In brewing, candy sugar originates from Belgia and it’s an important ingredient in many Belgium beers such as Tripels and Dubbels.
When brewing beer at home, you may be challenged with this ingredient, as candy sugar is expensive and not always found in stores.
Recently prior to writing this article, I had the same issue, so it inspired me to explain what you can use as a substitute and how to make candy sugar at home.
What is candy sugar in brewing used for?
Candy sugar is used in popular higher-alcohol Belgium beers for purposes of increasing the alcohol content while keeping the beer intentionally dry and sometimes for adding aroma and altering the color.
While all candy sugars dry out the beer and increase the ABV, darker candy sugars are superior when it comes to adding color and a hint of aroma which can’t be achieved with grains.
Grains make the beer maltier which is not desired in Belgium beers which are supposed to be easily drunk, so the lack of the body achieved with candy sugar isn’t a negative thing.
Moreover, Belgium beers are based on their recognizable Belgium yeast which makes most of the work, and dryness accompanied by a higher ABV perfectly fits the style.
Next to iconic Belgium yeast, candy sugar is a distinctive ingredient that makes Belgium beers stand out from the rest.
Belgium beers tend to have higher alcohol content compared to most other beer styles as it’s usual for even the lightest Belgium beer to have around 7.5 % ABV, while the heaviest can have around 12%.
In order to achieve this high alcohol content, it’s easier to add simple sugar than more malt as it just makes more economical sense.
Is candy sugar worth it?
Candy sugar is worth it, but some candy sugar can be substituted for other sugars such as dextrose (corn sugar) or plain table sugar.
From this, the question arises, what makes the difference between candy sugar and other sugars, or in other words, why would you use expensive candy sugar and not cheaper substitutes?
To answer this question we need to see how candy sugar differs from other mentioned sugars.
How is candy sugar made?
Candy sugar is sucrose and it’s made by crystalization of a concentrated sugar solution, while the darker types also go through a process of caramelization prior to crystalization.
As you can see, candy sugar is exactly what rock candy is, in simple words, plenty of big sugar crystals.
Some candy sugar has the ability to alter the color of the beer and add aroma which can’t be achieved by simply adding plain table sugar or dextrose.
What types of candy sugar are there
Light (white)
Light (white) candy sugar has lesser importance in altering the color and the taste of the beer and is more used for drying out the beer while increasing the alcohol. Thus, it’s not difficult to replace it even with table sugar as it’s simple sucrose.
Amber
Amber candy sugar is a darker type of candy sugar and besides drying the beer and increasing the ABV, it also plays a role in changing the color and adding a hint of caramel to the beer.
Dark
Besides drying the beer and increasing ABV, dark candy sugar significantly alters the color of the beer and adds a noticeable caramel aroma, thus it’s the hardest candy sugar to replace with a simple substitute like table sugar.
How replaceable is candy sugar?
I wouldn’t advise you to replace darker candy sugars as a such ingredient is in a recipe for a reason, but you have more freedom when it comes to replacing the light candy sugar.
Dark and amber candy sugars play an important role in darker Belgium beers as they are a powerful way of altering the color and adding a hint of caramel aroma.
Yet, if you have to, you can replace them with brown sugar or honey.
In case, of replacing the light candy sugar with let’s say, dextrose or table sugar you won’t notice any difference.
The last time I brewed Belgian tripel, I added 8% dextrose and 4% plain white, table sugar (sucrose) and it ended up just as It should.
Substitutes for candy sugar
Sucrose (cane sugar)
Plain, table sugar (sucrose) is the most affordable substitute for candy sugar that you already have at home.
You can use it as it will dry out the beer just like candy sugar and it won’t negatively affect the taste as long as you are not depending on it to make a huge difference in ABV.
Thus it’s not ideal when brewing High ABV beers, for two reasons.
The first is the fact that although the difference isn’t big, there is a tiny difference in taste between sucrose and light candy sugar which can only be spotted in a big % of the total grid.
Moreover, yeast has an easier task at eating candy sugar due to inversion. (Check the recipe at the end of the article)
Dextrose (corn sugar)
Dextrose doesn’t affect the taste in a negative way as it’s pretty neutral, while it perfectly ferments and adds dryness to the beer.
Thus, dextrose is my favorite substitute for light candy sugar as it pretty much does the same job.
Brown sugar
Brown sugar is an excellent substitute for darker candy sugar because it alters the color of the beer and adds interesting, similar aromas to Belgium beers.
Is brown sugar identical to darker candy sugar? No, but it’s really close and a good substitute.
However, try to find real brown sugar as many manufacturers just recolor and tweak a thing or two on white sugar and call it brown sugar.
Honey
Interestingly, good honey can do wonders in a beer even when the recipe doesn’t originally call for it.
Honey will dry out the beer just like candy sugar will, but it will significantly alter the flavors, which in case the honey is good and fits the recipe can be the reason for an excellent beer that will win hearts.
If you are unsure whether honey will fit the recipe, just stick to other substitutes above, or first make a small experimental batch.
How to make candy sugar at home?
To make candy sugar at home follow the next process:
- Put some sucrose (white table sugar) into a saucepan with just a little bit of water to make a thick syrup. Don’t put too much water as you don’t need it at the beginning. Add more water as it evaporates if you are making the amber or dark candy sugar, because there should always be enough water to form a thick syrup, but not more than that
- Add a pinch of citric acid from a lemon (don’t need much)
- Bring the temperature between 260-275°F (127-135°C) and use the following information for a desired type of candy sugar
| Candy sugar type | Boil duration (min) |
|---|---|
| Light (white) | 10-15 |
| Amber | 45-60 |
| Dark | 90-120 |
Once you have achieved the desired candy sugar, increase the temperature to 302°F (150°C) and turn the heat off.
You can pour the sugar on greaseproof paper and let it cool outside or in the fridge.
That’s it, you can keep it in the fridge until you plan to use it on a brew day!
For explanation purposes, we added citric acid to make the sugar easier for yeast to eat as when you put some citric acid and involve heat, you can invert the sucrose by breaking the bonds between glucose and fructose which are ideal for yeast consumption.