Made Simple Invert Sugars. - Jeff Alworth's Method.

[Schlenkerla]

I have a new Nitro Tap on my keezer and a presently unused Rocket Hand Pump so I'm on this English beer kick as of lately. Been Brewing English Beers and I've been reading " Secrets of Master Brewers" by Jeff Alworth namely the British Ale Traditions chapter.

In this chapter he describes making invert sugars and why you want to use them. Its mainly for some enhanced complex flavors, and then better attenuation. He suggests it as a 1:1 or 50/50 substitution for Crystal Malt. Jeff cites this as Ron Pattison's method. (An English Historian living Amsterdam.) He says its particularly good for bitters, milds, browns, and even porters & stouts.

- Invert #1 - Golden - 20 to 30 minutes @ 240 - 250F.

- Invert #2 - Amber - 90 to 120 minutes @ 240 - 250F.

- Invert #3 - Brown - 2.5 to 3.5 hours @ 240 - 250F.

- Invert #4 - Dark Brown - 4 to 5 hours @ 240 - 250F.
​

The recipe is easy and straight forward with only three ingredients;

- 1 pint of Water
- 1 pound of Sugar
- 1/4 Teaspoon of Citric Acid
​

Its easy to make. I have an electric stove and has settings 1 thru 10. Starting out on 5 (medium heat setting). Boil a pint of water, take off the heat and add the sugar and completely dissolve then add citric acid and place back on medium heat. Its very close to 200F raise the heat to 230F. At 230F, I dial the heat back to low (2 setting). Dial the heat into 240-250F range. Then heat for the given duration. When the time is up I poured it into a pint mason jar. Thats it!!!

I made three inverts today. One #2 and two #3's. I changed up the sugar types. Cane on the #2, Demerara & Piloncillo (Panela) on the #3's

- The cane #2 Amber has a nice honey-like taste.

- The Demerara #3 Brown has a good rummy and raisin like taste.

- The Piloncillo #3 Brown has a good plum or dried prune like taste.

​

One twist to make cook time easier you can turn the oven on. Set it to 245F. After both hit the temperature range you can put it in the oven. The pot needs to be oven proof. I did this on the last one I made today.

 

[Schlenkerla]

Pictures of the three that I made.
Left to right; Amber, two browns...

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[Schlenkerla]

The piloncillo or panela cones didn't dissolve quickly. I boiled the water and let it soak with a lid on. The cones are golf ball sized and will dissolve after a good beers long soaking.

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[Oldskewl]

I need to try this for my next Belgian. Pretty simple process! Well done!

 

[Schlenkerla]

I figured out my next line-up using my new batch of invert sugars;

Cask# 1 with the Golden Invert #2 - Cane

Cask# 2 with the Brown Invert #3 - Demerara

Mild - El Mexicano with Brown Invert #3 - Piloncillo

 

[Elduder]

Those look great. I wonder if you could use the oven trick with the sugar in the mason jars. I assume they would be oven safe. Did the sugar boil or foam in the oven at all?

 

[Schlenkerla]

Those look great. I wonder if you could use the oven trick with the sugar in the mason jars. I assume they would be oven safe. Did the sugar boil or foam in the oven at all?

I thought of that but didn't try.

My thought and guess at the time was I wanted a pound of sugar per pint. The evaporation of water allowed for a the perfect fit in a pint mason jar. You could use a quart mason jar instead. A pint would be too small at the start of the boil.

No there was no boil over. It does tend to splatter a tiny bit like a simmering spaghetti sauce. The appearance of the syrup at 240-250F is like a very slow simmer. Almost in slow motion. The bubbles form, rise, pop then dissipate over and over.

The pot I used was a heavy stainless sauce pot with thick copper and stainless steel layered bottom. It heats very evenly.

As for your idea, if the glass can take that heat for many hours without splitting then I'd do it for convenience sake. For cheap insurance, you could put the jar in baking pan to contain it just in case the jar breaks. Sad it would be, but better than having to clean up that burnt up mess.

If you try that, let me know how it works for you. Ok

 

[Schlenkerla]

Making the Mild El Mexicano mañana....

 

[Schlenkerla]

Kegged the first cask ale recipe made with golden invert. Threw in a hop ball filled with Citra. It's a half ounce of whole leaf hops.

