Why invert sugar: invert syrup in home brewing, advantages and disadvantages of invert sugar for mash and moonshine. Sugar inversion as a way to improve the properties of mash

Most experienced and novice moonshine lovers know how to properly invert sugar. And that inverting sugar for mash is a simple process, but it requires certain knowledge and skill.

Why is inversion necessary?

Due to the splitting of one molecule of sucrose, two molecules are formed: fructose and glucose. Sugar is mixed with citric acid and, due to the high temperature, an inverted syrup is formed. By consistency and viscosity, it is very similar to honey.

The method saves valuable time and speeds up the hydrolysis process. In its natural form, yeast must independently break down sugar into simpler monosaccharides, which are then finally decomposed to the appearance of alcohol and carbon dioxide.

The cooking time of the mash depends on the raw materials used. The use of fruit sugar as a base guarantees a cooking time of two to three days. Ordinary crystalline sugar in the form of sand takes twice as long to break down.

Braga on inverted sugar has a number of advantages:

• invert sugar to a lesser extent affects the taste and aromatic qualities of the wort;
• high splitting temperature eliminates the possibility of infection of the mash with pathogenic fungi;
• due to the inversion of sugar, the nominal amount of impurities in the mash is significantly reduced, which has a positive effect on the quality of alcohol.

The process also has its downsides. You will have to spend time preparing the mash, creating and maintaining the necessary temperature conditions. Aesthetic inconvenience can cause furfural - a toxic substance that is released during the breakdown of hemicellulose and has a not very pleasant smell. The proportion of the content of this substance is extremely small, so furfural will not do harm. Even in homemade jam, the percentage of its content is higher.

Instruction

The necessary ingredients are always available and not very expensive in price:

• sugar - 1 kg;
• water - 4.5 liters;
• citric acid - 5 g;
• yeast - 100 g (pressed), 20 g (dry).

It is not difficult to obtain invert sugar at home. It is enough to strictly and consistently follow all the steps:

1. It is necessary to fill the container (metal cup, pan) with clean water (0.5 liters) and bring it to a temperature of 80 degrees. Then add sugar and stir constantly.
2. Boil the mixture brought to a boil for 10 minutes, not forgetting to remove the foam.
3. In sugar syrup, you need to very carefully and slowly add citric acid.
4. After thorough mixing, the container is tightly closed and simmered over low heat for no more than an hour. It is important to observe the temperature regime of 80 degrees.
5. Almost ready syrup is cooled to 30 degrees and moved to a container for further fermentation.
6. Then you need to add the remaining amount of water (4 liters) and yeast. It is recommended to install a water seal and ensure that the fermentation temperature is in the range of 18-31 degrees.
7. The inverted syrup is ready for further use.

Acid neutralization

It is recommended to neutralize the effect of citric acid during fermentation. The thing is that yeast fungi get the right development in an environment where the acidity is at the level of 3.7-5.8 pH. For distillation, the optimum acidity is 4.2 pH.

You need to add 1.25 g of regular baking soda to one gram of citric acid. A simple action will help protect the mash from souring and spoilage. For moonshine stills with an aluminum cube, it is recommended to use powdered chalk instead of citric acid. Aluminum is sensitive to sodium bicarbonate contained in lemongrass.

Conclusion

Making home-inverted sugar is optional. The prescription is in the nature of a useful recommendation. It is important to observe all proportions and strictly follow the recipe. Using this method, you can not only improve the quality of the final product, but also significantly increase the volume of the alcoholic beverage.

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Moonshine is made from mash, and the easiest mash to make is sugar mash. And despite the simplicity of the recipe and a small amount of ingredients, you need to cook such a mash correctly. Only properly made sugar mash will result in good moonshine without third-party tastes and odors.

There are several recipes for sugar mash, each of which has the right to life. But I suggest you use the following, as it is the most simple and effective. And, following it, you will cook mash in just an hour.

