Burnt caramel/sugar

[JLem]

Has anyone ever used burnt caramel/sugar in a recipe? I have plans to make a big RIS and want to include some homemade caramel sugar (links to images of what I am referring to). I purposely overcooked a batch to get a burnt/smokey character - it is very deep brown, almost black in color. I figure a RIS could handle some of the intense flavors and the long aging I am planning will help mellow some of the acridness. I am also going to make a lighter "normal" batch of caramel sugar as well to help cut some of the burnt sugar intensity.

Just curious if anyone has tried something like this...particularly using the burnt sugar...and how the beer turned out.

 

[joyceman]

I did it with an attempt at a creme brulee stout clone. I caramelized .5 lb in a 2.5 gal batch. Then only issues I had were transferring it to the brew kettle, it got very sticky and thick. I ended up submerging the pot in which I caramelized it in the brew kettle to dissolve the sugar.

The boil was late September and I bottled in December. I've had about 2-3 so far and its starting to mature nicely. It still seems pretty sweet (that was the intent) and boozy but its coming around. For a 10% abv beer its pretty drinkable.

Just yesterday I did a batch where I added 1 lb or caramelized honey. Let you know how that one comes out this summer.

 

[JLem]

I did it with an attempt at a creme brulee stout clone. I caramelized .5 lb in a 2.5 gal batch. Then only issues I had were transferring it to the brew kettle, it got very sticky and thick. I ended up submerging the pot in which I caramelized it in the brew kettle to dissolve the sugar.

The boil was late September and I bottled in December. I've had about 2-3 so far and its starting to mature nicely. It still seems pretty sweet (that was the intent) and boozy but its coming around. For a 10% abv beer its pretty drinkable.

Just yesterday I did a batch where I added 1 lb or caramelized honey. Let you know how that one comes out this summer.

Excellent. I cooled my sugar so that it hardened and then I cracked it into smaller pieces. I figured I would toss the pieces in near the end of the boil.

How dark did you get the caramel?

 

[joyceman]

Id call it very dark brown to near black. It was just starting to smoke when I pulled it off the heat. Be careful near the end, it sneaks up on you and can burn quickly.