El Pistolero
Well-Known Member
So I was fixin to make some invert sugar according to the recipe above, and I realized that I didn't have any citric acid. Can I use a bit of lemon juice or lime juice or something?Janx said:
Citric Acid for Invert Sugar
- Thread starter El Pistolero
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Help Support Homebrew Talk - Beer, Wine, Mead, & Cider Brewing Discussion Forum:
Invert Sugar:
The product of the hydrolysis of sucrose, which is glucose and fructose. Yeast convert invert sugar more rapidly than sucrose, such as simple cane sugar, because they do not have to break the sucrose down into glucose and fructose themselves. Invert sugar can be made by dissolving two parts sugar into one part water, adding two teaspoons lemon juice per pound of sugar, bringing this almost to a boil, and holding it there for 30 minutes (NOT allowing it to boil). If not to be used immediately upon cooling, this can be poured into a sealable jar, sealed and cooled in the refrigerator.
The product of the hydrolysis of sucrose, which is glucose and fructose. Yeast convert invert sugar more rapidly than sucrose, such as simple cane sugar, because they do not have to break the sucrose down into glucose and fructose themselves. Invert sugar can be made by dissolving two parts sugar into one part water, adding two teaspoons lemon juice per pound of sugar, bringing this almost to a boil, and holding it there for 30 minutes (NOT allowing it to boil). If not to be used immediately upon cooling, this can be poured into a sealable jar, sealed and cooled in the refrigerator.
I think that I will do this soon. Some questions. What is the consistency of the result when you put it into the jar? Will it be a syrup?
Also, what is the consistency like after it has been kept in the refrigerator for some time?
Finally, what kind of gravity #'s does it add? In other words, how does a brewer know about how much to use? Any good Belgian Beer recipes that included invert sugar as an ingredient?
Also, what is the consistency like after it has been kept in the refrigerator for some time?
Finally, what kind of gravity #'s does it add? In other words, how does a brewer know about how much to use? Any good Belgian Beer recipes that included invert sugar as an ingredient?
cweston
Well-Known Member
sonvolt said:
Yes.
Still a syrup.
Whatever the gravity contribution of the amount of sugar you started with (is it 42 points per pound per gallon?).
Use invert sugar pound for pound (according to tyhe weight of sugar you made the invert sugar from) for candi sugar in begian recipes.
I made two pounds to one quart, one pound per pint. Simplifies measurement.
It seems to have settled some, like one sugar sinks, and is thicker, than the other. I remove the metal lid from the mason jar and heat it in the microwave, and stir before pouring out what I need. I just keep it in the pantry between batches.
I noticed that just as it neared boilin, the whole pot turned to foam. It seeems that Sugar is one glucose stuck to one fructose, via a shared oxygen. SOoo, to break the bond, the brewer needs another oxygen. It must come from the acid, or the acid acts as a catalyst and pulls an oxygen from the water, releasing hydrogen?
Anyhow, I figure that the lack of an oxygen or the surplus hydrogen is what makes the archtypical, hi-sucrose, 'cideryness' that comes from using lots of cheap sugar. Perhaps a huge batch of invert sugar would be a good test? It would have to be the cheapest carb source, 20 cents/pound for pure fermentibles, who needs pale malt?
Lessee:
Mash 3# specialty malts, sparge, add 5# of sugar that's been inverted, and enough water for a five gallon batch, a pack of yeast, $3 in hops, $11 for 54 bottles of brown ale, that's 20 cents per bottle?
It seems to have settled some, like one sugar sinks, and is thicker, than the other. I remove the metal lid from the mason jar and heat it in the microwave, and stir before pouring out what I need. I just keep it in the pantry between batches.
I noticed that just as it neared boilin, the whole pot turned to foam. It seeems that Sugar is one glucose stuck to one fructose, via a shared oxygen. SOoo, to break the bond, the brewer needs another oxygen. It must come from the acid, or the acid acts as a catalyst and pulls an oxygen from the water, releasing hydrogen?
Anyhow, I figure that the lack of an oxygen or the surplus hydrogen is what makes the archtypical, hi-sucrose, 'cideryness' that comes from using lots of cheap sugar. Perhaps a huge batch of invert sugar would be a good test? It would have to be the cheapest carb source, 20 cents/pound for pure fermentibles, who needs pale malt?
Lessee:
Mash 3# specialty malts, sparge, add 5# of sugar that's been inverted, and enough water for a five gallon batch, a pack of yeast, $3 in hops, $11 for 54 bottles of brown ale, that's 20 cents per bottle?
Hello I've just made inverted sugar using citric acid a while ago. I used a whole lemon to produce something like 1 pound inverted sugar. The percentage obtained is unkwon but the flavour seems sweeter and different. The lemon leaves a little unwanted lemon juice flavor so better use other acid.
I used a 2/3 sugar to 1/3 water by volume recipe ( could have used even less water) and simmered until a boil for 20 minutes (yes it was boiling all the time, at low heat). To prevent catalyst loss (the lemon juice) or degradation or unwanted fenomena in the processos I preferred a glass jar and a glass dish lid.
Maybe metalic jars end up consuming the acid at high temperatures.
I used a 2/3 sugar to 1/3 water by volume recipe ( could have used even less water) and simmered until a boil for 20 minutes (yes it was boiling all the time, at low heat). To prevent catalyst loss (the lemon juice) or degradation or unwanted fenomena in the processos I preferred a glass jar and a glass dish lid.
Maybe metalic jars end up consuming the acid at high temperatures.
