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Belgian Candi Sugar

A Belgian brewing sugar that lifts strength while keeping the body light, and in its dark form adds raisin and plum flavour.

What Belgian Candi Sugar is

Belgian candi sugar is a nearly pure fermentable sugar. Because the yeast ferments it almost completely, it raises a beer's alcohol content without adding body, which is how strong Belgian ales stay light and dry despite their strength.

In its clear form it simply dries out a tripel or golden ale; the dark syrups, cooked to develop colour, add the raisin, plum and dark-fruit flavours characteristic of a dubbel. It is a defining tool of Belgian brewing.

Colour and flavour

Colour: 0 (clear) to 300+ degrees Lovibond (dark). Malt colour is measured in degrees Lovibond, or the metric EBC, and is a rough guide to flavour intensity as well as to the shade the malt lends the beer.

Flavour and character: Clear candi is neutral and drying; dark candi adds caramel, raisin, plum and dark-fruit depth..

How much to use

Typical proportion of the grist: 5 to 20% of the grist by extract. Adjust to taste and to the style you are brewing; the figures here are a starting point, not a rule.

Belgian Candi Sugar is an adjunct. It is added to the mash alongside husked malt, which keeps the mash flowing, and contributes body or a lighter finish rather than much flavour. It is central to styles such as Belgian Tripel, Belgian Dubbel and Saison, where it does much to define the flavour and colour, and it can be used in smaller amounts in many other beers. As with any grain, the right amount depends on the beer you are building, so treat the proportions here as a tested starting point rather than a fixed rule.

Related

Sources: BJCP Beer Style Guidelines · How to Brew (John Palmer), malt reference