Soaking sugar in bourbon?

[ArizonaGoalie]

I make a bourbon dubbel where typically I soak oak chips in a couple ounces of Makers Mark overnight and then add to my boil.

However, I like to mix it up and I'm considering soaking 1lb of Belgian candi sugar in a few ounces of bourbon and adding that to the end of the boil (I usually add the sugar anyway).

Anyone see any challenges with this?

 

[day_trippr]

So, do you think the candi sugar will actually absorb anything?
Or are you hoping the sugar will dissolve and you'll pitch the whole thing, bourbon and all?

Cheers!

 

[Weezy]

You're better off just put a shot of the whiskey in the carboy when ferm is done. The mixed whiskey sugar isn't creating any new flavors through chemical reactions or anything, and extra alcohol prior to fermentation can only add stress to the yeast.

 

[photobru]

Unless you plan on adding the sugar along with the bourbon I don't think soaking the sugar is going to do much other than sanitize it. It's not going to dissolve, and I can't imagine it'll soak up anything either.

If you are adding the bourbon itself, I'm not sure what kind of advantage that offers over adding it to your fermentor later on, you may cook off some flavor since the wort will still be hot. Plus the added alcohol isn't going to help your yeast. I would add the sugar as normal and add the bourbon post fermentation.

EDIT: Weezy beat me to it, I need to type faster...

 

[Weezy]

It reminds me of all the flavored salts you see the hipsters peddling at flea markets etc. If you want lime sea salt, use sea salt and squeeze a lime. You don't need to spend $20/lb on frou frou salt...and you'll have better control of how much each ingedient contributes.