Sweet Guinness

[stephenlaplaca]

I am going to something close to Guinness for my next beer.

My question is this, anyone add candi-sugar to a stout to make it sweet? I know that lactose is for making a "sweet stout", but I want to use candi sugar instead.

Any ideas would help.

Thanks in advance

 

[flars]

Candi sugar is mostly fermentable. Dark candi sugar may add a bit of flavor, but being nearly 100% fermentable it will boost the ABV and dry out the beer rather than add any sweetness.

 

[evrose]

I am going to something close to Guinness for my next beer.

My question is this, anyone add candi-sugar to a stout to make it sweet? I know that lactose is for making a "sweet stout", but I want to use candi sugar instead.

Any ideas would help.

Thanks in advance

You are certainly free to add candi sugar to a beer... but it won't give you the results you're looking for. The reason lactose makes a stout sweet is because it is not fermented (broken down to EtOH) by the yeast, leaving a residual sweetness. Candi sugar is completely fermentable.

Also, the distinctive flavor to Guinness is not sweetness, it's a slight souring. Sweet stouts (also called milk stouts) are not really the same thing as Guinness.

With all that in mind; brew on! Try candi sugar and lactose in different batches to compare. You may be surprised at what you like and what you don't.