# Maple Syrup Or Sugar In Beer



## ABA (10/7/10)

Gday Australians! I've kicked off my first Maple Syrup beer today and I'm wondering how many other intrepid folk have tried using this striking ingredient in their brews. It tastes damn good by itself; I'm looking forward to seeing how it goes as a fermentable. The specs are impressive with 80-88% sugar content in the syrup which I believe is mostly made up of monosaccharides like fructose. I've mixed it as 55% maple - 45% barley malt blend and with any luck the maple will stand out like dog's balls. Hops is minimal with one addition for bittering only (around 25 IBU).

I'm keen to hear about any other experiments with Maple Syrup or Sugar...


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## Nick JD (10/7/10)

Another Bold Australian said:


> Gday Australians! I've kicked off my first Maple Syrup beer today and I'm wondering how many other intrepid folk have tried using this striking ingredient in their brews. It tastes damn good by itself; I'm looking forward to seeing how it goes as a fermentable. The specs are impressive with 80-88% sugar content in the syrup which I believe is mostly made up of monosaccharides like fructose. I've mixed it as 55% maple - 45% barley malt blend and with any luck the maple will stand out like dog's balls. Hops is minimal with one addition for bittering only (around 25 IBU).
> 
> I'm keen to hear about any other experiments with Maple Syrup or Sugar...



I read somewhere a while back that it's mostly sucrose. Depends also whether you've got the _real _syrup not the maple flavoured stuff. 

I've used a couple hundred mls in a 23L brew before and could taste it - so you're will be more maple than beer!


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## matthendry (10/7/10)

Another Bold Australian said:


> Gday Australians! I've kicked off my first Maple Syrup beer today and I'm wondering how many other intrepid folk have tried using this striking ingredient in their brews. It tastes damn good by itself; I'm looking forward to seeing how it goes as a fermentable. The specs are impressive with 80-88% sugar content in the syrup which I believe is mostly made up of monosaccharides like fructose. I've mixed it as 55% maple - 45% barley malt blend and with any luck the maple will stand out like dog's balls. Hops is minimal with one addition for bittering only (around 25 IBU).
> 
> I'm keen to hear about any other experiments with Maple Syrup or Sugar...



Where I live in the US a local brewer make's a Beer From Maple Sap and recently won a Bronze Medal at the Beer World Cup 


http://lawsonsfinest.blogspot.com/


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## ABA (10/7/10)

I'm using certified organic Maple Syrup - the realest of real. Life's too short for shit beer! It's not surprising a guy won a medal for a Maple Beer in the US - Maple Syrup is well tasty!


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## Nick JD (10/7/10)

Another Bold Australian said:


> I'm using certified organic Maple Syrup - the realest of real. Life's too short for shit beer! It's not surprising a guy won a medal for a Maple Beer in the US - Maple Syrup is well tasty!



85% sucrose, so it might be best to keep it to under 30% of the total sugaz.


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## ABA (10/7/10)

Cheers Nick - I'll see how this brew goes and adjust it accordingly. No-one likes the cidery taste of fermented cane sugar - perhaps Maple Sugar sucks just as much (seems difficult to conceive but anything is possible).


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## jakub76 (10/7/10)

If 55% turns out too intense you could always blend it. Try to get the ratio right in little 100ml lots, then when you're satisfied do the batch.


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## mwd (11/7/10)

Phew maple Syrup is damn expensive here in Oz. The good stuff is not that cheap in Canada either.

I was thinking you may have to use quite a lot to get a distinct Maple flavour. No idea though maybe similar proportions to honey.


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## jivesucka (12/7/10)

Tropical_Brews said:


> Phew maple Syrup is damn expensive here in Oz. The good stuff is not that cheap in Canada either.
> 
> I was thinking you may have to use quite a lot to get a distinct Maple flavour. No idea though maybe similar proportions to honey.



use it sparingly. also use dextrose, if anything but as a starter to activate the yeast


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## ABA (19/7/10)

I racked it two days ago - the maple flavour was subtle. Basically the beer was very clean tasting, a little sweet and slightly maple-ish. It's still about a month before I'll try the finished beer though.


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## Fourstar (19/7/10)

i did a 'bacon and pancakes' brown ale sometime ago. Some rauch malt in a brown ale and a whole bottle of maple syrup added to primary at high krausen. The maple character was there, kinda woodsy and definitely not OTT. The smoke character however, just not enough. The rauchmalt needs to be bumped up to around 20% of the grist. I think i might do another sometime soon.


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## Screwtop (19/7/10)

Have used it and honey before, IMO better using it for bottle priming if you want the flavour. Disappears during fermentation.

Screwy


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## mwd (19/7/10)

Another Bold Australian said:


> I racked it two days ago - the maple flavour was subtle. Basically the beer was very clean tasting, a little sweet and slightly maple-ish. It's still about a month before I'll try the finished beer though.



Sounds promising though should be good.


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