Belgian Dark Strong

[RJH311]

So I was listening to the Belgian Dark Strong episode of the Jamil Show trying to get some tips on formulating a recipe. Obviously Jamil's recipe will be brewed and I've been using it as a base for my own recipe. So here's the question, in the show they talk about all the complexity you get from belgian candi syrup and how Jamil has all those specialty grains to make that complexity. So if I use candi syrup does that mean i should back down on the specialty grains? Since candi syrup was not available when he made this recipe is he just using specialty grains instead? From the research i've done it appears that a traditional belgian dark strong is a simple recipe that uses candi syrup for complexity..

...Thoughts?

[tavish2]

i say dont bother with the candi sugars. if you want dark complexity, use malt. belgian breweries traditionally use beat sugar.

[uncle_bad_touches]

I can't recommend this http://darkcandi.com/d2.html enough for making a dark strong in the vein of Rochefort 10. It provides a huge amount of caramel, fig and chocolate flavors and aromas that you just can't get from specialty malts. Also it's highly fermentable which means your beer will finish dryer and won't have that syrupy sweetness that can find in beers with a high level of unfermentables.

If you do try it out I'd suggest you cut way back on the crystal malts and other specialty grains. Use about 1 bottle per 5 gallons added at flameout. If you can get it WLP540 is the yeast I'd go with here - there's a Wyeast equivilent but I don't know the number of the top of my head.

I talked to the guys at Dark Candi about availability (or lack thereof). They said that they were in the process of repackaging all their products and should expect to have them back in stores by July.

[tavish2]

i dont have any problems getting plenty of dark fruit flavors, melanoidin like flavors, and carmel flavors from malts.

[jamilz]

I agree with just about everything said here. You can do it with just the malts, you can do it by cutting back on the darker malts and using the dark syrup, and you can just add the syrup to the recipe as is. I've tasted all three brewed by other brewers and I must say I thought all of them turned out better than mine.

The syrup by itself has a little bit of an acrid taste to me, but that doesn't mean it is wrong or a bad product. It is great stuff. You don't get that acrid note with the malt route, but it is harder to get that to attenuate, as one person mentioned. The combo actually works well, with the malt sweetness softening some of that burnt character from the syrup.

Cool thing is, I think you can just pour some syrup into the fermenter, so it is easy to do a split batch. I think the syrup is quite sanitary, so little need to boil.

[bcmaui]

....use beat sugar.

[tavish2]

....use beat sugar.

Nothing is taboo anymore!!! beat that sugar good!

and yes, i have even heard belgian breweries use beet sugar too

[RJH311]

Yes, Belgian breweries definately use beet sugar. Thats what the candi syrup is made from.
Thanks Jamil and all, I think i'll do a split batch and post the results. oh and another thing now that ol' Ninkasi's in on the thread. What would you think about replacing the pound of sugar with the candi syrup. would they be the same or would you still use both? hmmmm....