Syrup in beer refers to adding sugar syrups to beer during the brewing process or after fermentation. Sugar syrups are used by some brewers to increase the alcohol content, sweetness, body, head retention, or flavor of the finished beer. The most common syrups used in beer production are:
Corn syrup
Corn syrup is made from corn starch and contains glucose. It is used to increase alcohol content, body, and sweetness in beers such as barleywines, strong ales, and imperial stouts. Corn syrup has a neutral flavor and is highly fermentable by yeast, allowing it to be converted readily into alcohol. Too much corn syrup can thin out the body of a beer, so it must be used judiciously.
Maple syrup
Maple syrup adds sweetness, body, and some flavor to beers. Maple syrup contains sucrose, glucose, fructose and has some mineral content from the maple sap. It can be used to make maple-flavored beers or to increase the gravity in other beer styles like brown ales, porters, or bocks. Too much maple syrup may make the beer overly sweet.
Invert sugar syrup
Invert sugar syrup is made by splitting sucrose into its component simple sugars, glucose and fructose. This makes the sugar highly fermentable by brewer’s yeast. Invert sugar increases alcohol content and is used to boost gravity in high ABV beers. It also improves mouthfeel, head retention, and flavor.
Lactose
Lactose is a milk sugar that is unfermentable by brewer’s yeast. It adds body, sweetness, and a silky mouthfeel to beers without increasing their alcohol content. Lactose is used in milk stouts, sweet stouts, and some New England IPAs. The amount added is typically 1-3% of the total fermentables. Too much lactose can make beers overly sweet.
Honey
Honey can be used in the brewing process to provide flavor and fermentable sugars. The fructose and glucose in honey are fermentable and will raise the alcohol content. Honey adds subtle flavor notes reminiscent of the source flowers. It also improves head retention. Honey must be sanitized prior to adding to beer wort to kill any wild yeasts or bacteria.
Malt extract
Liquid malt extract or dried malt extract can be used to add fermentables, flavor, color, and body to beers. Extracts allow brewers to increase the gravity and alcohol content of beer styles fairly easily. Malt extracts are commonly used in homebrewing but may also be used by some craft brewers. Too much malt extract can lead to syrupy, cloying flavors.
Brown sugar
Brown sugar contains molasses which gives it a toffee-like flavor. It can be substituted for a portion of the brewing sugars in recipes like brown ales, porters, and stouts to boost color and flavor. Brown sugar must be dissolved fully into the wort to avoid scorching.
Belgian candi syrup
Belgian brewers developed candi syrup, an invert sugar product made by heating and caramelizing sucrose. Dark candi syrup is used in beers like dubbels and Belgian strong dark ales to increase alcohol content andprovide raisin, caramel, and burnt sugar flavors. Pale candi syrup boosts alcohol with neutral flavor.
When are sugar syrups used in the beer brewing process?
Syrups can be added at two main points in the brewing process:
In the kettle
Syrups are commonly added to the wort in the brew kettle before boiling begins. This allows them to fully dissolve and sanitize. Adding corn sugar, malt extract, honey, or other fermentables in the kettle increases the original gravity and alcohol content of the finished beer. Syrups like brown sugar or maple syrup can also be added at this stage if the brewer wants their flavor to carry through to the final beer.
At packaging
Syrups may also be added after fermentation is complete right before the beer is carbonated and packaged. This is commonly done with sugars like lactose or sweeteners like maple syrup that do not ferment out. Adding them at packaging allows the brewer to carefully control sweetness and flavor levels. Belgian candi syrup is often added right before bottling or kegging Belgian beers.
What are the effects of different syrups on beer?
| Syrup | Fermentability | Flavor impact | Mouthfeel effect |
|---|---|---|---|
| Corn syrup | Highly fermentable | Neutral flavor | Increases body at lower usage |
| Maple syrup | Fully fermentable | Maple flavor | Increases body and sweetness |
| Invert sugar | Highly fermentable | Neutral to slightly honeyed flavor | Improves mouthfeel |
| Lactose | Non-fermentable | Slightly sweet, milky flavor | Adds body and sweetness |
| Honey | Fully fermentable | Floral, honey flavor | Improves mouthfeel and head retention |
| Malt extract | Fully fermentable | Malt flavor depending on type | Adds body |
| Brown sugar | Fully fermentable | Molasses, toffee flavor | Adds body |
| Belgian candi | Highly fermentable | Raisin, caramel, burnt sugar flavors | Increases alcohol content |
Why use sugar syrups in beer?
