[HopDen]

Made a Belgian Dark Strong Ale this past December> Aged it on french oak sticks that I soaked in apple brandy. Everything about this beer was great except it needed more time on the oak. Then I just couldn't help myself, I ordered a small format (10) gallon Distillery 291 bourbon barrel that aged the bourbon for 1 year and then they aged pure maple syrup in it for 6 months. I will make the same recipe and lay it down in this barrel for about a year. Obviously I will have to closely monitor it. Cheers!

[erockrph]

That sounds like a really cool flavor combo. I can't wait to hear how it turns out.

[fredthecat]

i know people will disagree with me, and i havent tried it - but im increasingly thinking that the "maple syrup just ferments out and leaves nothing" thing may be at least partially a myth.

number 1 - "maple syrup" isnt all just maple syrup.

[HopDen]

number 1 - "maple syrup" isnt all just maple syrup.

Please tell us what maple syrup is if not 100% maple syrup.

[fredthecat]

number 1 - "maple syrup" isnt all just maple syrup.

Please tell us what maple syrup is if not 100% maple syrup.

it means that maple syrup varies in colour/flavour based on tree type, year, time in the season (early, mid, late), sugar concentration after boil etc. you could have maple syrup boiled down to 80g sugar/100g or left at a light 40g sugar/100g

there i explained it to you (plural).

just like "malt" isn't malt

[HopDen]

number 1 - "maple syrup" isnt all just maple syrup.

Please tell us what maple syrup is if not 100% maple syrup.

it means that maple syrup varies in colour/flavour based on tree type, year, time in the season (early, mid, late), sugar concentration after boil etc. you could have maple syrup boiled down to 80g sugar/100g or left at a light 40g sugar/100g

there i explained it to you (plural).

just like "malt" isn't malt

Yes, that I already know. I thought that you were going to tell us that maple syrup has been adulterated with added HFCS.

[pete b]

I thought he was going to say that maple syrup isn't all sugar and there are some compounds that would not be affected by all the sugar fermenting.

[denny]

i know people will disagree with me, and i havent tried it - but im increasingly thinking that the "maple syrup just ferments out and leaves nothing" thing may be at least partially a myth.

number 1 - "maple syrup" isnt all just maple syrup.

It's not a myth in my world

[pete b]

I think I only tried maple syrup in beer once and it certainly got lost but i have used it in much larger amounts in mead and it has a nice flavor there.
There is always the fenugreek route.

[pete b]

Also, a barrel with maple syrup in it for a year and then a beer for a year seems way different than just adding maple syrup before or during fermentation. It seems to me the alcohol in the beer would extract quite a bit of flavor from the maple soaked wood.