Sugar mash recipe

How to make mash from sugar?

To prepare 25 liters of sugar mash, we need:

• 20 liters of water;
• 5 kg of sugar;
• alcohol yeast 100 g;
• citric acid 15 g.

We will make sugar syrup from sugar, invert it with citric acid, mix it with cold water and then add activated alcohol yeast.

As a result, we get mash on inverted sugar, which should ferment in just a few days and give very high-quality moonshine at the output. Naturally, subject to the use of good distillation equipment.

Syrup preparation

First we prepare sugar syrup, which we will then invert with citric acid. We take 5 kg of sugar and 5 liters of water. Slowly stirring, heat the mixture until the first boiling points appear (small bubbles at the bottom). Slowly add acid if you fall asleep quickly, the reaction will be violent. Bring to a boil and cook the syrup for 15-20 minutes.

When the syrup is ready, mix it with the remaining cold water. As a result, we get a liquid with a temperature of about 28-32 degrees, that is, just one that is great for the fermentation of alcohol yeast.

From the point of view of chemistry, the inversion of sugar is nothing more than the acid hydrolysis of sucrose. As a result of this reaction, sugar breaks down into monosaccharides, which the yeast feeds on during the production of alcohol. That is, by inverting sugar, we save the yeast from most of their work. Thus, the mash ferments faster and, as a result, less yeast waste products remain in it.

Yeast activation

Alcoholic yeast for mash on sugar must be activated before use. For this we need to do the following:

• dissolve the yeast in 200-300 ml of warm water (the temperature must correspond to that indicated on the packaging);
• add a little sugar (a teaspoon or cube of refined sugar will be enough);
• mix and leave in a warm place for 20 minutes;
• after the formation of a dense foam cap, mix again and pour into the mash.

Activated yeast will begin to ferment more actively, which, coupled with activated sugar, will further speed up the fermentation process.

fermentation process

Usually, in the first 3-4 days, the mash ferments violently, and then the process slows down. Determining whether the mash is ready is very simple. Just look at the water seal. If there are no bubbles in it for at least 30 seconds, then we can assume that the mash is ready.

As an additional indicator, you can use the color and taste of the mash. The color should be light and the taste should be bitter. If there is sweetness, then fermentation is not over yet.

Braga lightening

This process can be made more efficient by using natural absorbents such as bentonite. Bentonite is a white clay that perfectly filters mash, absorbing yeast particles and precipitating with them. Many cat litters are made from bentonite.

To clarify sugar mash, it is enough to take a tablespoon (without a slide) of ground bentonite per 10 liters of mash, mix it with hot water and pour it into a container with mash in a thin stream. In a day, the mash will become crystal clear. The main thing is that fermentation is already over by the time the bentonite is added. Otherwise, gas bubbles will prevent the bentonite from doing its job.

If you do everything right, then at the end you will get an excellent transparent sugar mash, which will become an excellent basis for high-quality strong moonshine. Well, then it's up to your device. To get the maximum out of the mash, on which so much time and effort has been spent, you will need a high-quality moonshine still. We recommend

Housewives preparing confectionery products often come across this ingredient in the list of necessary products. If you are unable to buy a component on store shelves, try making it yourself in your own kitchen.

Invert syrup - what is it

Many recipes contain ingredients that you may not have heard of before. Housewives are often interested in how to invert sugar. Invert syrup is a substance that is an aqueous solution of fructose and glucose, which has anti-crystallization properties. It is obtained by heating a mixture of sugar and water, adding acid. A viscous substance will be an excellent substitute for some hard-to-reach components. You can buy unscented syrups at the store or make your own. The right product resembles honey, it can be stored for up to six months.

Invert syrup - what is it for?

In the confectionery industry, the use of invert syrup occurs for some operations:

• giving the dough a golden hue;
• slowing down the aging of the product;
• biscuit impregnation;
• creating fillings;
• breakdown of sucrose;
• making sweets.

