Treacle substitute???

[kakistos_uk]

I want to make another stout and thought about adding treacle. Everything I've read suggest it's very overpowering and probably should be avoided.

I'll probably be using a Coopers kit.

Does anybody have any experience with this?

Any suggestions about different flavoured sugars would be most welcome. I've used Demerara and various types of brown sugar.

I was interested in using caramel can't find an appropriate source.

Anybody got any ideas?

 

[mickthetrick]

i use black treacle in my imperial stouts. you have to be careful with it in my oppinion as it can be a little overpowering.
id suggest using 100g and if its not enough for your taste you can up the amount in your next batch.
golden syrup is also fyne to brew with.

 

[MyQul]

I agree with mick. Golden Syrup is good. It'll give you the ABV% boost your probably after and has it's own flavour, which is a lot less overpowing than treacle. You could also add mostly GS and a small amout of treacle for a bit of that molasses type flavour

 

[xdaver]

Coopers original stout with a can of tracle and a kilo of dextrose is a great pint,
Its a tried and tested recipe I got off this forum.

 

[Cwrw666]

I use half a can of black treacle in my AG stouts and it's still a bit overpowering at times.
So try about a quarter can first. You can always increase it in future brews.

 

[stan]

Ive just done a coopers stout and used star anise to try and give a licorice flavour I put 3 crushed into secondary 23L at bottling it was quit prominent but should mellow a bit after conditioning ( I hope )

 

[BeerCat]

Isn't treacle just golden syrup that's been boiled longer at a higher temp?

 

[TheQuokka]

No. Treacle is a less refined mollasses extract (in fact, I believe golden syrup is actually manufactured from refined sugar these days.) Treacle is quite bitter once the sugars have been fermented out of it, and I would avoid it these days. You can get the flavour without the persistent bitterness from black malt. Add a little golden syrup or caramelised sugar if you desire.

 

[IainM]

I did a Coopers Stout with half a tin of black treacle just over 15 months ago. Had one last night and it was very nice indeed, but still had a fairly strong treacle taste. I think any of the partially refined sugars would be a reasonable substitute for a more subtle taste: jaggery, panela, light muscevado or turbinado.

 

[dad_of_jon]

I put a 454g can of treacle into my 22 litres batch of night-hawk.

It was aptly named. it took me a whole night to finish a single beer. It did however turn out very nice after ageing for a year :-?

 

[kakistos_uk]

Thanks guys

 

[terrym]

I use 500 g of Golden Syrup and 100g Dark Muscovado sugar to boost my Coopers stouts. This gives a depth of additional flavours to the kits but nothing dominates.
Black treacle is fine in Christmas cake, gingerbread and bonfire toffee, but not in large quantities in beer, unless, of course, you like that sort of thing

 

[Zephyr259]

I used what would amount to ~150g or a third of a tin in a fruitcake barleywine alone eith some dark muscovado sugar. It's not a dominant flavour really, the spices show through more and it has an odd slithtly banana character.

 

[kakistos_uk]

This is all really great, thanks guys

 

[Godsdog]

I concur.have done the coopers stout twice with a full can of treacle 454 gram and its a bit too over powering.try half a tin methinks

 

[kakistos_uk]

Thanks for all the info, much appreciated.

I'm thinking a Coopers stout kit, Holland Barrat 454g of malt extract, 500g of crystal dark malt (I previously used chocolate but I've read that the dark malt is similar to the treacle flavour but not as hard), 454g of golden syrup and 200g of dark sugar.

What does everyone think?

The last one I made was lovely but around 6.8%, I'd like something 5.5% to 6%. I'd like the next one to be a little less lethal...

I always worry that I'm over complicating the tastes.

 

[sdt7618]

I concur.have done the coopers stout twice with a full can of treacle 454 gram and its a bit too over powering.try half a tin methinks

Totally agree. My whole can stout is a bit ott. Still drinking it though!!