Making Invert Sugar

[GuyQLD]

I had a go at making this stuff for a brew around 15 years ago, I used raw sugar and citric acid. It could not have been a very adventurous brew back in those early days, in fact I don't remember what I used it in.

Still this thread has given me some fresh inspiration, I feel a Chimay Blue in the pipe line.

Batz

That makes two of us Batz, I'm thinking this weekend I'll give it a crack. Anyone got a tried and tested clone? Otherwise I'll go listen to Jamil and see what I can google, most of the ones I've found so far don't look that good though.

I'm thinking I'l use raw sugar for the invert though and go with the no acid approach. Looks like slightly more work but who knows. Might be worth it.

 

[mje1980]

Thermo arrived yesterday. I'm gunna try it today. Hope i get it right!

 

[mje1980]

I have my biggest burner going, and it is boiling, but my thermo is only reading 103celcius. Not sure if the thermo is wrong, but it is reading 100 for boiling water so not sure what's going on. I did a full kilo. D'oh

 

[AndrewQLD]

I have my biggest burner going, and it is boiling, but my thermo is only reading 103celcius. Not sure if the thermo is wrong, but it is reading 100 for boiling water so not sure what's going on. I did a full kilo. D'oh

Give it a bit of time, as it boils off the temp will rise very slowly at first and then very quickly.

 

[mje1980]

Is it stuffed if it gets too hot?, my cheap thermometer decided to work, and It went over, about 120 c. Think I'll return this one and get a decent one. Sitting around 117 c now.

 

[AndrewQLD]

Is it stuffed if it gets too hot?, my cheap thermometer decided to work, and It went over, about 120 c. Think I'll return this one and get a decent one. Sitting around 117 c now.

It will be fine, it's very easy to overshoot the temp. As long as you get it back to around the correct temp for the majority of the cook you won't have any problems.

 

[mje1980]

Cheer mate, thanks for the advice. Now I need to formulate a recipe. I'm going to weigh it when it's done, then just add it plus MO, no crystal, and see how it goes

 

[drew9242]

Another trick I use when my temp overshot, was have some water and teaspoon nearby. When it's to high put a tiny bit of water in. Beware I start real small, it tends to hiss and splatter a bit. But it gets the temp back quickly.

 

[AndrewQLD]

Cheer mate, thanks for the advice. Now I need to formulate a recipe. I'm going to weigh it when it's done, then just add it plus MO, no crystal, and see how it goes

Have a look here? these are pretty authentic British recipes.

 

[mje1980]

Cheers guys!, I'm done, was at temp around an hour, and looks golden syrup coloured, or slightly darker. I'll get into some kind of container then put in the fridge

 

[tiprya]

Good tip for getting it out of the container when you want to brew: microwave.

That one took me a while to figure out.

 

[hsb]

I made mine with syrupy consistency, poured into a $2 shop mason jar, stored in the fridge for a week, then added to primary on a dubbel 2/3 through. Just a little water from the kettle helped it all out easily enough, then lick the jar like a kid.
Came out very nice though a little sweet and definite hint of candy floss. It probably would have been much better for a month or two conditioning as is but i decided to secondary for a month with Orval dregs. A month later and it's delicious, really complex, best beer I've ever made and unique with the homemade ingredient. Yum. A bit of Brett with invert sugar = definite winner.

 

[mje1980]

Do you guys put it in at the end of the boil??

 

[mje1980]

I looked through my classic beer styles mild book, and a lot of the recipes are up around 15-20% sugars, so I'm going 19% in a mild . Just mashed in. I'm going to add it in at flameout. Mashed at 71 c for good body to offset so much sugar. Flying blind really, but kind of excited. Cool to get a double batch out of only 3.8 kg of MO!!!

 

[adryargument]

Going by my recent attempts.
Raising to just under soft crack and keeping it there for 40 minutes then raising to hard crack = amber candi (Spot on in colour for my belg dubbel dubbel)
1:45 for dark candi - aint used it yet.

Edit: using 1:1 water/suger then bicarb soda as the acid at 1 teaspoon?? - check this

 

[DUANNE]

Going by my recent attempts.
Raising to just under soft crack and keeping it there for 40 minutes then raising to hard crack = amber candi (Spot on in colour for my belg dubbel dubbel)
1:45 for dark candi - aint used it yet.

Edit: using 1:1 water/suger then bicarb soda as the acid at 1 teaspoon?? - check this

bi carb is a base so no use at all as a replacement for acid of any kind

 

[AndrewQLD]

Do you guys put it in at the end of the boil??

I always add mine at the beginning of the boil.

 

[mje1980]

Ah bugger. I figured more flavour would come at flameout. No big deal, I'm doing some Demerara at the moment, when I use it I'll throw it in at the start, I guess another 90 mins of boiling will caramelise even more!

 

[mje1980]

Got distracted and when I got back, the Demerara had hit 130. Thought it'd be burnt, but it tastes divine!!!!. Gas burners are a bitch to keep at a constant temp too!

 

[Beerisyummy]

Got distracted and when I got back, the Demerara had hit 130. Thought it'd be burnt, but it tastes divine!!!!. Gas burners are a bitch to keep at a constant temp too!

This is when the portable induction cooker comes into its own with precise temperature control.
Set up on the coffee table with a cold beer, a glass of water for cooling and watch the news.
Just make sure your done before the missus comes home.