use a thermometer either.

Possibly this isn't belgian candi but I really doubt it. Anyway if it *isn't* than the yeast will have to, and will, produce invertiwhatsit to process sucrose. Somehow that's considered inefficient yeast process. But it'll still happen.

Of course, I made *candi*; sheetlike rock-hard. Invert Syrup may be harder to distinguish from Sucrose Syrop. Still if you do the heat and should work.

woozy said:

Well... cause it looked like I was successful? Cause the recipes with acid varied in the amount of acid and most said it was a catalyst to speed up the process? cause if failure was an option, the recipes provided no method of distinguishing between success and failure? 'cause lighten up dude; brewing beer is supposed to be fun and sugar is sugar and so what if the yeasties need to work harder to produce invertawhatzazine; they yeasties are young and healthy and the exercise will do them good?

I don't know. But I produced a beautiful rock hard sheet of utterly translucent clear as glass material that had a different texture and stickiness and sweetness than sugar with a nice caramel taste (I chose to cook it till in was a beautiful amber yellow). I really don't think sucrose would have this texture so I assume I did it correctly.

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Fun? You mean this is supposed to be fun? I knew I was doing something wrong!

It really was not feeling fun the other day when I kegged 25 gallons. I brewed two beers and diluted them because they were stronger than planned. (English and American Summer Ales)

Nothing went terrblibly wrong but it did not go as smooth as I would have liked.

I was feeling better about it last night when the two kegged I force-carbonated for a day were already partially carbonated and they tasted good.

I filled two Corneys with each beer and the 5th Corney I mixed the left overs together...

If it does not rain here in DC the first weekend in May I will be brewing two more batches... I hope to brew 6 batches next month for about 70 gallons.

Got-a brew when it is cool and need to stock up for the Summer...

Happy brewing


I

Happy Brewing

DPB

rayfound is correct. Sucrose will not ferment 'exactly' the same as the simple sugars of which Candi Syrup is comprised. Candi Syrups also contain a combination of maillard and caramels not found in stove top confections and are more fermentable than cooked sucrose. A bit of wisdom here...the acids you will use can affect your wort pH considerably.

Here is s shameless plug for Candi Syrup. The products they make are second to none and produce great results. I have used them all with great results. Do yourself a favor and just use the syrup. Homemade is just not the same. The flavor you get with the real thing is worth the cost.