Not sure if its possible, just starting to devise a christmas brew that i will bottle in 750ml and give to relatives and was wondering if anyone has used them in batch before. I was thinkin real quick on crushing and throwing 30 mins in on a 60 min boil and/or possibly crushing them and using as the priming sugar for my bottling? Would it have enough sugar content to do this? And would flavor come through in any of these cases of any sorts? Thanks
It would be neat to drop in the straight canes into the bottle and have them there when presenting. Weigh each one and calculate the sugar. Probably just a short piece will be enough. So presentation-wise it might not be what one wants but surely there’ll be an affect in the flavor.
Cool idea.
For fermentation purposes, I would assume they are pure sugar and just go by weight. Or you can get a little thing of peppermint extract and dose it instead, not as much fun but more controllable.
It would be pretty cool to tell people the beer was bottle conditioned with candy canes, but you might need more added during boil or as extract to get any flavor out of it. I figure 5oz of crushed candy canes wouldn’t be enough to change the flavor. Could be wrong.
Pepperment extract is a good idea. If you are looking for some sweetness you could add some campden tabs after fermentation and backsweeten with some simple syrup and pepperment extract. Try this on a pint first to target the flavor that your looking for then scale it up from there.
You might get much peppermint flavor if you add it to the boil. I think the extract would be quite volatile and would boil off. I’m could be wrong but it seems like it would work better adding extract to taste when you are ready to bottle.
Paul
This makes much more sense. But, for the love of God, peppermint in beer?
Yeah, the thought of that makes me throw up a little bit.
Reminds me of the time I had a beer right after brushing my teeth. ack
I had a mint stout once that was … aweful
We’re here to help Denny, not judge.
I had a mint stout once that was nice, but they used fresh mint leaves and not peppermint extract. I finished my pint, then ordered something else though.

We’re here to help Denny, not judge.
I tried to restrain myself, Tom, really I did…and anyway, in my mind I’m helping by pointing out how disgusting this sounds!
To the OP…it’s your beer and it’s your tastes. Brew it the way you like and just ignore old farts like me.
IIRC there was an issue of BYO a couple years back that had some off-the-wall ingredients for holiday beers. I seem to remember fruitcake and candy canes…
If I’m making this up, dibs on pitching the article.

IIRC there was an issue of BYO a couple years back that had some off-the-wall ingredients for holiday beers. I seem to remember fruitcake and candy canes…
If I’m making this up, dibs on pitching the article.
I remember reading something about using oatmeal cookies in a mash, but not sure where that was.

If I’m making this up, dibs on pitching the article.
There goes the rest of your reputation… ;D

There goes the rest of your reputation… ;D
That went out the window as soon as I started getting paid to brew, right?
Yes thanks for all the insight. I’m not really going for a peppermint flavor hear, i more want to extract sugars from these to say my yeast got happy from the christmas spirit. Or something corny like that to write on the bottle. I was thinking Belgian yeast, spicy, so it would come over the top on the flavor because i would not like to to end my beer with peppermint. I was hoping for some an element of aroma to come through, maybe start off with some of the more piney, evergreeny hops in the beginning smell, middle with hints of the malt character & candy canes, then the yeast. From what you are all saying im thinking of just throwing the canes crushed up in the boil maybe 30 mins in, or maybe close to end of boil to possibly ensure some aroma elements, but want to make sure i throw hops in at the same time as well to ensure no peppermint goes unbalanced. Thx for all the help again. and probably not bother using as primer as i cant ensure the sugar content to stimulate yeast

probably not bother using as primer as i cant ensure the sugar content to stimulate yeast
Candy canes are nearly pure fermentable sugar. Weigh them, crush them, and treat them like any other priming sugar. Or don’t, it’s your beer.
Sounds like you may want to try a Delirium Tremens type clone. That beer has a tremendous amount of yeast complexity. Would make a nice holiday beer.
sounds good about the primer sugar, and about the delirium tremens maybe ill go with a clone of that as a base for the recipe and tweak it to make it my own, u kno where to find a good clone of delirium tremes?