Belgian candi syrup add near end of fermentation...why?

[DJL531]

I'm baffled as to why add this near the end of fermentation. Seeing it is not as fermentable as other sugars I would expect it to bump the body and mouthfeel (possibly) but wouldn't it kick the fermentation off again? Recipe does not specify. I'm also baffled as to how to mix it in. I can't stir in a carboy and would not want to whip up the trub again by shaking.

This is from a recipe on BYO and it calls for 1 pound candi syrup D-90 in a Belgian Dubbel recipe.

Any advice would be helpful.

 

[odie]

Perhaps to retain more flavor and sweetness? I always add maple syrup and honey at the end when I keg and let it finish out for that reason.

But with candie syrup, I think the process of making it, heating and caramelizing are what gives those unique flavors and colors. Don't see how adding candy syrup to the boil would affect the flavors anyway. Biggest issue I have with syrupy sugars going in the kettle are it getting burnt and stuck to the bottom or electric element.

As far as mixing into the fermenter, I always pour off some of the beer into a jar/pan and mix in my syrup/honey/maple and then pour the mixture back into the fermenter.

But if you just poured in the think syrup the yeasties would probably find it all anyway...just take a bit longer.

 

[Cyclman]

So the yeast finishes fermenting more complex sugars while alcohol is lower, then finish the fermentation with the more easily fermented sugars as the alcohol rises.

 

[madscientist451]

I usually toss it in at flameout, but the other day I was making a Belgian Quad and forgot about it, so I added it to the carboy.
The manufacturer says you can add it to primary or secondary but they recommend mixing it with boiling water, then allowing it to cool, so it will mix better with the wort/beer. Yes, fermentation will kick off again. An interesting experiment would be to split the batch 3 ways, add candi syrup at end of boil, at high krausen in primary and near the end of fermentation. Candi syrup is somewhat expensive, and I only use it in high ABV Belgian brews, so with the combination of high alcohol and Belgian yeast character, I'm not too sure I'd notice a difference.
http://www.candisyrup.com/uploads/6/0/3/5/6035776/use_and_storage_of_candi_syrups_rev_1.4.pdf

 

[Miraculix]

You try to stress the yeast as little as possible with these high abv brews. High sugar concentrations stresses the yeast as well as alcohol levels, so you want to step feed the yeast by letting them yeasties ferment almost all of the available sugar and then giving them the candi syrup when there is almost no other sugar left. This way, the maximum sugar concentration is lower than throwing it in altogether. I wouldn´t bother for 5-7% abv brews though... but the higher one goes in the abv. range, the more impact this technique should have theoretically.

 

[hottpeper13]

It's also a good way to increase your volume. I do high gravity batches to fill 15 gal barrels,so fermenting 5.25 gal in in each fermenter then adding .5-.75 gal of sugar solution will yield enough for top off.

 

[Dr_Jeff]

I've always added it in during the boil, but understand the other arguments as well.

 

[Vale71]

Seeing it is not as fermentable as other sugars I would expect it to bump the body and mouthfeel (possibly) but wouldn't it kick the fermentation off again?

The non-fermentable part of Candy syrup is just plain water which won't affect body and mouthfeel. The sugars it contains are 100% fermentable.

As others have mentioned with high ABV beers it makes sense to add it near the end of fermentation so as to pitch the yeast in wort that has a somewhat lower OG thus reducing stress on the yeast. At the end of fermentation yeast will be quite stressed but it should still manage to ferment the 100% simple sugars you'll be adding with the syrup with no issue whatsoever.

Personally I've only used in in Dubbels with ABV<6.5% and I've always added it to the fermenter before pitching without any issue.

 

[Kee]

You can find advice to add sugar (including candy syrup) additions later in the fermentation process, and it's usually to prevent slow or stuck fermentations. But I've never had a problem when using any Belgian yeast advertised for high gravity brews, although 1.092 is the upper limit of what I shoot for.

Which yeast are you planning to use, and what's the original gravity of the receipe?

 

[DJL531]

The recipe has a few options on yeast, like most do, but I am a fan of White Labs so I will go with WLP530. The OG is listed at 1.070 but I need to run that through the calculator. Prior to the candi syrup it only calls for 13.5 lbs of grain.

 

[davidabcd]

I might be jaded, but 1.070 seems a very friendly OG to me. I get 1.104 batches done with 2 MJ M-41s.
As above, my understanding is to do steps to accommodate the yeast. I've always put the Belgian sugar in during the boil but I certainly see the logic.

 

[Kee]

The recipe has a few options on yeast, like most do, but I am a fan of White Labs so I will go with WLP530. The OG is listed at 1.070 but I need to run that through the calculator. Prior to the candi syrup it only calls for 13.5 lbs of grain.

WLP530, at the recommended pitch rate, should not have a problem with that recipe, whether you do your candi syrup addition at the end of the boil or later. The one thing I would add is that it's best not to hold down the temperature on that yeast, at least after the first couple of days. And leave a lot of headspace in your fermenter, it produces a crazy amount of krausen.

 

[MikeCo]

I've always added sugar or syrup at 10 minutes or flameout and never had any attenuation problems with the Belgian yeasts I've used.