First attempt at invert syrup

[porter1974]

It’s firm. Not much like a syrup. My plan is to scoop it out, weigh it, and put it in the boil kettle. I was aiming for invert #2. It did darken a bit more after cooling.

 

[cyberbackpacker]

I find it helpful to stick it in a pot of hot water to soften it up to help pour it. Mine consistently has the consistency though of a slightly thick honey. Looks great btw!

 

[TGFV]

Mmmm haven't had this in ages. Grew up having stroop on my pancakes instead of syrup, and the darker varieties were some of the best.

May have to make some of this for beer and pancakes now.

What sort of ratio did you use?

 

[porter1974]

I used 2.2 lbs of sugar to 2 cups of water. I also added a 1/2 tsp of citric acid and 4 tbls of corn syrup as insurance. I cooked it for about 2 hours.

 

[Druman07]

If you don't mind.. what is the purpose of adding invert syrup?

 

[Jako]

If you don't mind.. what is the purpose of adding invert syrup?

what is invert syrup? looks neat.

 

[Silver_Is_Money]

The lighter variety:

 

[Silver_Is_Money]

Treacle, the darker variety of invert sugar:

 

[porter1974]

If you don't mind.. what is the purpose of adding invert syrup?

This will be my first time using it. In the past I have used corn sugar and liked the results in some IPAs.

From what I have read invert sugar was used in some historical British beers. My hope is that it adds gravity points, dries the beer out a bit and makes the flavor more complex.

I have also read that the inversion process makes the sugars more available to the yeast.

My plan is to make a special bitter. Some Maris Otter, Crystal 40, a pound of the invert and some goldings.

 

[Qhrumphf]

Treacle I thought was somewhat in between invert and molasses. Closer to darker invert, but treacle and #4, despite both being black black black, don't taste the same to me (at least not when I've made #4, unless treacle is even darker than #4). I get furious when people say treacle and molasses are the same. The only folks who seem to know better are Brits and bakers.

Every time I've made invert, it's quite thick as well, particularly #3 and #4. As said above, heating it up in hot water before pouring helps thin it out. Same thing you'd do with LME.

The purpose of invert is both flavor and drying the beer out. It's the secret ingredient to almost all real British and Scottish brewing that hasn't really made it across the pond.

 

[Qhrumphf]

I also weigh it when packaging it, so I don't have to weigh it later. 8oz mason jars hold 8oz (by weight) of invert quite nicely. Put jar on scale, tare it, fill to weight. Done.

 

[cyberbackpacker]

If you are interested in making invert, go here: http://www.unholymess.com/blog/beer-brewing-info/making-brewers-invert

Lots of research went into this method to deliver results that match the brewing sugars traditionally used in British brewing.

That said, Lyle's Golden syrup is close but not quite Invert, and Treacle definitely is not the same as dark invert as @Qhrumphf mentioned.

Check out the link though... it really is an easy process, and makes a significant difference in the finished beers.

Oh and to build on the "why is it used"-- it has also been traditionally used to also influence the beer's color-- in fact the use of Crystal malt to influence color in British brewing is a relatively newer development.

 

[Derp]

Another informative thread about making invert sugar:

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/forum/threads/made-simple-invert-sugars-jeff-alworths-method.628857/

Next step: make up some caramel coloring like they tend to use in the UK.

 

[Qhrumphf]

Another informative thread about making invert sugar:

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/forum/threads/made-simple-invert-sugars-jeff-alworths-method.628857/

Next step: make up some caramel coloring like they tend to use in the UK.

Or just use Sinamar.

 

[Derp]

Or just use Sinamar.

Sure, but that stuff is $7 for enough (4 oz) to add 16 SRM to 5 gallons. Mine is about 8x as dark and only cost me a pound or two of sugar. I made 16 ounces and that'll last me years.

https://web.archive.org/web/2012030...blog/beer-brewing-info/making-brewers-caramel

 

[Qhrumphf]

Not the ammoniated stuff? Doing it wrong! LMAO.

I looked at buying that stuff at one point. You can get small quantities in the UK. In the US, only available in drum form. Even for small craft brewers, that's a LOT of caramel.

Sinamar when purchased in bulk is a lot cheaper. I don't recall the 5L jug price offhand, but it's a LOT less relative to the little 4oz LHBS bottles.

 

[Qhrumphf]

(most LHBS's can get this stuff too, they order from the same suppliers the pros do, and a good LHBS can/will easily special order for you- if they stock Weyermann or order from BSG they can get it, I've gotten enough true powdered isinglass for 100 gallons for the same price as the little already denatured liquid bottle sized for 5 gals some LHBS's stock, but since few homebrewers are willing to go through the effort to prep powdered isinglass, no one stocks it).

