Making Invert Sugar

[AndrewQLD]

Getting right back into brewing now and have been attempting a few historical beers from shut up about Barclay Perkins, a lot of the recipes require Invert sugar in one form or another and the colors range a fair bit between recipes. I found an invert sugar designer after a bit of searching at half a cat calculators there are full instructions on making invert No.1, 2, 3 and black, I won't bother going through the procedures but if anyone is interested check out the link above.

Here's the result of my attempt using raw sugar and lactic acid, the pale one is straight Invert and the darker one is invert No.3 the darker one is going in my Mild that's mashing as we speak.

 

[felten]

I tried this last week as well and it came out looking very similar, and very tasty. The cool thing about making it this way is it stays liquid so you don't have to mess around with breaking up the sugar or melting it before you add it to the kettle/fermenter.

 

[AndrewQLD]

It looks really good felten and it surprised me just how clear the syrup is, apparently if it does crystallize or turn rock hard then the process has failed and you don't have invert sugar.

 

[Duff]

Looks good Andrew. We're moving back to Brisbane this month and when I unpack the brew gear I'll be giving this a go.

Cheers.

 

[CosmicBertie]

I wish I'd seen this before I paid $20 for 1Kg of Candi-syrup from G+G. Whats the approximate cost for this?

 

[AndrewQLD]

Pretty much the cost of a bag of raw sugar and some lactic acid, not much at all.
I used 450g raw sugar, 450 ml water and 5 ml acid.

 

[CosmicBertie]

Pretty much the cost of a bag of raw sugar and some lactic acid, not much at all.
I used 450g raw sugar, 450 ml water and 5 ml acid.

Cool...and at the cost of sounding like an idiot, where did you get the acid from?

 

[AndrewQLD]

Cool...and at the cost of sounding like an idiot, where did you get the acid from?

G & G

 

[felten]

I used citric acid as I didn't have any lactic on hand.

 

[Steve@PMF82]

Anyone know if phosphoric acid would work?

 

[keifer33]

Good to see it all works. Have had that link bookmarked for a while and haven't got around to it but reading about all these historic beers its got me interested in trying it.

 

[Bribie G]

Necro alert.

What is light corn sugar as mentioned in Andrew's link ? Would a bit of maltose syrup be a substitute?

 

[Nick JD]

Necro alert.

What is light corn sugar as mentioned in Andrew's link ? Would a bit of maltose syrup be a substitute?

Corn sugar's sub would be fructose.

 

[Mikedub]

thanks for this Andrew, just starting to plan out some Belgians and have been thinking about sugars

 

[hsb]

I've used these instructions in the past, just subbing Wyeast Yeast Nutrient for DAP.
http://www.homebrewtalk.com/f12/20-lb-suga...utrient-114837/

I made the Deep Amber, tasted delicious, would be great just poured over ice-cream.
I put mine in a Dubbel and turned out good. Maybe just a hint of 'candy floss', like the caramel isn't quite intense enough.
I've never tried the 'real' Candi Syrup as available from suppliers, so will be using that next to get a direct comparison.

 

[mje1980]

Haha funny site!. I've always wondered about the flavour invert sugar will give. Sounds not too hard, im a keen uk ale brewer so if it adds something more flavour wise, i'll be happy. Cheap too. Don't have the fancy thermometer though...

 

[Mikedub]

Don't have the fancy thermometer though...

me neither, so just purchased this
http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Meat-Candy-Jam-...=item1e721d3af7

 

[Nick JD]

I've never tried the 'real' Candi Syrup as available from suppliers, so will be using that next to get a direct comparison.

The extra dark belgium-made stuff that Craftbrewer sell is just insane delicious.

I made a blonde with no spec malts in it. 100% of the colour is from the candisyrup. Wicked.

Just put together the other day, a Dubbel recipe with no spec malts. 25EBC ... all from the syrup. Pretty much a SMaSH Dubbel only Pils malt.

Expensive, and worth every penny. Liquid toffee - that signature taste (and deep red colour) of Leffe Radieuse.

 

[Bribie G]

Sounds like the go, Mike. I've been just "winging" it with my invert and probably producing something like invert no. one and a half as I don't want to risk turning the thing into a pan of char.

My batch this afternoon could have been darker, but tastes suspiciously like Bundaberg Golden Syrup. Headed for my Wells Bombardier tribute later on today. I used a flat tsp of citric acid, the results aren't very acidic to taste, I expect that will get lost in the brew. Citric Acid is the keystone of the Krebs Cycle that powers cells so I expect it may get taken up during fermentation.

 

[Nick JD]

There's a lot of overcomplication in making caramel on brewing forums.

Watch this. Before he adds the butter, you've got a great amber candy syrup.

Ingredients:

Sugar.