How to replace invert syrup

It happens that you can not buy the right ingredient. According to experts, you can replace invert syrup with the following products:

• molasses;
• corn syrup;
• glucose syrup.

Invert syrup at home

• Cooking time: 2 hours.
• Servings: 2 persons.
• Purpose: for desserts.
• Cuisine: European.

The recipe for invert syrup will require you to have a minimum set of ingredients. Knowing how to cook it is necessary for those who like to try new delicious dishes. Glucose syrup at home may be needed in the manufacture of icing, mastic and other elements of baking decoration. It will greatly facilitate the independent creation of alcoholic beverages, for example, moonshine.

Ingredients:

• baking soda - ¼ tsp;
• water - 155 ml;
• granulated sugar - 350 g;
• citric acid - 2 grams.

Cooking method:

1. Pour hot water into the pan, add sugar, stir until the crystals dissolve.
2. Turn on the fire of small power, wait for it to boil. When the water starts bubbling, pour in the citric acid.
3. Cover the future syrup with a lid so that it fits snugly against the pan. Boil the substance until it acquires a golden hue. Remove the finished liquid from the heat.
4. Add a dessert spoon of water to the baking soda. Pour the resulting mixture into syrup. You will see a reaction with the release of abundant foam. The syrup will be ready when the process slows down. This will take approximately 15 minutes.

Invert syrup for mash

• Cooking time: 1 hour 50 minutes.
• Calorie content of the dish: 274 kcal.
• Purpose: for alcoholic beverage.
• Cuisine: European, Russian.
• Difficulty of preparation: medium.

Inverting sugar for mash is indispensable for home brewing. This process involves the interaction of raw materials with yeast, during which fermentation should occur. However, this cannot be done quickly with cane or beet sugar. Yeasts first carry out hydrolysis, and then the reaction to obtain alcohol. Alcohol experts recommend that the sugar be decomposed artificially, which can reduce the time it takes to make the mash.

Ingredients:

• water - 1.5 l;
• citric acid - 9-12 g;
• sugar - 3 kg.

Cooking method:

1. Pour water into a saucepan and heat to 70-80 degrees. Gradually add granulated sugar with constant stirring, observing the proportions.
2. Wait for the boil to begin, boil the syrup, removing the foam. The liquid should acquire a uniform consistency.
3. Reduce flame intensity to minimum. Pour in citric acid gradually, mix.
4. Cover the pot with a lid, increase the heat again. You need to cook the mass at 80 degrees for about 1 hour.
5. Cool the finished product to 30 degrees, pour into a container where fermentation will be carried out.
6. Add water, yeast and granulated sugar to the substance in the amount necessary to obtain alcohol.

Mirror glaze with invert syrup

• Cooking time: 3 hours.
• Servings: 1 person.
• Calorie content of the dish: 342 kcal.
• Purpose: for dessert.
• Cuisine: European.
• Difficulty of preparation: medium.

Mirror glaze with invert syrup is often used to decorate confectionery, cakes and pastries. Its main advantage is a beautiful and bright appearance, which is achieved through a glossy sheen. The composition of sweetness includes invert sugar. To prepare this component, you will need special kitchen appliances: scales and a thermometer. They are important because accurate measurements of temperature and mass are needed.

Ingredients:

• sheet gelatin - 12 g;
• inverted syrup - 150 g;
• water - 75 g;
• sugar - 150 g;
• white chocolate - 150 g;
• condensed milk - 100 g;
• food coloring - 3-4 drops.

