how to properly use belgian candi sugar?

Can light belgian candi sugar be used to replace cane sugar 1:1 in a recipe or is there a big difference in fermentability and taste? Should it be added early in boil or after? It would be used in formulating a dark belgian ale recipe I found in a book. I am going for a noticeable sweetness but not offensively sweet. Just right sweet! Recipe calls for 1lb. table sugar in the boil(I am assuming because there is nothing to the contrary).

If you are using light candi sugar, don't waste your money. In the end its no better than table sugar, and its not truly an invert sugar. I think people seem to believe that "If its not Belgian, its Crap!"

I know Jamil calls for a pound of table sugar in his Tripel.

Dark candi sugar on the other hand isn't a waste since it brings its own flavors to the table.

Are we talking real Candi Sugar? The inverted syrup or the rock crap that gets pawned off as Belgian.

Theres a difference. The typical rock stuf is just crystalized, sometime carmalized, sucrose or refine table sugar.

the syrup is actully inverted or hydrolized sucrose which has reduced it to monsaccharides.

I thought that real candi sugar was made from beets? Beet sugar.

The stuff the Belgian's use is carmalized. (Which is NOT the same as using caramel chunks).

That said, I dumped in a bunch of rock candy and I beleive, becasue it took longer to disolve and was sitting at the bottom where it was hot, since it was heavy, that the boil carmalized some of the sugar anyway.

There are different ways that sugar can be carmalized. One way is the type the Monks use. I have a book somewhere with all that brewing goodness explained in it, but I just moved and have no idea where it is.

bell0347 said:

Can light belgian candi sugar be used to replace cane sugar 1:1 in a recipe or is there a big difference in fermentability and taste? Should it be added early in boil or after? It would be used in formulating a dark belgian ale recipe I found in a book. I am going for a noticeable sweetness but not offensively sweet. Just right sweet! Recipe calls for 1lb. table sugar in the boil(I am assuming because there is nothing to the contrary).

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Save your money and use regular sugar (cane or beet). Add it early in the boil so it has time to invert in the acidic wort. Then you'll have the same result as the pre-inverted Belgian candi.

The good dark candi: Dark Belgian Candi Syrup - 16 oz. :: Midwest Supplies Homebrewing and Winemaking Supplies

works great in dubbels

When using Candi Syrup, is it better to add it to the boil around flame out or later to the fermentor after fermentation has cooled down. This could be around 3-7 day during fermentation.

I'm planning on making ShipWreck Saison and it calls for candy sugar around flame out but its been my previous experience to put it in the bucket during fermentation. Anyone with more experience want to chime into a old thread?

If making my own clear/light invert syrup, into the fermenter after krausen starts to drop. I only buy it commercial if it is Dark syrup, and then it goes in at flame-out.