# Sugar beets



## spunk (Sep 13, 2015)

Ok im looking for an answer.. ok you biology people. I grew sugar beets this year. Going to harvest soon. Want to make sugar out of them.i read several things of people trying to create it. They created a molasses kind of substance that they didnt like. So i read more on it seems it is prosessed with hot water but also chalk and carbon bonoxide to get rid of some of the unwanted matter. Now i can get the chalk like used in wine. But can i put carbon bonoxide in in without making it into a wine. Now i prob will be making wine in the end if i can make sugar. I have seen some recipies to to use with the sugar beets. I just wanted to accomplish making sugar.


----------



## dorfie (Sep 13, 2015)

spunk said:


> Ok im looking for an answer.. ok you biology people. I grew sugar beets this year. Going to harvest soon. Want to make sugar out of them.i read several things of people trying to create it. They created a molasses kind of substance that they didnt like. So i read more on it seems it is prosessed with hot water but also chalk and carbon bonoxide to get rid of some of the unwanted matter. Now i can get the chalk like used in wine. But can i put carbon bonoxide in in without making it into a wine. Now i prob will be making wine in the end if i can make sugar. I have seen some recipies to to use with the sugar beets. I just wanted to accomplish making sugar.



I mean I'm not a biologist or anything haha 
If i understand and remember what i was told correctly (tried this a few years ago) the companies use carbon hydroxide, and carbon dioxide to cause the impurities to fall out of the liquid. i have in some notes scribbled here that you can use "milk of lime" which is just calcium hydroxide and water and seltzer water (for CO2) as a replacement. 
after the liquid has sat for a while, and the sediment fell, at least some, then you would pour the liquid off being careful not to disturb the impurities at the bottom, boil it down,the separate the sugar crystals from the molasses. that's the part that i never figured out....that and i burned the syrup! 
hope this helps! good luck!


----------



## spunk (Sep 19, 2015)

Thats @dorfie. For responding when it cool outside I will be digging up my beets. And give it a try the seltzer water is a good idea.


----------



## spunk (Oct 26, 2015)

Ok i dug up my sugar beets, about 5 lbs this is what i did so far washed peeled and diced added un clorinated water. Boiled for maybe an hour strained ran through a cheese cloth twice. Returned beets to more water and boiled again stained again. It is sweet second batch not as much. So i checked it with a hydrometer it read if fermented 5 % on 2nd the first read and 8% alcohol. Interesting not sure what im going to do may try a wine adding sugar. Or wait to get some sediment.


----------



## dorfie (Oct 31, 2015)

My Grandparents used to drink beet wine! it was from red beets, and was made in the 50's or so so probably not useful information anyway haha


----------



## spunk (Nov 1, 2015)

I poured two quarts sugar beet water in a pan added ginger 2 pears cinnamon and a 6 0z pk of chopped dried figs and orange zest yesterday 10-30. Prob add pectic and juice of the orange later today. Hows that sound? The beet water is sweet but has a vegetable taste too.


----------



## dorfie (Nov 1, 2015)

honestly i have no idea, haha the pears, ginger and cinnamon sound good! but i have never made or had beet wine. keep us updated! sounds interesting!


----------



## spunk (Nov 3, 2015)

Added around 8 oz of wildflower honey to get sg up to 1.09. Added a campton tab last night.


----------



## spunk (Nov 6, 2015)

Added yeast ingredient tannins and yeast. Smells good


----------



## spunk (Nov 13, 2015)

Ok im worried what is this on top?


----------



## spunk (Nov 14, 2015)

I used raw honey. Maybe that is why. It is not fuzzy should i rack it off it is slowly fermenting a high ph 3.79 acid was between 3 and 4. Last sq was 1.04 i was worried about a stuck ferment but when i put in secondary it started a very slow ferment. Affraid if i rack again i will kill the ferment. I want it to ferment dry.


----------



## dorfie (Nov 16, 2015)

that is an infection of some sort, could be from a lot of things. i wouldn't think its from the honey because it has natural antimicrobial compounds in it. 
what i have done in the past when something like that has happened is i have first tried to remove as much of the what that is on top as i can, using a sterilized utensil, then i have racked it into a campden solution, trying to not get any of the white stuff. 
of course since you are still trying to ferment it down, the campden might knock your yeast back...but if you let the infection progress you could loose your wine....


----------



## spunk (Nov 20, 2015)

Seems to be clearing a bit look like yeast stuck to sides of top of my jug. I read somewhere on this site maybe. About raw honey can have some protein in it to cause this film. I believe WVMountaineer jack did. Cannot find it now. so I am waiting it out a bit.The film made a large bubble now its gone. Hope im making good choices.hat:


----------



## spunk (Nov 23, 2015)

Racked had a lot of sediment i didnt want it sitting on it afraid of the off flavor from it. I also got it to a much better formenting all the film on top gone. So now i wait. Didnt taste good. Didnt expect it to.


----------



## spunk (Apr 27, 2016)

This mead slash wine is clearing but each time a rack the file on top appears. Irs smells fine taste not good but could a wine that need to sit fkr a while but notxsure what to do with film.


----------



## spunk (May 15, 2016)

Mold on top pitching today


----------