Cooking method:

1. Soak gelatin in ice water. Place finely chopped chocolate and condensed milk inside a tall glass for a blender.
2. Take a saucepan, pour in water and liquid glucose, add granulated sugar. Put the dishes on the fire, dissolve the sugar crystals, gradually heating the mixture. However, you do not need to stir with a spoon, you need to move the stewpan a little in different directions.
3. Wait until the mixture begins to boil, measure the temperature. Bring the indicator to 103 degrees.
4. Pour the hot mass into the glass with chocolate. Squeeze gelatin, add to ingredients. Mix the ingredients.
5. If you want a vibrant color, add a few drops of food coloring. Insert the immersion blender while holding it at a 45 degree angle. Turning the glass, pierce the future icing on glucose syrup with the apparatus. If you do everything right, then the number of bubbles will decrease.
6. The finished product must be wrapped tightly with cling film, sent to the refrigerator for 12 hours.
7. You can warm up the edible decoration in the microwave or in a water bath, beat again with a blender. The temperature of the sweet mass should be 30-35 degrees, strain it through a sieve into a jug with a spout. This measure is necessary if bubble formation has occurred. Glaze is ready.

Mastic from invert syrup

• Cooking time: 1 day.
• Servings: 1-2 persons.
• Calorie content of the dish: 354 kcal.
• Purpose: decorating dessert.
• Cuisine: European.
• Difficulty of preparation: medium.

Mastic from invert syrup is suitable for decorating cakes, pastries and other confectionery. You can not only cover the product with fondant, but also fashion various decorative elements from it. Making sweets at home is not easy, but with due patience, the hostess will cope with such a task. Baking, decorated with mastic with glucose syrup, looks beautiful, suitable for special occasions.

Ingredients:

• sugar - 1 tbsp.;
• water - 0.5 tbsp.;
• gelatin - 12 g;
• invert sugar - 85 g;
• corn starch - 100 g;
• salt;
• powdered sugar - 0.6 kg.

Cooking method:

1. Pour gelatin with ¼ of cold temperature water. Mix the remaining liquid, salt, sugar, syrup, put on the stove, bring to a boil. Reduce the flame, cook for 8 minutes.
2. Pour the boiling water mixture to the gelatin, beat with a mixer for 10-15 minutes. until a white mass is obtained.
3. Sift the powdered sugar, add to the mixture in parts, not forgetting to stir. To prepare a colored decoration, add dye at this stage. Mix all ingredients well, cover tightly with cling film. Leave for a day at room conditions.
4. Sprinkle starch on your work surface. Put the mastic, mix well.

Video: how to make invert syrup

The process of making moonshine seems quite simple to some people and does not cause them any difficulties. However, real professionals in the industry do not think so. The fact is that before you get a high-quality and, most importantly, safe drink, all components must go through a number of chemical reactions and various processes on which the final result depends. That is why professionals often practice inverting sugar for mash, which amateurs neglect, and as a result win in quality, getting an excellent drink, which artisans cannot boast of.

Why is inversion necessary?

This process is to get fructose and glucose molecules instead of one sucrose molecule. Usually, inverting sugar for mash is done due to the fact that yeast is not able to process sugar in its pure form. First, they carry out splitting into simpler substances, while spending a certain time. Only after that they process them into carbon dioxide and the alcohol necessary for further work. However, this releases a lot of by-products that adversely affect the quality of the drink.

Benefits of this process

• Some moonshiners invert sugar for mash to reduce the preparation time of the drink. Using the same technologies, but using this technique, will allow you to get moonshine a few days earlier. In some cases, this is very beneficial.
• This process exposes the sugar to high temperatures. As a result, all bacteria on its surface are destroyed, which significantly reduces the risk of infection of the mash.
• This cooking technology significantly improves the taste of the product. This is especially important when using fruits or components containing starch.
• If a classic moonshine still is used for distillation, then the product will have a higher quality at the output. However, when applied, this advantage will not be significant.
• It is believed that the smell of moonshine during distillation will not be so nasty. In principle, the difference is small, although in fairness it should be noted that the finished product will receive a pleasant aroma, especially when using fruits.

