Malt
Candi sugar
A highly fermentable sugar that raises strength while lightening body — central to strong Belgian ales.
What it does
Sugar or syrup. Fermentable sugar added to the kettle or fermenter to raise strength or dry the beer without adding body.
Sucrose or invert syrup, sometimes cooked to develop colour and Maillard flavour. Ferments almost completely, so it raises alcohol without adding body — which is exactly how a tripel gets to 9% and still finishes dry.
Specification
| Colour | 0.5–200°L |
|---|---|
| Grain | other |
| Enzyme activity | none — needs a base malt to convert it. |
| Fermentability | high |
| Typical share of grist | 5–20% |
| Flavour | clean sweetness when pale, caramel and dark fruit when dark |
Used in
- Belgian IPA
American hop intensity fermented with expressive Belgian yeast, producing pepper and fruit alongside citrus and pine.
- Belgian blond ale
A moderately strong golden Belgian ale, soft and lightly sweet, with gentle yeast fruit and spice and a dry finish.
- Dubbel
A dark Belgian ale rich in raisin, plum and caramel from dark candi sugar, dry-finishing despite its sweetness of flavour.
- Tripel
A strong pale Belgian ale that is simultaneously rich and dry, with pepper, orchard fruit and a sparkling, deceptive drinkability.
- Belgian golden strong ale
Pale, very dry and highly carbonated, with intense pepper and fruit and a strength its lightness completely conceals.
- Belgian dark strong ale
The strongest of the Belgian dark ales: raisin, fig and dark caramel over substantial warmth, with a surprisingly dry finish.
Evidence
What BeerHQ knows about this, and how. Every statement carries the state of the evidence behind it rather than being presented flatly as fact.
Candi sugar is essentially fully fermentable, so it raises alcohol without contributing dextrin — which is how a Belgian tripel reaches eight or nine percent while remaining dry and light-bodied.
Backed by a source
Sources: The Oxford Companion to Beer — print; How to Brew (4th edition) — print