Invert Sugar

[Barley Water]

I am currently trying to figure out my brewing schedule for about the next six months (yup, I'm anal but I generally plan around contests I want to enter). Anyhow I saw some stuff online about making invert sugar and I thought that looked like fun and possibly a way to get flavors into my beers that my fellow contestants wouldn't bother with. Frankly, I have been a bit leary about putting sugars into lower gravity brews mainly because I fear they would end up thin and watery tasting (and us Yanks are used to beers which are a little bigger than you guys generally drink so we are sensitive to that over here). Anyway, I would love to hear some of your experiences with addding invert sugars, specifically what flavors can you expect and of course any recipes where it is employed would be a great help. One style I think might really benefit from some sugars is English IPA (especially when the O.G. is in the 1.065 range or so) but it may just be that I'm ignorant on the subject and need to be schooled.

[jceg316]

I recently started a thread about this which will have more information and some links to how to make it: viewtopic.php?f=10&t=70201. I'm a big fan of Belgian beers where it's common to use candi sugar/syrup to bump up gravity, but it also gives the beer a dry finish. Invert sugar is a good substitute for candi sugar, and apparently they are the same thing.

If someone said to me "here's some invert sugar, make me a beer" I would produce a Belgian style brew, maybe a brown or amber similar to Rochefort 10 or Kwak. I have also made a Kernel Citra IPA clone which calls for something like 400g of brewing sugar which was very tasty. Again that had an OG around 1.085 or so, so a pretty heavy one again!

Sugar doesn't tend to depart flavour to the beer, at least I don't think it's supposed to.

[Barley Water]

I have expereince make Belgian beers using that expensive candi sugar. The dark stuff will absolutely add flavor but I have no experience with the lighter candi sugar. The thing is, those Belgian beers are pretty big beers anyhow so adding a little sugar tends to make them more drinkable (and at the same time more dangerous). I also recently did an American Double IPA and added a bit of corn sugar which did a nice job of lightening up what is a fairly big beer. When it comes to doing bitters and milds however, I'm concerned that adding say 10% sugar will mess the beer up, even if the sugar is of the less processed varienty and has some of it's own flavors. If I were trying to make say a 1.040 O.G. beer, my natural inclination would be to try and make the beer taste bigger than it is by adding alot of crystal malt, mashing hot, running a thick mash, using a less attenuative yeast strain, etc., etc. Seems to me adding sugar to a beer like that could cause issues, is my thinking all screwed up here?

[Wonkydonkey]

I have used black treacle, in a theakston's old peculiar clone, it was a long time ago, so I don't remember much (~30yrs ago) but I do remember it was only a little bit, I think it also had golden syrup in it as well.

As for candi, if your doing a high gravity brew, if used right, ie it makes a thinner tasting brew, than if you were to use all grain , where it can start to taste syrupy. So if the balance is right you get a drinkable brew with a high gravity.

[Hanglow]

They are excellent in stouts I think. Also strong english ales. Definitely add something different. At least the darker ones are

As for smaller ones, I made a 1.040 bitter using WLP002 that was really tasty with 5% invert and it finished at 1.012 and was fine - except the yeast kept going I presume for another couple of points in the bottle as it ended up overcarbed. But before that it was all good . Think of the flavour contribution as similar in level to crystal malt. So you could do something like 85% MO 5% torrified wheat 5% medium crystal 5% dark invert . Possibly even consider priming with the syrup too

And plenty of bitters finish in the 1.006 range . But they tend to be served from cask which helps make it less watery than bottled bitters. Also Bathams, who make one of the best bitters and milds available, use light invert in the bitter and dark in their mild.

Have a look at the guide on the unholy mess blog, that is the best I've seen for the english style brewers syrup.

[BitterTed]

Here's the link to Unholymess:
http://www.unholymess.com/blog/

I used the directions on that site to make invert for an Old Peculier clone that was delicious.

[zgoda]

Highly recommended. I made No.2/3 for Old Tom and few others. Delicious thing.