It tastes good now. It's hopped with 7C at 60 minutes and a late addition of Pacifica. Citra should make it smell awesome.

The hop ball is pretty big. It's about the size of a baseball. It barely fits into the keg.

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[Schlenkerla]

Pictures of this beer...

Which is better?

A.) NO flash, one sip

B.) Flash, fresh off the tap.

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[HausBrauerei_Harvey]

Kegged the first cask ale recipe made with golden invert. Threw in a hop ball filled with Citra. It's a half ounce of whole leaf hops.

It tastes good now. It's hopped with 7C at 60 minutes and a late addition of Pacifica. Citra should make it smell awesome.

The hop ball is pretty big. It's about the size of a baseball. It barely fits into the keg.

What is that hop ball, looks sweet. Does it float with the hops in it?

if you could post where you go it i'd be appreciative!

 

[Schlenkerla]

What is that hop ball, looks sweet. Does it float with the hops in it?

if you could post where you go it i'd be appreciative!

It sinks as the hops get soaked.

To be honest, it's basically a large stainless tea ball. I just dubbed it as a hop ball.

I think I got it at Target or Walmart a while back to spice up some cider. It got lost in kitchen drawer for a while then ran a across it looking for some miscellaneous utensil in the back of a drawer.

Check those places for a large tea ball.

 

[Schlenkerla]

Try this....

https://www.google.com/search?q=lar...hUF9YMKHXjfAw4Q_AUIEigC&biw=360&bih=560&dpr=3

 

[Schlenkerla]

What is that hop ball, looks sweet. Does it float with the hops in it?

if you could post where you go it i'd be appreciative!

You could also hit up a coffee/tea shop for this too.

 

[bstacy1974]

My attempt at the Amber invert from yesterday. This was stupid simple. I used the oven method at 250F for 90 mins. Thanks for the directions! This will be used in an ESB style ale I'll be brewing in a day or so.

 

[Schlenkerla]

My attempt at the Amber invert from yesterday. This was stupid simple. I used the oven method at 250F for 90 mins. Thanks for the directions! This will be used in an ESB style ale I'll be brewing in a day or so.
View attachment 553690

Glad you found this easy. I think you're the first one to post results.

I loved my Cask #1 and the Mexican Mild made with piloncillo. Used the golden invert on a double batch of pale ale that used for tailgating. Still working on the 2nd keg. I have yet to use my demerrara on the other cask. That might be my next beer to brew.

It definitely dries out the beer.

 

[AkTom]

I need to try this.
Thanks.

 

[Schlenkerla]

My attempt at the Amber invert from yesterday. This was stupid simple. I used the oven method at 250F for 90 mins. Thanks for the directions! This will be used in an ESB style ale I'll be brewing in a day or so.
View attachment 553690

How'd your ESB turn out?

 

[bstacy1974]

I kegged about a week ago. Still undercarbed right now, but I really like the flavor. I think the invert helped me get below 1.020 with the Danstar London ESB yeast. FG was 1.015.
Its still cloudy but I'll post a pic later today.

 

[Derp]

I've been making invert sugar using this method for years and it's really improved my British beers.

Another thing I've found is that many British clone recipes don't come anywhere near the color of the actual beer due to the addition of caramel coloring at the brewery, so many people use black/chocolate malt in small amounts for color. Why not make your own caramel coloring instead? It's easy. I made 2 pints of the stuff and it came out to about 5300 SRM, so I never use more than 10 ml to kick up the color. I think I have enough to last me a lifetime. I adjust the color of many of my beers and the coloring doesn't alter the taste, since it's used in such small amounts.

To determine the SRM of your coloring, just pour a glass of water into a pint glass and pour a commercial IPA or something of a known color into an identical glass. Add the coloring one drop at a time while stirring, until they are the same color. Then create a 1-pint Beersmith/whatever recipe with a new grain ingredient called My Caramel Coloring (or whatever, I think I copied the existing Sinamar ingredient and renamed it) and adjust its SRM until the number of drops/ml used (1 ml = 20 drops) provides the correct color.

Here's the text I copied from the now-defunct website (currently riddled with spam and possible malware.) I've also included a link to the archived, spam-free version of the page.
==============================================
Caramel Colorant – for adding color to beers, usually historic British Ales.

