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Candi Sugar? Where can I find this stuff?
Posted: Thu Apr 22, 2010 5:54 pm
by wbread
Hey all, I'm looking to mess around with a brewhouse IPA kit, and I've got a trappist ale yeast that I'd like to use in conjunction with some candi sugar to give the beer some kick. However, I cant seem to find the stuff, although the homebrew place says they grab it the grocery store (redpath brand). Maybe they are using a different kind of sugar that works as well?? Any suggestions would be great!! I'm in London fwiw.
Posted: Thu Apr 22, 2010 6:24 pm
by JimC
It is not difficult to make candy sugar.
Take sugar, and just enough water to make wet everything. Add a bit of lemon juice and heat. Stir, stir , stir.
For clear candy sugar, hold it in the hard ball-soft crack range and watch the colour. Add water to keep it at the right temp as it boils off. When it gets to the colour you want, bring it up to hard crack and pull it off, and pour it into something to cool quickly. You can run it a bit hotter/colder and get different flavors of caramel out of it.
Soft ball 235-245* F
Firm ball 245-250* F
Hard ball 250-266* F
Soft crack 270-290* F
Hard crack 300-310* F
Caramel 320-350* F
Posted: Thu Apr 22, 2010 7:40 pm
by markaberrant
I just use plain old sugar.
Posted: Thu Apr 22, 2010 8:47 pm
by iguenard
Its readily available in any Metro grocery store at roughly 5$ per 500g in crystal format.
Posted: Thu Apr 22, 2010 9:37 pm
by matt7215
bulk barn has it too
Posted: Fri Apr 23, 2010 7:20 am
by rudolf
Posted: Thu Apr 29, 2010 9:12 pm
by wbread
Thanks for the info guys!
I was at the metro looking, but couldn't find a candi sugar amongst the others. Know if it has a special name? Or am i mental? Both?
Posted: Fri Apr 30, 2010 8:03 am
by JimC
You are mental. They sell rock candy (sometimes), not what you are looking for. Rock candy is similar, but will not provide the same caramel profiles as you are looking for. You need to ether make it, or buy online. Belgian "Candi" sugar is really just caramel...
wbread wrote:Thanks for the info guys!
I was at the metro looking, but couldn't find a candi sugar amongst the others. Know if it has a special name? Or am i mental? Both?
Posted: Fri Apr 30, 2010 9:28 am
by iguenard
JimC wrote:You are mental. They sell rock candy (sometimes), not what you are looking for. Rock candy is similar, but will not provide the same caramel profiles as you are looking for. You need to ether make it, or buy online. Belgian "Candi" sugar is really just caramel...
wbread wrote:Thanks for the info guys!
I was at the metro looking, but couldn't find a candi sugar amongst the others. Know if it has a special name? Or am i mental? Both?
Dont worry about being mental. Any "off-centered-ness" is actually smiled upon in brewing.
Posted: Fri Apr 30, 2010 12:25 pm
by wbread
Ha, yeah I guess it's not a bad trait, I'm going to try to make a batch up I guess, thanks for the help BT crew