 

[TGFV]

Ive made quick inverts for a few Scottish ales and am planning it for my next house Brown and the flavour they give is much better than simply using sugar (which I find people crap on too much due to shitty kits etc).

Adding some molasses or brown sugar is also a great way to enhance the flavour of the end product as well.

Also Qhrumpfh, you a Skin Sharp? Gotta to ask with the name and tag

 

[Qhrumphf]

Also Qhrumpfh, you a Skin Sharp? Gotta to ask with the name and tag

Been stompin bones for 20 years. We'll leave it at that.

 

[HTH1975]

Inverting sugar breaks down compounds in sugar to make it easier for the yeast to consume.

You also have some colour and flavour through the Maillard reaction that adds a certain something that crystal malts can’t quite replicate.

I’ve used Ragus brublock #3 invert and it was quite different to the invert sugar I made. It ended up costing around £2 per kg, but only available in a 25kg block.

 

[TGFV]

Been stompin bones for 20 years. We'll leave it at that.

Had 7 under mine before life changed, Glad to meet ya then

 

[Cantina De Jefe]

I used 2.2 lbs of sugar to 2 cups of water. I also added a 1/2 tsp of citric acid and 4 tbls of corn syrup as insurance. I cooked it for about 2 hours.

You put corn syrup in your beer? Dilly dilly[emoji23]

 

[Lefou]

Chemistry escapes you.

 

[TGFV]

You put corn syrup in your beer? Dilly dilly[emoji23]

Works like any other sugar. Actually better than many tbh.

 

[Cantina De Jefe]

Works like any other sugar. Actually better than many tbh.

Its okay i use corn sugar sometimes which is essentially the same thing. Dilly dilly.

 

[porter1974]

Works like any other sugar. Actually better than many tbh.

I really like corn sugar in beers I have made.

 

[porter1974]

The corn syrup was added to make sure the invert syrup did not crystallize.

 

[TGFV]

Finally got around to making a batch for beers (and a small jar to water down later for pancakes).

Ended up between #2 and #3, but the flavour and aroma is amazing, even if it is harder than taffy.

Ended up using up some old crystallised honey, which I boiled the heck out of to change the flavour profile from traditional honey to the nice marshmallowy flavour you get from brochet.

Recipe:
500grams sugar
1kg honey
2tsp citric acid
1L water

 

[porter1974]

That looks great. Never would have thought to use honey!

 

[TGFV]

That looks great. Never would have thought to use honey!

I may have simply run out of sugar (my wife and MiL use it for their copious tea and coffee, and I use it for hobbies "related" to homebrewing) and saw the crystallised honey I had put away to use for mead. I wasn't sure how the honey flavour would translate in all the British beers I want to make, so that was also why I decided on the long boil with extra water.

 

[Silver_Is_Money]

It does indeed look good! You may have gotten by with only 1/2 gram of citric acid. That should be just about the amount present within a slice of lemon. A whole lemon is said to contain ~3 grams of citric acid. Two TSP is probably close to 9 grams.

 

[porter1974]

When I used my invert syrup i just put the mason jar in the boil kettle and then fished it out with tongs. All the sugar had dissolved. It was a bit reckless.

 

[Lefou]

Pasteurized honey is very similar chemically to invert syrup but has proteins, pollen, and other peculiar characters added through the bee digestive process that sugar water won't have.
The processed bee nectar is more expensive but really achieves the same ends in a finished beer that invert does - added aroma, flavors, and color. What I'd really like to do is heat up and caramelize some honey as a beer adjunct one of these days with some beer wort mixed in. It would add some malt dextrins into the mix that way.
We always have a container of honey in the house, but since I'm lazy, most times I just add the honey to the wort for an ABV boost and dryness to spare myself some extra effort.

 

[TGFV]

It does indeed look good! You may have gotten by with only 1/2 gram of citric acid. That should be just about the amount present within a slice of lemon. A whole lemon is said to contain ~3 grams of citric acid. Two TSP is probably close to 9 grams.

Yeah I definitely did overkill, but it is supposed to impart a near Vanilla flavour at longer boils when used with invert sugar, so decided it would be flavourful ly beneficial.

And that's actually how I end up using honey in alot of beers and make mead. Its so much cheaper to buy your honey in bulk.

And next time I may try doing to chunk method since I obviously hit the hard crack level, or close enough too. Just lay it out in parchment paper in a pan, allow to cool, then break up and store the pieces which you weigh out later.

 

[thehaze]

I too made some syrup and added 1 lime, 1 lemon and 1 blood orange, all cut in quarts. ( this was my attempt to add flavours to the syrup )

I haven't tasted it yet, as I am on a diet, but will soon. I am planning on adding it to a simple Belgian with 100% Bohemian Pilsner + BE-256, mash low and dry it out. Here's a picture of it, it's a beautiful, bright red colour:

 

[porter1974]

That looks really nice.