Invert Sugar

[fergi007]

Hi All Im going to be attempting an AG recipe from the Marc Olloson book(Flowers IPA) which requires invert sugar. I have had a look around but dont seem to get much clarity on this. so my question is what is it, Can I substitute it for brewing sugar or some DME or do you make it yourself.
Much appreciated Wayne

 

[Tean Buns]

You can make it yourself, I think it's a pound of sugar in a pint of water with 1 teaspoon of citric acid, then boil for half an hour or until it turns yellow and basically becomes golden syrup ! The only advantage over table sugar is that the fermentation supposedly kicks off a bit quicker but I haven't done the experiment so I don't know whether that is true. I haven't made it either, let me know if it works. I would probably just substitute for standard table sugar

I have ordered this very book, waiting for it come in this week ... I can't wait :hat:

 

[fergi007]

much appreciated. The book is great with lots of great recipes. I have Townes Brewery IPA on now and intend on getting the Orkney Dark Island recipe on the go this weekend.

 

[Tean Buns]

Sorry, I have been out of the country for too long, I don't know either of those two brews, I'll have to do some catching up this summer. I'll look up the recipe for the invert sugar this evening, I think I can find it ...:

 

[Tean Buns]

this is the CJJ Berry recipe for invert sugar, to make one gallon !

8 lb of sugar + 2 pints of water + half a teaspoon of citric or tartaric acid

heat gently stirring, then boil for half an hour. Top up the final volume to make one whole gallon. One pint of the solution contains one pound of invert sugar. I guess there is no problem keeping it.
:hat:

 

[mac.eightball]

Inverted sugar syrup can be easily made by adding roughly one gram of citric acid or ascorbic acid per kilogram of sugar. Cream of tartar (one gram per kilogram) or fresh lemon juice (10 milliliters per kilogram) may also be used.

The mixture is boiled for 20 minutes to get to a temperature of 114 °C (237 °F),[3] and will convert enough of the sucrose to effectively prevent crystallization, without giving a noticeably sour taste. Invert sugar syrup may also be produced without the use of acids or enzymes by thermal means alone: two parts granulated sucrose and one part water simmered for five to seven minutes will convert a modest portion to invert sugar.

All inverted sugar syrups are created from hydrolyzing sucrose to glucose (dextrose) and fructose by heating a sucrose solution, then relying on time alone, with the catalytic properties of an acid or enzymes used to speed the reaction. Commercially prepared acid catalysed solutions are neutralized when the desired level of inversion is reached.

All constituent sugars (sucrose, glucose and fructose) support fermentation, so invert sugar solutions may be fermented as readily as sucrose solutions.

 

[serum]

If you look up recipes for Candi Sugar you'll find plenty. That's the name the Belgians use and they seem to use it the most as it boosts the ABV without giving extra body so a sugar of some sort would be preferrable to some DME, which will add body. I don't remember Flowers being that strong though!

People seem to say it works better as a syrup than in solid form. You can buy both sorts but the syrup seems expensive. I'm planning to make some for future brews. You can cook it for different amounts of time to darken the colour. It ranges from clear to brown.

You can possibly use brewing sugar as an alternative. The Brewferm kits tend to say you can use sugar but invert sugar will be better. It's meant to ferment easier but, as with anything, some people agree with that and some don't.

 

[JKaranka]

I guess in a lower abv beer there are two reasons to use it: a) it gives the beer a drier edge than using malt, b) it can be an interesting flavour addition if it's amber or dark (honey, caramel, dark fruit tones from the caramelised sugar). If you look at the historic early dark milds they were often darkened with invert sugar #3 rather than dark malts.