Flaws

• It takes time for an additional process. However, if we take into account that such a cooking technology saves a lot of time, then this disadvantage can be considered insignificant.
• The yield of the final product when using such sugar will be several percent lower. At the same time, it should be understood that it is the part that reduces the quality that can be attributed to losses.
• Furfural is released. This substance causes irritation of the mucous membrane and skin. True, it should be understood that even in ordinary jam there is much more furfural than in a drink prepared in this way.

Cooking process

We all made regular sugar syrup. Almost all housewives know how to cook it. However, this process has slight differences and requires compliance with certain security measures.

Choice of dishes

Invert sugar is made in a deep bowl. The fact is that when the final component is added, a process of abundant foaming occurs. As a result, the liquid increases in volume and may even splash out. That is why it is recommended to take dishes in which, after diluting water and sugar, there will be a third of the free space.

Ingredients

We need to make sugar syrup. Everyone knows how to cook it, but in this case the proportions will be slightly different. Therefore, it is very important to follow the recipe. Need to purchase:

• sugar - 3 kg;
• water - 1.5 l;
• citric acid - 12 g.

Cooking

• Standard invert sugar, the recipe for which involves the use of citric acid, requires high temperatures. Therefore, first you need to heat the water to 80 degrees.
• Sugar must be introduced into the liquid very slowly so that it has time to dissolve. In this case, stirring is constantly carried out.
• Only after the sugar has dissolved is the liquid brought to a boil. In this case, a white foam will form on the surface, which must be removed. The composition should be cooked for about ten minutes.
• At the next stage, sugar is inverted. It is introduced into the solution in small portions with constant stirring. After that, the pan is covered with a lid, and the fire is reduced to a minimum.
• After a couple of minutes, you need to adjust the fire. The fact is that the temperature of the syrup should be above 80 degrees. Some masters prefer to maintain the boiling process in order to guarantee the result.
• Maintain this temperature for 60 minutes. In this case, the lid must be closed.
• After this time, the fire is turned off, and the resulting composition is cooled to 30 degrees. After that, it can be added to the fermentation tank.

Home brew

This paragraph describes the standard and yeast. When using other components, it is necessary to make appropriate adjustments to the recipe.

• To create a product, a standard fermentation tank is used. As it can be used a food aluminum can, which is closed with a sealed lid.
• It is worth making a special hole on the lid to remove accumulated gases. A small tube is mounted to it, on which you can put a hose. This is necessary in order to create a kind of hydraulic seal. Thanks to him, the air will come out of the tank, and nothing will get inside. This way you can further reduce the risk of infection of the composition.
• It is worth recalling that we already have inverted sugar in the container. The recipe for its preparation is indicated above, with all proportions. Therefore, we will add the remaining components based on the available mass.
• 4 liters of water and 100 grams of pressed yeast should be added to the container, taking into account that this is the norm for 1 kilogram of regular sugar before inversion. So, for the previously prepared composition, we need 12 liters of water and 300 grams of pressed yeast.
• Some moonshiners prefer to use dry yeast. They must be taken at the rate of 20 grams per 1 kilogram of sugar. Therefore, we need 60 grams of this substance.
• At the next stage, we close the lid, and the hose coming from the tube is immersed in water.
• Throughout the fermentation process, it is worth maintaining the temperature in the liquid at 30 degrees. The standard sugar and yeast mash is also prepared in the same way, although some moonshiners do not attach much importance to this parameter, which is completely wrong.
• After the fermentation process comes to an end, the resulting composition must be distilled.

After the fermentation process has come to an end, the finished product should be cleaned. Bentonite is best suited for this, which is added to the wash to condense the sediment. This measure allows you to further improve the quality of the product (we are talking about taste and smell). At the same time, harmful impurities are also removed, which makes moonshine safe for consumption.

Warning

Even the highest quality invert sugar mash cannot guarantee that the final product will be safe. It is necessary to observe a lot of other conditions and technical processes in order to achieve the desired result. You should not put experiments on yourself and others, since the consequences of poisoning with low-quality alcohol can be very deplorable.

