Chinese Rock Sugar

I am brewing a trippel recipe by Sam Calagione of Dogfish Head. The recipe is in BYO September 2006 and is called Round the World Trippel. It calls for Chinese Rock Sugar. I have bought something at the local supermarket called Chinese rock candy, but I am not sure if it is the correct stuff. The ingredients on the sugar I bought only lists sugar cane (in English at least!), but Calagione describes Chinese rock sugar as a mixture of "refined sugar, brown sugar, and honey that has a subtle pleasant spiciness." Has anyone used this before, know where I can get some, or can tell me if this is the same thing as Rock Candy?

Thanks =)

I suggest you mix refined sugar, brown sugar and honey.

here this site has some of that rock sugar you are looking for
http://xtremebrew.readyhosting.com/store/flakes_adjuncts.html

Thanks. Judging by that picture, the sugar that I bought at the Asian market was correct. Good to know that there is a place which has all the ingredients for Sam's recipes in one place though. I'm hoping to start this one this weekend after the Michigan Brew Festival. I'll be testing out my oxygen aerator for the first time.

Sorry to dig up such an old thread but in my country, we have a lot of these chinese rock sugars and they are cheap. About US$1.10 per 500g or Sing$1.60, so I am interested to see how the fare against dextrose.

Anyone used them in their brew before?

Anyone used them in their brew before?

Click to expand...

Kinda...I'm fermenting a raisin wine recipe that my Malaysian roommate raves about. It called for Chinese rock sugar, so since I couldn't get the rock sugar I used the instructions on the wiki to make yellowish candi sugar. My roommate tasted it, and said it was acceptable (not sure if he was being kind).

Solidghost, have you tasted the real stuff, can you describe it? Any caramelized flavors or anything? Or does it taste similar to basic cane sugar?

The colour a bit yellowish but the taste is not (very) sweet at all. Less so than normal sugar. Infact, it taste very clean, definitely no caramelized flavours at all.

I think I will try using it as an adjunct since it is so cheap. But the yellowish colour makes it look dirty in my opinion, but no worries, since the wort is already dark.

One question just wondering whether anyone knows, is this Chinese Rock Sugar a simple sugar or a more complex one?