Making Invert Sugar

[Beerisyummy]

Hours? Use less water. It can be done if you're brave with no water.

I might do a thread on making it without it taking hours. If you're brave, it takes 15 minutes to get really dark caramelisation.

I tried it without any water and found it too hard to control the temps. I'm sure it can be done but I imagine it would be a fine art, best left to the experts in my case.
I agree totally about the water ratios. I'd be lucky if the batch I made had 3:1.
After an hour of splashing the odd bit of water in to bring the temps down, I ended up with some seriously dark syrup. No burnt flavours like the frirst batch without water.
Next time I make some I'll be trying to reduce the time with higher temperatures. (I'd already had a crack before I noticed this thread so I was just winging it anyway).
Thanks for all the interesting links everyone. It's good to have something else to do while the fermenters are all full.

 

[TidalPete]

I've been checking this thread out for a while now & what with all the showers around today decided to give it a go.
Was divided between the invert temps in Andrew's link(115 deg c Barclay Perkins) & http://www.thehomebrewforum.co.uk/viewtopic.php?f=30&t=16473 (125 to 135 deg c Belgian candi) so more or less split the difference to hopefully speed things up by using a higher temp.

Used 2.00 kg raw sugar in 2.00 litres boiling water, added 5ml phos & raised to 126 deg c then sat until I got the approx colour wanted (90 minutes).

Temp flunctuated 1 deg up & down several times for 30 seconds or so but all in all turned out rather well I think.
The result is over 2.25 litres of candi with loads of caramel & of a medium amber hue with the consistency of runny honey. Too runny??????

One thing learned today was to add less water to avoid a long wait to invert temp.
Still working out my Dubbel recipe but in no hurry ATM.

 

[Mikedub]

Had a crack at making invert for a Belgian Strong, 3 cups water, 1.5kg raw sugar and 3 tsp. Dap , the flavours changing as the temps slowly rose to 290f were amazing, my cheap digital thermometer turned itself of a couple of times but didn’t really hamper things too much, it was fun to make, lotsa dark fruit and some coffee flavours after 40 min, some bitterness in the syrup which makes me think I didnt get it quite right, though cant pick it up after adding to primary a couple of weeks ago, just tipped below 1.018, come on baby, just another few points down

 

[Beerisyummy]

I recently cracked open several of the dark Belgians I had made using invert sugar.
Very Tasty indeed.

My findings where, that the caramelised syrup, pretty much tastes like caramelised syrup. I'll be buying some dark candi syrup to compare.

 

[Bribie G]

Bump

With the release of "Bronzed Brews" I'll be making some inverts to try in a couple of the old time recipes, also I got some Calcium Lactate from Brewman for other purposes and discover that it's best used for buffering purposes with Lactic Acid.

Thus I need Lactic Acid.

Found out today that Craftbrewer sell it but not on their website, picking some up tomorrow.

 

[Adr_0]

I found a great way to heat clear/golden syrups is in the oven, with temp just short of 100°C.

Amino acids from bulk nutrients stores are probably your best bet. I did a great clear with alanine and a touch of citric acid, which came out well and truly inverted after sitting in the oven for an hour or two. Flavour is lemon, grape, honey, very sweet and stays runny liquid - ie properly inverted.

I don't really have the inclination to try darker syrups though. I do have some leucine/isoleucine in the pantry but I have CSI syrups that will do a far better job.

 

[Brewman_]

Bump

With the release of "Bronzed Brews" I'll be making some inverts to try in a couple of the old time recipes, also I got some Calcium Lactate from Brewman for other purposes and discover that it's best used for buffering purposes with Lactic Acid.

Thus I need Lactic Acid.

Hey Bribie,

You're quite correct. I offer both the Lactic Acid and Calcium Lactate for that very reason. And other reasons that they stand alone for their own purpose.

Cheers Steve

 

[Bribie G]

Hi Steve, sorry mate, I must have missed the LA on your site but I'm heading up to Craftbrewer tomorrow to pick up a new KegMate so I rang ahead, it's not on their site but Anthony sorted a bottle out for me.

I used the Calcium Lactate I got off you by incorporating some acidulated malt in the last mash, interested to see how it turned out.

 

[Jack of all biers]

Bribie, thanks for bringing this topic back to life. I saw it last night and had never thought of adding sugar to my brews (if the recipe calls for it I have always left it out), but I was so enthused that I made my first invert syrup last night after reading all the attached methods. I went with what was in the pantry (500gm mixed raw sugar/demerara, cream of tartar, a touch of lime juice and some delicious blackstrap molasis to finish, adding colour and flavour for my next stout. The colour is black and the taste is sweet liquorice caramel. I can't wait to brew it.

 

[Randai]

I ended up doing two batches of invert for recipes from Bronzed Brews, one for the 1917 Resches XXX and another for the 1920 Resches Extra Stout.

So the XXX has been kegged and considering it had no specialty malt in it, it really does give a sort of caramelly something to it, though this could be also that the XXX finished high at around 1.015, which is making that sort of sweetness come out, but does remind of toffee.

What I've learned is that the candy thermometer is the way to go since trying to take temps would be a pain without watching it go up, also I've been using citric acid as per the wikipedia page, but when I follow the amount they list for 1kg sugar, they say like a gram, I found this to be insufficient, while my first batch did definitely partially invert, it didn't fully, was quite thick.

The second batch I decided to go for invert no 3, even though the recipe in Bronzed Brews calls for only Invert no 1. But I wanted to see how it'd progress, yeah quite complex. Though I went too far in the other direction with the citric, so 1 teaspoon per 500 grams is too much, you can definitely taste it. But it really does have a slightly roasted flavour to the sugar, and it was super dark.

Not sure if people would get the same flavours if you put molasses in there, I just don't think it'd be the same as just doing the whole batch as invert. But as I haven't compared side by side, it might be and I am mis-remembering what molasses tastes like.