Brewers choose to use sugar syrups in beer for several reasons:
Increase alcohol content
By adding fermentable sugars like corn syrup, malt extract, or Belgian candi syrup, brewers can bump up the alcohol content of their beers without adding more grain. The added sugars are fully fermented, raising the ABV.
Add body and mouthfeel
Syrups like lactose and maple syrup are excellent ways to improve the body and mouthfeel of beer styles like milk stouts or brown ales. The sugars increase the viscosity for a smooth, silky mouthfeel.
Boost head retention
Ingredients like honey help beers form and retain a nice foamy head. The proteins and sugars in honey stabilize bubbles.
Flavor
Syrups such as maple syrup, honey, and brown sugar impart their own distinctive flavors to beer. This allows creative brewers to formulate recipes with unique flavor profiles.
Balance maltiness
In very malty beers like barleywines, the residual sugars from large amounts of grain can taste too sweet. Brewers can balance out the maltiness by thinning and drying out the beer with fermentable syrups.
Mask off flavors
In some cases, syrups may be used to try to mask or blend off flavors from the brewing process. Although not considered a best practice, some brewers may use lactose or fruit syrups to hide flaws.
Add sweetness
For beer styles like milk stouts that benefit from some residual sweetness, unfermentable sugars like lactose allow brewers to make the beers taste sweeter without becoming cloying.
What are the downsides of using sugar syrups in beer?
While sugar syrups can provide benefits, there are some potential downsides brewers should consider:
Off flavors
Excessive use of some syrups can impart off flavors – maple syrup can taste artificial, molasses can come across as acrid. Syrups should be used judiciously.
Fermentation issues
Too much fermentable sugar can stress yeast during fermentation. This can lead to off flavors or underattenuated beer.
Thin body
Overusing sugar syrups that thin out the beer’s body can remove the pleasing malt character fans expect from styles like stouts or brown ales.
Cloying sweetness
It’s easy to overdo it with lactose and other unfermentable sugars, ending up with a beer that is syrupy and much too sweet.
Masking flaws
Adding sugars to cover up off flavors prevents brewers from identifying root causes and improving processes. Quality should come from technique.
Examples of beers using sugar syrups
Founders Canadian Breakfast Stout
This popular imperial stout uses maple syrup from Quebec to provide flavor. The 10.0% ABV beer balances the sweet maple flavor against the roasted malt character.
Prairie Bomb!
An imperial stout with coffee, chocolate, and chili peppers added. Corn sugar helps boost the alcohol to 13% while contributing a clean fermentable sugar to aid drinkability.
Rogue Double Chocolate Stout
A full 7.5% of the fermentables come from an in-house brewed chocolate syrup, giving this beer intense chocolate flavors and aromas.
Brooklyn Black Chocolate Stout
Dark brown sugar is used along with British pale, crystal, chocolate and roasted malts. The brown sugar contributes toffee-like notes.
Samuel Adams Cherry Wheat
Tart cherry syrup is added to this hefeweizen at bottling to provide bright, fruity cherry pie flavors balanced by wheat and subtle malts.
Alternatives to sugar syrups in beer
Brewers have several options besides sugar syrups for modifying beer recipes:
All-malt recipes
Well-crafted all malt recipes using speciality grains for character and complex carbohydrates for mouthfeel can eliminate the need for syrup additions.
Adjuncs
Spices, fruits, coffee, cacao nibs, vegetables, honey and other extra ingredients can provide flavor and complexity without added sugars.
Hops
Hops impart bitterness to balance malt sweetness and aromatic compounds that enhance flavor. Unique hop varieties or large amounts of late hop additions are ways to boost beer appeal.
Yeast strains
Choosing a yeast strain suited to the beer style and fermentation conditions is key for optimal sugar fermentation and flavor expression.
Aging
Time transforms beer. Barrel-aging, bottle conditioning, oak aging, or simply allowing time for flavors to meld can improve depth of flavor.
Blending
Blending multiple batches to coalesce different ingredient contributions and remove defects can achieve better overall beer character.
Key Takeaways
Syrups are used in beer production to increase alcohol content, residual sweetness, body, head retention, and unique flavors. Common types include corn syrup, maple syrup, invert sugar, lactose, honey, malt extract, brown sugar, and Belgian candi syrup. Syrups can be added in the brewhouse kettle to increase gravity or at packaging for sweetness. While syrups can benefit beers when used correctly, excessive usage can create overly sweet, thin, or flawed flavors. With creativity, brewers can use all-malt recipes, special ingredients, hopping techniques, yeast strain selection, aging, and blending as alternatives to sugar syrups for making great beers.
