Basically, candi sugar is ordinary white cane/beet sugar (sucrose) that has been modified by an 'inversion' process, producing 'invert sugar
There's really nothing special about "belgian sugar" it's not really a special sugar. The Belgian Monks just used whatever sugar they could buy in bulk the cheapest, and then they inverted it, and carmalized it. It differed from brewery to brewery and often within the same brewery batch to batch....It's not "magic sugar grown in the wild mountains of Belgium" or anything...It's just bulk sugar inverted and boiled to whatever color you desire....
If you can't get citric acid which the recipe I linked calls for, you can use, cream of tartar, a little lemon juice, even a crushed up vitamin c tablet...but many argue that really, the boiling process inverts it as it is...
And make sure you use Beet rather that Cane sugar.....
Revvy's one of the cool reverends. He has a Harley and a t-shirt that says on the back "If you can read this, the bitch was Raptured.
Quote:
Originally Posted by YooperBrew
I gotta tell ya, just between us girls, that Revvy is HOT. Very tall, gorgeous grey hair and a terrific smile. He's very good looking in person, with a charismatic personality... he drives like a ****ing maniac!
Revvy's one of the cool reverends. He has a Harley and a t-shirt that says on the back "If you can read this, the bitch was Raptured.
Quote:
Originally Posted by YooperBrew
I gotta tell ya, just between us girls, that Revvy is HOT. Very tall, gorgeous grey hair and a terrific smile. He's very good looking in person, with a charismatic personality... he drives like a ****ing maniac!
I've been using cane sugar.
Aren't they both pure sucrose?
Yes. For all practical purposes, they're identical.
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On deck: Little Bo Pils, Bretta Off Dead (Brett pale)
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Bottled: Number 8 (Belgian Strong Dark Ale), Eternale (Barleywine), Ancho Villa (Ancho/pasilla/chocolate/cinnamon RIS), Oak smoked porter (1/2 maple bourbon oaked, 1/2 apple brandy oaked)
I was told by a guy who specializes in doing Belgians that Beet sugar is more likely what the Belgians got, since sugar beets are grown in Belgium and most of europe whereas cane sugar isn't...it prolly wouldn't matter, in terms of chemistry, but I figure in terms of authenticity it would be better to make it with beet sugar.
Besides I live in Michigan, the home of Pioneer/Bug Chief Sugar, processed just up the road in Croswell....so I buy local.
Revvy's one of the cool reverends. He has a Harley and a t-shirt that says on the back "If you can read this, the bitch was Raptured.
Quote:
Originally Posted by YooperBrew
I gotta tell ya, just between us girls, that Revvy is HOT. Very tall, gorgeous grey hair and a terrific smile. He's very good looking in person, with a charismatic personality... he drives like a ****ing maniac!
It appears that the person who makes the candi syrup can't or won't make 16 oz containers anymore. He just tells you they are coming but never sends them.
He has moved on to satisfy the breweries instead. Doesn't have enough product or time to waste on 16 containers.
We found it at Brewers Supply Group in 5 gallon containers. We package it into 16 oz. containers for the homebrewers.
Yeah, I've seen and read how to make it. I suck worse in the kitchen than I do brewing beer I may give it a go, but would like some "real" stuff as backup. Trying a super simple belgian dark strong recipe - candi sugar, rock sugar, pils malt, and hops with a 2+hour boil, so I'd rather not screw it up with my feeble candy skills.
Thanks for the info Forrest, I was wondering what seemed to happen to all the HBS all at once. Of course, if I order some candi syrup, I might as well order other stuff as well