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Bierview
Advanced Member
Username: Bierview
Post Number: 683
Registered: 03-2003
Posted From: 68.193.150.3
| | Posted on Monday, March 01, 2010 - 09:59 am: | 
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Now that I can make my own syrup, I want to make the best use of 3 lbs. of dark Belgian rocks that I have on hand. Can I melt these rocks down like I do the sugar to make a syrup? Also, my first batch of syrup is very watery. If I used this solution in place of water for my next batch of syrup, would the gravity be too high for proper use in a Belgian? |
Bill Pierce
Moderator
Username: Billpierce
Post Number: 11348
Registered: 01-2002
Posted From: 24.141.103.148
| | Posted on Monday, March 01, 2010 - 02:24 pm: |
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I don't see any reason why the rocks couldn't be used to make candi syrup. After all, they're made of sucrose.
You have a few choices for your existing thin syrup. You could boil it down a little more until it has a thicker consistency. You could use it as is, adjusting for the lower gravity. Or as you say, you could add it to the next batch you are making. Again you should adjust the amount of sugar to account for what is already in the syrup.
(Message edited by BillPierce on March 01, 2010) |
Bierview
Advanced Member
Username: Bierview
Post Number: 684
Registered: 03-2003
Posted From: 68.193.150.3
| | Posted on Tuesday, March 02, 2010 - 12:13 am: |
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About adjusting the sugar. My understanding of the recipe is that one would add (for a 5 gl batch) 1.5 lbs. syrup and 1.5 lbs. table sugar. If my syrup used 1 lb of sugar add 2 lbs. of sugar at flameout. Correct? |
Bill Pierce
Moderator
Username: Billpierce
Post Number: 11356
Registered: 01-2002
Posted From: 24.141.103.148
| | Posted on Tuesday, March 02, 2010 - 11:18 am: |
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Well, that's probably close enough to keep you within a point or two of the target O.G. I believe I calculated the extract potential of my homemade candi syrup as 1.0313; the published extract potential of the commercial dark candi syrup is 1.032. My reasoning is that the caramelization of the sugar produces some compounds other than sugar, plus of course the water in the syrup; if it's the consistency of honey it's going to be about 18 percent water. As for sucrose (white sugar), its extract potential (1.04621) is used as a reference value (that goes all the way back to Karl Balling in the 1840s).
The flavor contribution is a different matter. Obviously the less candi syrup you use, the less the dark fruit, fig, burnt sugar (however you want to describe it) flavors there will be. But if you use 1 lb. of the syrup rather than 1.5 lb., I'm sure much of the flavor will still be there. |
Bierview
Advanced Member
Username: Bierview
Post Number: 686
Registered: 03-2003
Posted From: 68.193.150.3
| | Posted on Wednesday, March 03, 2010 - 01:45 am: |
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I havent weighed the syrup. I was referring to the 1 lb of sugar used to make the syrup. My yield is 1pt. and just like honey. |
Bill Pierce
Moderator
Username: Billpierce
Post Number: 11361
Registered: 01-2002
Posted From: 24.141.103.148
| | Posted on Wednesday, March 03, 2010 - 02:05 am: |
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If your syrup is a pint in volume, used 1 lb. of sugar and has the consistency of honey, my back of the envelope calculation is that it weighs 1.19 lbs. and has an S.G. of 1.141. The commercial candi syrup weighs 1.5 lbs. per pint, and according to my calculations has 1.31 lbs. of sugar and an O.G. of 1.436. So my conclusion is that your syrup has somewhat less sugar. But if you weighed it you would know for sure. |
Bierview
Advanced Member
Username: Bierview
Post Number: 687
Registered: 03-2003
Posted From: 68.193.150.3
| | Posted on Wednesday, March 03, 2010 - 04:56 pm: |
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The syrup weighs in at 1 lb. My conclusion is that I should add 2 lbs. of sugar to off set the difference of what the recipe calls for. |
Bill Pierce
Moderator
Username: Billpierce
Post Number: 11367
Registered: 01-2002
Posted From: 24.141.103.148
| | Posted on Wednesday, March 03, 2010 - 05:24 pm: |
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That should get you very close to the target gravity. You may have slightly less flavor than if you used 1.5 lbs. of syrup, but I wouldn't worry too much about it. |
Bierview
Advanced Member
Username: Bierview
Post Number: 688
Registered: 03-2003
Posted From: 68.193.150.3
| | Posted on Wednesday, March 03, 2010 - 08:14 pm: |
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Maybe I'll use the watery syrup in place of the sugar. |
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