How to get a Maple Syrup flavor?

[KeyWestBrewing]

Im curious how i can add a maple flavor to my beer. I know maple syrup is completely fermentable so i didnt think it would give me any flavor...

Anyone have any tips on how to do this? How about brown sugar?

 

[TipsyDragon]

There is more to maple syrup than just the sweetness. Your right that the yeast will eat all the sweetness but there will be plenty of flavor left.

I have used dark brown sugar before and it definitely affected the taste of the beer. the guys in my Homebrew club described the beer (an amber with 3lbs. of brown sugar) as tasting like an aged barley wine.

 

[Turfmanbrad]

Use 24-32oz of Type B or C (not grocery store A) maple syrup added after flameout in a brown ale should give you a good forward but not overpowering flavor.

 

[KeyWestBrewing]

i added 100% pure maple syrup(10 oz) on the 2nd day of ferm to the brown ale i have going now....will that impart any flavor seeing as how it wasnt at flameout? Or just add fermentables and not impart much flavor at that point.

@ turfmanbrad thanx for the tip..thats exactly what im looking for.

@ tipsydragon i dont really need the sweetness( though itd help this brew is around 12 abv) im just looking to add a nice slightly more than subtle maple flavor to go with the malt to balance out the high abv.

 

[Calichusetts]

Try bottling with it too, that should give you an upfront aroma and hint of taste on top of everything you do during boil and fermentation...I do it with honey all the time

Works best with "young" beers like IPAs

 

[pheboglobi]

Randy Mosher recommends fenugreek in his book, "Radical Brewing", as it is what is used in flavoring imitation maple syrup.

 

[KeyWestBrewing]

seems to be kind of an on going mystery on an assured way to get that flavor.....i read that priming with it wont leave much flavors since it almost totally ferments out. As far as fenugreek I see alot of mixed reviews so while it may work, it seems very hit or miss from what ive read.

 

[kbuzz]

Try bottling with it

Bingo...

I went through a phase where I drove myself crazy (and broke) trying to get a maple syrup taste into my beers...I added at various points in the boil, to the secondary, both boil and secondary and I've found that you definitely get the most aroma and taste when you bottle/prime with it, then cold crash after about a week (before it completely ferments out) and then hit it with gas and force carb the rest of the way. I know it sound s a little ridiculous, but it works. That way it's not overly sweet, but still noticeable. I've also since starting adding a bit to the secondary and then again at bottling and I've made some tasty maple brown ales.

 

[KeyWestBrewing]

what about if you bottle though? since you cant force carb. I havent tasted the batches I recently used maple syrup in (10 oz once grav drops down to 1.04)...so I guess I'll just see how it goes and post back in a week or so.

 

[cyclonite]

If you want a strong maple syrup flavor, the best thing I have found is maple extract. It imparts a MUCH stronger maple flavor than maple syrup, and is also significantly cheaper since you don't have to use as much. You can usually buy it at grocery stores (I know Whole Foods here has it), or online. I used 2 oz to get a nice mellow maple flavor in a nut brown, and it was fantastic. This in combination with 1 lb of dark brown sugar is great in a brown or a porter.

Cheers!

 

[KeyWestBrewing]

nice to know.....i'll have to try that out.