The reason and benefit of inverting the sugar?

[NorCal]

I have 5 gallons of SP going right now and looks to be turning out just fine. I'm looking to do a Strawberry SP next, so I've been reviewing the Dragon Blood recipe as well.

One of the big process differences between the two is that SP calls to invert the sugar, where DB does not, which begs the question if it is necessary or the benefit of adding this process step.

 

[cmason1957]

Is it necessary? Probably not. Why do it? Table sugar is two molecules of sugar, fructose and sucrose. Inverting breaks these apart and concerts one to the other. Yeast can and will do this, but it takes energy away from reproducing and making alcohol. (and if I got the names of the sugars wrong, mea cuppa and please correct me. I didn't relook this up, but just answered off the cuff)

I always invert sugar, doesn't matter what kind of wine I am making. I figure it doesn't take much effort on my part and helps out the yeast.

 

[bkisel]

I've only used inverted sugar, regular sugar and simple syrup [not all together] AFTER the yeast has done or should have done its thing - i.e. after fermentation to dry and stabilizing.

I do seem to taste a bit of a difference between batches of wine using inverted sugar and when doing back sweetening using the same amount of table sugar straight up or made into a simple syrup. I would say that the batches done with inverted sugar have a less obvious table sugar taste to them particularly when the wine is relatively young.

 

[waterloowino]

I am a newbie and do not know what inverting the sugar means. Please advise! Go Cards!!
Steve

 

[seth8530]

Inverting sugar is when you add sugar and water together and boil them ( sometimes with an acid component) to break down the sugars into a simpler more yeast ready form.

Typically when I make invert syrups I will use a small bit of the wine instead of water since I avoid adding water to my wines. ( I know I end up boiling a bit of wine in the process this way).

The main advantage that I like of making invert syrup instead of simply putting table sugar into the wine is that it mixes so much better than table sugar. And thus, it is a lot easier to get the gravity or brix mark you were looking for.

 

[djrockinsteve]

There is no need to boil the water and definitely not the wine.

When you raise the temperature of sugar and a liquid you begin a chemical reaction and transformation. Sugar (Sucrose) is converted to Fructose and Glucose. It is easier for yeast to feed on inverted sugar and is smoother than sugar.

You can invert twice the amount of sugar into a liquid for ex. 1 cup of sugar can be inverted into 1/2 cup of wine or water. It is easier if the liquid is greater than that though.

With back sweetening you barely warm a small amount of wine with your sugar and stir often. You will begin to see the sugar granules disappear and white spirals on top. After another few minutes there will be a small residue around the perimeter. Once that disappears turn off the burner and allow to rest. Your sugar is inverted and may be blended with the remaining wine (along with sorbate).

For one gallon approximately 4 ounces of sugar by weight will raise specific gravity .010
I say approximately because it's actually something like 3.75 ounces. I will add 2/3rds the sugar and recheck then adjust again.

The equation for small degree is .4 ounces (4 tenths ) sugar will raise wine .002 or move hydrometer to next line.

 

[GaDawg]

Heat the water but do not boil it. Boiling the water will drive out the o2 and the yeast needs it.


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