Need advice on using candy corn in a halloween beer.

[vogtenstein222]

I am about to start working on a Halloween beer, and I'm planning on using candy corn as a basis flavor. I was just wondering if anyone has ever used candy corn in their beer, and if so how did you add it? Will it melt/dissolve down if added to the boil or should I melt it first, then add the pre-melted candy to the boil?
Also, considering the amount of sugar, should I anticipate it boosting my ABV?
And lastly, if I were to rack the beer on top of more candy corn (can you tell what I'm aiming for), do you think it would pull some of the flavor into the beer?

 

[freisste]

Do you already have to candy corn? If so check the ingredients. I have no idea what its made out of, but my guess would be something along the lines of: sugar, corn syrup, high fructose corn syrup and artificial flavoring. If this is the case, it will probably be pretty fermentable. That means it will add to ABV. Be careful if it contains any kind of preservative. Probably doesn't, but check. Also, if it is mostly sugar (as my guess of an ingredients list is), it should dissolve pretty easily in hot water. Crushing it up will make it go faster.

And I have no idea how much flavor it would add, but keep in mind that it won't taste so much like the candy. The sugar will be gone, so it will make a dry (not sweet) beer. It's difficult to imagine what candy will taste like if it wasn't sweet. I'd suggest a small batch. If it is good, scale it up for next year. Good luck and post a recipe if it works out!

 

[progmac]

anything from which the primary flavor profile is sweetness is a bad base for a beer, because beer isn't sweet.

 

[vogtenstein222]

I misworded myself. The base flavor will be pumpkin, it will be the most prominent flavor. I am just running down a list of "Halloween flavors" that could separate what I'm doing from what every other person is doing. I spend most of my free time trying to take traditional ales and turn them into something a bit off the wall. Eventually I want to go pro, so I'm trying to design some new flavors that don't completely alienate the traditional flavors that we all know and love.
Back on topic, candy corn was the first flavor that came to mind behind anise and chocolate.

 

[freisste]

It's a cool idea (even though I absolutely hate candy corn). And I don't want to steer you away from it. I just don't want you to make a 5 gal batch of something awful.

Maybe make a 5 gal batch of your pumpkin base and add in varying amounts to several 1 gal batches. That way you can see the difference each amount makes.

What I'm worried about is that the candy corn doesn't have enough flavor and the biggest reason most people like it is because it is mostly sugar. Once fermented, it will be a tiny amount of flavor (probably overpowered by the base beer) and the sugar will throw the base off balance.

But I'm sure with some experimenting you will find a happy medium. Good luck.

 

[FATC1TY]

You won't get any candy corn flavor. It'll ferment the sugars out and won't leave much behind. It'll thin and dry the beer out.

I'd find something else to add, unless your one of the few people that really love candy corn...

 

[progmac]

I misworded myself. The base flavor will be pumpkin, it will be the most prominent flavor. I am just running down a list of "Halloween flavors" that could separate what I'm doing from what every other person is doing. I spend most of my free time trying to take traditional ales and turn them into something a bit off the wall. Eventually I want to go pro, so I'm trying to design some new flavors that don't completely alienate the traditional flavors that we all know and love.
Back on topic, candy corn was the first flavor that came to mind behind anise and chocolate.

your post reminded me of something i read once where someone wanted to make chocolate cake beer so he put chocolate cake in his wort.

i looked up the ingredients for candy corn. other than sugar/corn syrup, it just said "natural and artificial flavors," whatever that means. brachs is the best as far in my mind. i am a big lover of candy corn.

 

[cullen]

Candy corn is not technically grain, FWIW.

 

[vogtenstein222]

your post reminded me of something i read once where someone wanted to make chocolate cake beer so he put chocolate cake in his wort.

i looked up the ingredients for candy corn. other than sugar/corn syrup, it just said "natural and artificial flavors," whatever that means. brachs is the best as far in my mind. i am a big lover of candy corn.

I'm a candy corn lover as well, which is why that was where my mind shot to. I certainly understand the varying degrees of risk I may take by trying this, but I'm kind of a mad scientist and right now I'm out to create something new, so I'm gonna try it. I like what was said above about making multiple 1 gallon batches with different amounts (obviously I'd leave one completely untouched so I at least have a shot at 10 or so good bottles of beer haha) and just see what I get.
Also....I know it's not technically a grain, but what isn't fake at halloween time, right!?!?

 

[CCMuggs13]

your post reminded me of something i read once where someone wanted to make chocolate cake beer so he put chocolate cake in his wort.

Out of pure curiosity, what happened/would happen to this...?

 

[progmac]

Out of pure curiosity, what happened/would happen to this...?

I think it was basically bad beer with a ton of sediment

 

[FATC1TY]

I think it was basically bad beer with a ton of sediment

Which is probably where this candy corn idea is going.

I'll admit, might not have a ton of sediment, but racking on candy corn will leave a bunch of sugar in the mix, and I figure it to turn more cidery and cloying than anything.