Belgium’s dark, strong ales are among the most complex and impressive beers in the canon—yet extract brewers can tackle them as well as anyone, as long as we pay attention to a few key points.
Chris Colby lays out specific suggestions for ensuring the clean fermentation of a sugar wash, from yeast-pitching rates and aeration to the surprisingly wide variety of yeast strains that can do the job.
Candi sugars are at once an underused and an overused ingredient. Let's dive into the specific function candi sugars can play in beer.
The style is a place for beers that represent a “harmonious marriage of sugar and beer,” in which the base style is recognizable but to which we add a noticeable flavor addition from an adjunct sugar product.
The right ingredients, added the right way, can be the difference between a successful pastry beer and a hot mess.