So…here is a very very simple way of making caramel colorant.

On color and time…

The color depends on how long you cook the sugar. I can’t give you a time. You have to learn from experience. Start by just doing a little and seeing from your ‘eye’. Pull a little sample every bit or so so you can see how the color progresses. Do, for the love of everything holy, understand that the dial on your stove has more levels than ‘inferno’. Cook gently and don’t be in a hurry. If it spells like ‘burnt ass’ throw it away, start over. For those kitchen experts, you don’t need water, but you already know that. There is also a way to make ammonia caramel, the one specific to beers, but that is very finicky and can produce cancer causing chemicals, seizures in rats, growth of tail, barking at moon, etc etc. So lets just stick with this way right now. The best way to tell the ‘color’ is to dilute it in water and compare it to a know SRM/EBC beer. Then back calculate.

Instructions for making your own ‘simple’ caramel colorant:

• 2 parts light brown sugar
• 1 part water
• Heat brown sugar and water in a very heavy bottomed pot
• Stir as it cooks and darkens
• Stop when nearly black. If it smells ‘burnt’ start over.
• Stop by adding 1 part water and stir to dissolve. Be careful as it will spit like an angry Llama.

Warnings:

• You can really screw up a pot if you get it too hot
• Have a good bit of ventilation, as this can smoke a bit.

Use 2x as much brown sugar (by weight) for the final amount of caramel colorant. E.g. if you need 50g of caramel colorant then you need 100g of light brown sugar.

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

 

[jessup]

I make candi syrup that is commercially available and have experimented for years. I found that by raising the pH I got better color development. You can acidify toward the end for preservation and preventing spoilage. Unfortunately you can absolutely not raise the pH in any commercially available product, but for home use it's all good!

Try pickling lime and baking soda to raise the pH on your next attempt and I bet you get darker results! Again, acidify at the end or preservation!

 

[jessup]

Also adding amino acid and nitrogen sources help color development. DAP in yeast nutrient and other sugar sources can be helpful. Experiment!

 

[AzOr]

Glad you found this easy. I think you're the first one to post results.

I loved my Cask #1 and the Mexican Mild made with piloncillo. Used the golden invert on a double batch of pale ale that used for tailgating. Still working on the 2nd keg. I have yet to use my demerrara on the other cask. That might be my next beer to brew.

It definitely dries out the beer.

Care to share your Mexican Mild recipe?
I’ve used piloncillo in a schwarzbier with good results.

The Mexican Mild sounds delicious.

 

[Schlenkerla]

Care to share your Mexican Mild recipe?
I’ve used piloncillo in a schwarzbier with good results.

The Mexican Mild sounds delicious.

Yeah, see post number 5.

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/forum/index.php?posts/8009989

The recipe uses Maris Otter, #3 Invert, Black Malt.

I only used a 60 minute hop addition, so as to taste the piloncillo.

The original recipe calls for 1oz Kent Golding at 60 and 1 oz at 5 minutes.

I'd do both hop additions if I was to remake this beer.

 

[AzOr]

Oops! I blame my iPad for not seeing the link. Has nothing to do with me not wearing my reading glasses.

Thanks for sharing. I’m putting this in my to brew que.

 

[Schlenkerla]

Oops! I blame my iPad for not seeing the link. Has nothing to do with me not wearing my reading glasses.

Thanks for sharing. I’m putting this in my to brew que.

No big deal...[emoji482]

The recipe comes from The Secrets of Master Brewers.

The original recipe calls for 60L crystal malt but is subbed for the piloncillo invert. This is the authors suggestion if you want to make authentic English ales.

Inverts can be a 1:1 replacement for crystal malt or you can cut crystal by 50%. Using 50/50 crystal and invert. They are a pound for pound equivalent.

Cheers [emoji482]

 

[bstacy1974]

How'd your ESB turn out?

Still not perfectly clear but much better than last week. Don't mind the glass it was the only one clean.

 

[Schlenkerla]

Still not perfectly clear but much better than last week. Don't mind the glass it was the only one clean.
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Looks pretty tasty and I like the glass. I don't have any like that.

 

[kmarkstevens]

The oven method is pretty easy and straight forward. I did my first today and came out pretty well.

 

[rhys333]

Thanks for posting this into. I'll be making some #2 in a day or so using this method.