Adding Belgian Candi Sugar

Hi, I want to add a bit of caramel taste to my beer. I've looked up how to make candi sugar by basically caramelizing sugar on the stove top or oven. My question is when to add this to get appropriate flavor and mouthfeel and also how much to add. Also is this the best way to add such a flavor?

Judging by other posts i was thinking around flameout or last minute of boil, and adding around .5 lb of it. I don't really want my beer to come out really sweet just a bit of that flavor to be present. Thanks

When I think of caramel flavor, I immediately think of crystal malts rather than sugar. I don't see mention of caramel flavors from candy sugar based on the fermentable adjuncts section of the wiki (scroll to the bottom), but I know different flavors develop based on how you make the sugar syrup. I just made my second batch of this recipe, but the syrup for it adds more raisony/prune notes to me. It does call for crystal 80L and I think that's where the caramel flavors come from. I'm tuned in to see what other folks think.

Edit: by the way, I think longer boils and decoction techniques also impart caramel.

FYI, this malt chart shows which malts impart certain characteristics.

Wow thanks for all the great info.. Yea i plan on using 80L in my recipe as well. I will probably end up using a syrup much like the one you have in your recipe (which looks and sounds amazing, def on the make soon list) The syrup also looks to add color and head retention which I believe I will need because Im racking this beer on toasted coconut which i've read can hurt head retention.. Thanks again for the info

basement_brewer said:

...I will probably end up using a syrup much like the one you have in your recipe (which looks and sounds amazing, def on the make soon list)...

Click to expand...

Gotta give KingBrianI credit for the recipe. It's my wife's favorite brew to date. Give it a try when you get a chance.

Good luck!