Anyone use Torani Syrups for flavoring?

[Val-the-Brew-Gal]

Last year I made a 1 gallon batch of a wheat beer and I added real huckleberries. It turned out okay but it didn't really end up with much huckleberry flavor. I would like to try again with an extract but huckleberry is harder to find than I anticipated. I am tempted to try using a Torani Syrup since they are available in huckleberry. I know that it will add sugar and therefore affect the ABV so I'm not sure how much to use or if I even should do it. I was definitely planning to add during secondary fermentation for the most flavor. Anyway, has anyone used these syrups and if so, can you give me some pointers or advice? Thanks!

Valorie

 

[Sailingeric]

I have read that the preservatives in it might kill the yeast. If you are keg carbing it might work. I would pour a glass and add to taste and then scale up if you do use it.

 

[GilaMinumBeer]

If used pre-fermentation you will not end up with what you are expecting.

But if used as a flavoring in the glass, like as is done with Berliner-weisse, it may work to your liking. You may find that you will need to over bitter the base beer to obtain a balance in the glass after the syrup is added.

Also, if you do get some of the syrup, resist the urge to buy a lot until you have worked out the efficacy. Once the bottle is opened, they don't keep for very long unless refrigerated. I even had the pump style dispenser and the room temp bottles would get funky in about a months time.

Bevtech online used to have the most competitive prices per case and shipping.

 

[Val-the-Brew-Gal]

I have done a bit of research online to see if I could find more information. There are a couple small threads on other forums but not a lot of solid information from someone who has actually done it, mostly theories and guesses about how it would turn out.

I do not have equipment to keg so am definitely considering how and if any preservatives would affect the yeast. This would be a 5 gallon batch so I was considering perhaps a cup of syrup to secondary...don't know if the amount of preservatives would be enough at that ratio to hurt anything but then again, it might not be enough to add the flavor I want.

I may end up just having to experiment but am really hoping someone before me has done all of the leg work and I can benefit from their trial and error

 

[Sailingeric]

Sometimes flavors can go a long ways. I did a coffee stout and used the Traders Joe's Coffee Concentrate, I used only a quarter cup to the 5 gallons and it had great coffee flavor without over powering the beer. So if you do try the syrup, start with about and 1/8 of cup and work your way up to taste.

 

[DrKnow]

I have not used the torani syrups but I did use triple sec to make an Orange gose which turned out excellent. The advantage with a liqueur is the alcohol is usually the only preservative, the yeast consumes the sugar and you are left with the intended flavor and a slight bump in abv. Randy Mosher has a formula to figure that all out. But I hate math so I just trusted what I read that one 375 ml bottle of triple sec contained enough sugar to prime 5 gallons and bump the abv by 1%. It worked much better than I expected and I can see a lot of potential with this technique. Margarita gose anyone? (Drop the coriander, keep the salt, kettle sour with lacto, lime zest at flame out, 5 IBU of mandarina Bavaria late in the boil, and prime or secondary with triple sec). It should work with any liquer that doesn't have preservatives.

 

[ZebulonBrewer]

There's a recipe I've had saved for a while that uses Torani Syrup and seems to be well-reviewed.

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/showthread.php?t=396346

 

[Val-the-Brew-Gal]

There's a recipe I've had saved for a while that uses Torani Syrup and seems to be well-reviewed.

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/showthread.php?t=396346

Thanks! It's interesting that the recipe calls for adding more yeast when the blood orangeade is added...but then that could be because of the amount of lemonade being added at that time.

Makes me want to try that beer...lol!

 

[Val-the-Brew-Gal]

I have not used the torani syrups but I did use triple sec to make an Orange gose which turned out excellent. The advantage with a liqueur is the alcohol is usually the only preservative, the yeast consumes the sugar and you are left with the intended flavor and a slight bump in abv. Randy Mosher has a formula to figure that all out. But I hate math so I just trusted what I read that one 375 ml bottle of triple sec contained enough sugar to prime 5 gallons and bump the abv by 1%. It worked much better than I expected and I can see a lot of potential with this technique. Margarita gose anyone? (Drop the coriander, keep the salt, kettle sour with lacto, lime zest at flame out, 5 IBU of mandarina Bavaria late in the boil, and prime or secondary with triple sec). It should work with any liquer that doesn't have preservatives.

I've soaked my rinds in triple sec and added it all to the secondary when making an orange wheat. I guess I could consider adding a huckleberry vodka...I will need to taste test before though to see how much of a berry flavor it has...a sacrifice I am willing to make in the name of science...LOL. Regardless though, the vodka probably wouldn't be as sweet as triple sec so I probably wouldn't/couldn't use it for priming. More things to consider and think about...thanks!

 

[ZebulonBrewer]

Thanks! It's interesting that the recipe calls for adding more yeast when the blood orangeade is added...but then that could be because of the amount of lemonade being added at that time.

Makes me want to try that beer...lol!

Yea that recipe is pretty unique in a number of ways. I've wanted to make it for a while, but I'm cheap and the expense of the syrup and double yeast has made me shy away from it (though I guess I can always make my own version of it).