Homebrewing Sugars And Syrups

Did you Know that Candi Syrup and Sugar is made from the Sugar Beet?

When brewing beer, sugar is an essential ingredient as it imparts flavour to the final product. When used as an adjunct, the additional sugar helps to commence the fermentation process. There are different types of sugar used in brewing beer, and one of them comes from sugar beets.

Sugar beet is a fleshy white root that is regarded as one of the main sugar sources in the temperate region, while sugar cane is the main sugar in the tropics. The sugar beetroot contains 5% pulp, 75% water, and 20% sugar. The sweet by-product of sugar cane is then processed to create different types of sugar.

Candi sugar is a type of sugar derived from sugar beets. It is an unrefined form of sugar beet that has been formed during the caramelisation and Maillard reaction. It is produced in Belgium and it is used in brewing different types of strong Belgian beer like tripel and dubbel. Aside from being used as an adjunct, it is also used as a priming sugar to help during the carbonation and conditioning of the bottles.

Another type of beet sugar is the candi syrup. It is premium dark extract from date sugar and beet sugar. It has very intense and deep flavour reminiscent of dark fruit, ground coffee, and even toasted bread. It is preferred by home brewers when making dark Belgian ales.

Lastly, the soft candi sugar is another product derived from sugar beets. It is a by-product of candi syrup and rock candi thus it is made up of very tiny crystals of sugar. It is a versatile type of sugar as it can be used in making all types of Belgian beers. It imparts a well-rounded yet soft flavour, unlike the strong candi syrup.