golden syrup in brewing

[Secla]

Im about to make a strong british ale and quite a few recipes that call for Golden syrup.
Seeing as its 100% fermentable sugar i cant see how it would add anything but extra gravity to the beer, Am i missing something or is going to add something that just using extra malt wouldnt ?

[bigtoe]

its always added flavor when i have used it, like you though waiting to be educated.

[bellebouche]

Seeing as its 100% fermentable sugar i cant see how it would add anything but extra gravity to the beer, Am i missing something or is going to add something that just using extra malt wouldnt ?

Short answer, Yes.


As partially inverted Sucrose (so containing Glucose and Fructose) the yeast in your beer will metabolise it in a wholly different way from the sugars in your wort (mostly Maltose, Maltotriose) .

Lots of interesting reading on the role of invert sugars in brewing

Do some research. Use the syrup and taste the difference.

[Piscator]

In my experience it adds a pleasant light toffee note which works particularly well in traditional bitters with moderate to low IBU's.
I've found it works really well with flaked maize in the grain bill as the maize gives a slight sweetness which the toffee note compliments nicely.

Cheers
Steve

[Secla]

The recipe I've decided on is
82% pale malt
10% dark crystal
8% syrup

Lightly hopped with ekg and northern brewer.

[Fuggled Mind]

I very recently brewed a strong summer ale at 5.0% using golden syrup.

Marris Otter (Munton's Marris Otter blend) (46%)
Weyermann Pilsner (46%)
Golden Syrup (8%)

Bittered with Cluster and aroma additions from some CF110 experimental hops that I bought from Malt Miller a while ago (still vacuum packed)
Only bottled it on Sunday but I couldn't taste the Golden Syrup at that point or in any of the previous trial jar samples when I took gravity readings. Main aim was to thin the palate as it's quite a strong summer beer (and it really did thin it).
If there is a light toffee taste on the palate, it could be quite an interesting flavour.

I'm very interested in using invert sugars but to be honest, I'm in no mood for making them myself. I can only hope someone starts selling them packed in 'homebrew' quantities.

Cheers

Jason

[rpt]

Adding any simple sugar will dry out the beer. It's how strong Belgian beers are not sickly sweet. I used golden syrup in my last IPA very effectively.

[woblylegs]

snap. i used golden syrup in my last ipa and it turned out well.

[man_beach]

Taste a spoonful of golden syrup.
Taste a spoonful of sugar and compare.

It gives a nice flavour to some styles of beer - Like Piscator, I've found it works well in conjunction with flaked maize too.

[Fuggled Mind]

Still can't taste the golden syrup in my beer but I'm happy with the results. It's nowhere as thin as the samples from the FV. All in all, it's produced an easy drinking, clean tasting beer which allow the hops to shine. I'll definitely experiment further.

Cheers

Jason

[Kyle_T]

I've used a large variety of sugars, syrups and Invert sugars. They all add something slightly different to the party.

[oldbloke]

As an aside, coz it's not beer - since good honey is expensive, when I do mead I bung a load of fruit in - technically a melomel. And since even cheap honey costs more than golden syrup...
I've made some stuff with various berries for flavour and golden syrup for the sugar, and everybody loves it, every time. Mind you I do use a high alcohol yeast and push it to 18%+...

[Fuggled Mind]

I've used a large variety of sugars, syrups and Invert sugars. They all add something slightly different to the party.

This is something I'm keen to do more of too. Sugar doesn't have to be a dirty word and as Ron Pattinson's shutupaboutbarclayperkins blog shows, sugars, especially invert sugars have played an important role in English brewing. I recently used glucose in my 1922 Camden PA and it's a great pint. You can still taste the malt and the hops. Fuller's 1910 Double Stout - if the original recipe was closely followed, is packed full of invert no's 3 & 4 and it's an absolute delight. It has an almost smokey licorice quality to it.

With all this interest in Belgian candi sugar crystals and syrups, I'm still very much surprised that the sugar industry hasn't bothered to package it's brewing sugars into smaller containers for homebrewers. I sit here with fingers crossed (which makes typing bloody difficult).

Cheers

Jason

[Kyle_T]

I can understand the older members of the parish having a negative view on the use of sugar, I have made some beers with a high percentage and it can lead to a thin, sugary beer, but with an improved knowledge on how to use it appropriately for the beer I am making, it has improved them.

[Dennis King]

I can understand the older members of the parish having a negative view on the use of sugar, I have made some beers with a high percentage and it can lead to a thin, sugary beer, but with an improved knowledge on how to use it appropriately for the beer I am making, it has improved them.

Some of my best beers have had sugar in one form or another.