Brewferm and Sugar

[Stomach]

Hi All!

I am thinking about gathering a collection for Brewferm belgian beers and stashing them away for months as they age well.

However, they say just add sugar, but I have read on here that some people use candy sugar. Where do you get candy sugar from and is it worth it?

Also, give me your best recommendations. I am looking at the Christmas one, Gran cru (tasted and it was lovely) Same with Frambois and maybe Triple!

Ta in advance!

[masterosouffle]

They are certainly not going to hurt! I would imagine they would be very good tbh, Rob has just got some in at the Maltmiller...

[Pinto]

You can pick up Candi from any good HBS, but it tends to be expensive for what it is. Its a lot cheaper to make it yourself, as its just granulated/caster sugar heated with a little citric acid to invert it, then boiled at a controlled temp till it coulors and boiled to "hard crack" temp so it hardens.... but ihave better, cheaper idea for you....

Golden Syrup

Job jobbed

Missed the bit asking for reccomendations - and its a hard job with brewferm stuff as they're all rather good I've done a trippel recently thats bottle conditioning right now ( and now you've made me think about it... might have to crack a sample tonight just to see how its getting on ) and my Christmas beer entered cold storage about 5 days ago after RT conditioning for about 2 weeks - I plan to try this one on the 21st of December this year to celebrate the (supposed) end of the world

KIts I hear highly of are the Grand Cru and especially the Diablo - I shall be trying either or both once I've done my Tarweiber and Ambiorix

[Klaus]

The Brewferm Christmas Ale is phantastic and doesn't need any sugar. Bottle at FG 1.020, lock away and forget til next Christmas!

[Geezah]

Add your sugar to a pan and add a cup or 2 of boiling water and start simmering your sugar solution.
When its on a rolling simmer add a squirt of lemon juice and keep it simmering until it starts to turn the desired colour (about 20 minutes). Add more water if needed along the way.
Use the candi sugar solution straight away, or boil off excess water so it will set in to 'toffee' and store it in the freezer until use.

[Stomach]

Add your sugar to a pan and add a cup or 2 of boiling water and start simmering your sugar solution.
When its on a rolling simmer add a squirt of lemon juice and keep it simmering until it starts to turn the desired colour (about 20 minutes). Add more water if needed along the way.
Use the candi sugar solution straight away, or boil off excess water so it will set in to 'toffee' and store it in the freezer until use.

Aha! I am glad you popped along! I remembered that you did a picture/recipe post but couldnt find it on the search facility!

Cheers Geezah!

[Stomach]

The Brewferm Christmas Ale is phantastic and doesn't need any sugar. Bottle at FG 1.020, lock away and forget til next Christmas!

Thats interesting to hear! I may get that one and get in done a bottled and left alone until Chrimbo!

[Monkeybrew]

Hi Matey, as I have brewed a few Brewferm kits, here is my opinion chart run down........

1.Grand Cru - Definately my fav, mildly fruity, smooth and very warming
2. Diablo - A very close 2nd, darker than the GC with a spicier flavour
3. Triple - Lovely pale lager looking brew, very warming, but took 6 months+ to really smooth out!
4. Old Bruin - Nice dark brown ale, with good liquirice flavours (I did add black treacle though )
5. Gallia - Very fruity, conditioned very quickly and a nice reddish/brown colour (I brewed with value golden syrup, with no ill effects)
6. Christmas - Quite nice, but was too young at 3 months for xmas 2011, so have kept 10 bottles for xmas 2012
7. Pils - Brewed to the 12L recipe, was ok but lacked flavour for me.
8. Abbey (Abdij) - Very dark, peppery, bitter and took ages to condition
9.Tarwebier - Took a while to condition and resulted in a fairly tasteless brew (Would be a good base kit to tweak though)
10. Framboos - Lovely raspberry aroma and colour, but not enough raspberry flavour, and bitterness never quite went
11. Gold - It's a bit unfair to rate this brew, as I added Saaz and brewed with a lager yeast at cool temps, but ended up with a fruity Lager? (I should have brewed it standard first before tweaking)

Sh*t, didn't realise that I had brewed 11 of them

Nearly all were brewed with Candi Sugar, but the Gallia that was brewed with Tesco Value Golden Syrup was very good, so If you want to save a few quid use GS.

I would also prime high, as the kit instructions, but make sure you are using strong bottles.

Here is my last bottle of the Gallia in all it's glory



MB

[Pinto]

.....( and now you've made me think about it... might have to crack a sample tonight just to see how its getting on )

Well, the test is over (8 weeks conditioning).

A reasuring PSSSST ! when I twisted off the crown cap ended my worries about the recycled twist off stubbies gained from Tescos finest had kept pressure with standard crown caps I was suprised by the clarity - even through the green glass I could see straight through the bottle.

The pour..... perfect amber gold with good head and carbonation ..so on to the tasting...



I've created (to my tastebuds) what I'd describe as a perfect glass of leffe blonde with benefits the flavour has more pronounced herbal notes and what I can only describe as a smooth, buttery mouthfeel and flavour...and from one stubby i can tell it's going to be wickedly powerful I have 40 more of these to go ! - and im sure you can tell currently im rather chuffed I find it hard to beleive that something this good has come from my own efforts !

BIG reccomend on the trippel - this one was made with 500g of extra light DME and 400g of Golden Syrup - also used tesco mineral water for the whole brew.

***Edited to remove drunken babble ***

[Stomach]

Sh*t, didn't realise that I had brewed 11 of them


MB

I think you only have to do Kriek and Ambiorix and you have done the set!!

[Monkeybrew]

Sh*t, didn't realise that I had brewed 11 of them


MB

I think you only have to do Kriek and Ambiorix and you have done the set!!

Err, yeah I know!

[Pinto]

Not so many people do Kriek down to the price - and im not that fond of cherry beer tbh !

[Steiney66]

Gotta agree with Pinto - maybe my palettes shot but there is no noticeable difference flavour-wise re golden syrup & candi sugar (maybe satisfaction that youve made it - but not sure if its even cheaper doing it youself)

My fave has been xmas ale, followed by abbey (reckon you need 6 months for that one!), then diablo (dont overprime ), done the raspberry but it was still quite bitter 4 months conditioning but I'd lager-hopped it for some crazy reason). I made a Ditches stout on top of the framboise trub which produced a blamange explosion at 24 hours - but a subtle pink head & a berry hint to the stout.

I love Brewferm kits - just dont use the 660ml bottles if you have work in the morning & they're so damn expensive

[spliffy]

Love the Ambiorix . made with dextrose. Bought 25kg of it from bulkpowders.co.uk a while ago. I did 3 kits (45 lters) in a 6o liter FV. After 3 days I split it into two glass carboys.. another 10 days later bottled it and left it for 4 months before steaming into it

[Marshbrewer]

Just drinking (right now ) a bottle of a batch Triple that I made with Golden Syrup, two of which hid at the back of the shed for 18 months, and they are absolutely fantastic.


Strong though!