Special attention should be paid to the fact that the independent production of alcoholic beverages in some countries is illegal. Even mash can be related to such products, and in some cases, the very fact of storing a moonshine can lead to punishment. Given this, before embarking on moonshine, you should study in detail the legislation of a particular region so as not to have trouble with the law.

Also, do not forget that excessive consumption of alcoholic beverages can adversely affect health. Even a quality product can be harmful if its quantity exceeds the allowable rate.

• When it is created, it is worth thinking about others. This process, followed by distillation, contributes to the appearance of a mass of peculiar odors that not all people like. Therefore, it is necessary to use technologies and formulations that minimize side effects. It is also worth installing a hood and working in a ventilated area.

• When added to acid, there is a possibility that splashes will occur. It is worth remembering that the temperature of the composition is quite high, and you can get quite serious burns. Therefore, before the introduction of acid, the fire is removed to a minimum, and it itself is added in small portions. However, it is better to use additional protection for eyes and skin. It is enough to wear glasses, an apron and gloves.

It is very important to observe the temperature regime. If it is violated, the inversion may not be performed completely. That is why many moonshiners prefer to carry out this process on the verge of boiling, which gives an almost 100% quality guarantee.

It is believed that for the preparation of moonshine it is best to use beet sugar. Some moonshiners claim that it can not be inverted, since the yeast does a great job with it. In fact, this information is wrong. Regardless of which yeast strains are used or which sugar is used, it will take approximately the same amount of time to process and release a similar amount of impurities. Only inversion will change this situation.

In order to save time, it is recommended to harvest such sugar for future use. However, experts say that it is better not to do this. The fact is that when it cools, it loses its properties, since new molecules characteristic of sucrose begin to form. Therefore, it is better to prepare such sugar immediately before its use.

If the mixture is overheated, it will begin to darken and become unusable. Such a composition will spoil the taste of the final product, which means that it must be poured out or used for confectionery purposes. Given this, it is worth controlling the temperature regime at all stages of cooking.

Does the inversion of sugar in moonshine make sense - a question discussed in many moonshine forums. We can look at theoretical calculations on this topic in. In practice, for me personally, the answer is unambiguous - invert. The main motive is a significant improvement in the smell of both the mash itself and the final product, which cannot but affect the pleasantness of its consumption. Inverting sugar with citric acid is not a difficult process, but still sometimes I still refuse it when preparing mash due to the lack of enough time.

Invert sugar - a detailed recipe

Ingredients

For 1 kg of sugar, 500 ml of water and 4 g of citric acid are required.

I needed to invert 4 kg of sugar. According to the recipe, this amount of sugar will require 2 liters of water and 16 g of citric acid.

Cooking 1. We heat water in a saucepan to a temperature of at least 80 ° C. Since there were no pots of sufficient size in the house, we had to divide the volume into two containers. I poured a liter of water into each and set it to heat up. Honestly, I didn’t measure the temperature with a thermometer, I moved on to the next item when the water seemed hot enough to me.
2. Gradually add sugar to the water. Constantly stir the future syrup so that the sugar does not burn. Sugar did not dissolve quickly (maybe not heated enough).
3. We wait until the mixture boils, after that, cook for 10-15 minutes until the sugar is completely dissolved, while constantly removing the foam.
4. We achieve the minimum intensity of boiling. In small portions, add citric acid to the syrup. We monitor foaming: if it foams strongly, we reduce the rate of adding acid, otherwise the contents of the pan may splash out. I measured citric acid with measuring spoons at the rate that in ½ tbsp. fits 5 g of citric acid. I added slowly, apparently for this reason I did not observe excessive foaming, and the syrup did not spill out anywhere.
5. Boil the syrup for 1 hour. It is at this stage that the inversion of sugar occurs as such - the division of sucrose into fructose and glucose. During boiling, the syrup acquired a pleasant yellowish tint and a caramel-fruity smell.
6. Invert sugar is ready! Cool it down and use it!