Caramel

[Swinging Beef]

In my quest to brew the perfect beer, Im trying to isolate a caramel flavour that turns up in a few of my favorite beers.

Fullers claim that the caramel flavour in their beers is from wort caramelisation with a 6 hour boil, and I know I'm unlikely to do that.

What are the best way to put a sweet caramel flavour in the beer that remains when fermentatin is complete?

 

[warrenlw63]

SB

Fullers probably use Brewer's Caramel like a lot of other British Brewers.

Only thing you could do is take a few litres of your first runnings and boil them down in a reduction of sorts to about half the volume. That should give you caramel flavours. Just be careful you don't burn it.

Warren -

 

[PostModern]

Rapid caramelisation can happen quicker by just boiling down your first runnings rather than the whole batch. Otherwise there are certain kettle adjuncts like "brewers' caramel". Good luck finding it retail in Oz tho.

EDIT: Beaten by the ninja above.

 

[Ross]

The Amber Candi Syrup now available in Oz has the flavour I believe you're chasing. Planning to use in my next English Bitter.

Cheers Ross

 

[AndrewQLD]

If you can get it the Powells Caramalt has to be one of the most caramel accented malts I have tried, quite overpowering I thought, sort of a butterscotch flavour/aroma.

Andrew

 

[RobW]

The Amber Candi Syrup now available in Oz has the flavour I believe you're chasing. Planning to use in my next English Bitter.

Cheers Ross

Ross, is this the one you are referring to?
What percentage do you add it at?

http://www.craftbrewer.com.au/shop/details.asp?PID=2952

Cheers

Rob

 

[super_simian]

There was some conjecture on the UK brewing forum JBK recently that the faint caramel note in TT Landlord was a result of controlled diacetyl production, given that they apparently use no spec malts. It was an interesting thread 'till some Seppo turned up spouting nonsense about Special B and toasted oats! Anyway, since having tasted UK beers here and on their native soil, I think much of that caramel character we perceive is in fact due to age, and probably some time in the heat while en route.