Succrose, invert and other sugars

[Brewpastor]

I have been working on a recipe for an ESB done in the traditional English style. The Brits will often use kettle adjuncts (sugar) in their brews as a way of thinning the body while maintaining the alcohol, which makes sense. This is more then just tossing in a few pounds of sugar to get a bit more buz. This amount is often up to 15% of the grain bill.

In the past invert sugar was most commonly used, and we can get Lyle's Golden Syrup which is the same thing in a more liquid state. But I have read that more and more they are simply using refined cane sugar (white sugar) and that the results are vertually the same.

I have always avoided sugar, except for some rock sugar in specialty brews. I have always associated white sugar with cidery tones and really am not interested in that. But the idea of using sugar as a means to balance out the body of an ESB is interesting.

Any thoughts?

 

[Exo]

How does honey effect a beers flavor? I read and read that it's nearly 100% fermentable...how much actually ferments with typical beer yeasts? What color does it take on when it's fermented out?

 

[Brewpastor]

The cool thing about honey is the trace tones it leaves, that honey essence if you will. That is why it is cool to use regional honeys that come from different sources (wild flower, clover, cactus, whatever). I like to put honey in the later part of fermentation to retain as much of its character as possible ( a trick I learned from a GABF gold medalist). The color is really pretty neutral and it can have a thinning effect on flavor and body.

 

[cweston]

Isn't the cidery thing mostly an issue when sucrose becomes 20% of the fermentables or more?

And my understanding is that "inverse sugar" just makes the sugars a little easier for the yeasties to break down, right?

When I use very small amounts of sugar (like in a British ale), I just dump straight sugar in--never had a problem with cidery tastes.

For Belgians, where the sugar is a larger percentage of the grist, I use homemade candi sugar or invert sugar (boiled briefly with lemon juice). Next time I do a dubbel I'm going to try the candi syrup, which is supposed to add much more flavor.