Wood chips in Dextrose?

[Kellcin]

I started a new batch of Muscadine wine tonight. I purchased my dextrose from a wine and beer supply store, It was bulk and they bagged up what I asked for. As I started dissolving it tonght I noticed small wood chips or flakes floating in the water. I used a scsreen to get it out. Is this normal? I've only ever used dextrose one time before and it was pre-packaged. I am planning on calling the store tomorrow and asking but hate to look foolish if this is normal from bulk dextrose, so I thought i would take the chance to look foolish here.

 

[winemanden]

I started a new batch of Muscadine wine tonight. I purchased my dextrose from a wine and beer supply store, It was bulk and they bagged up what I asked for. As I started dissolving it tonght I noticed small wood chips or flakes floating in the water. I used a scsreen to get it out. Is this normal? I've only ever used dextrose one time before and it was pre-packaged. I am planning on calling the store tomorrow and asking but hate to look foolish if this is normal from bulk dextrose, so I thought i would take the chance to look foolish here.

No idea, but why dextrose? What's wrong with cane or beet sugar?

 

[Kellcin]

No idea, but why dextrose? What's wrong with cane or beet sugar?

When I first started making wine in 2014, the shop I bought my supplies from suggested I use dextrose. He said it made a big difference in flavor, specifically a twang. He said if he tastes a wine he an tell right off if someone used regular cane sugar. So I used it with my first Muscadine. Each year after that I used regular cane sugar off the shelf because it is easier to get. No doubt though, and although I follow the exact recipe carefully, barring the dextrose, my 2014 wine was absolutely the best. So this year I am going with dextrose to see if it truly makes the difference. It was certainly easier to dissolve, so if nothing else the process was a little easier.

 

[Eric Huser]

Don't know about the wood chips, but you get a much cleaner ferment from corn sugar (Dextrose) vs Cane or Beet (Sucrose). Or just invert the sucrose and boil it with some acid and get glucose and fructose. Great idea sticking with the exact recipe.

 

[sour_grapes]

No idea, but why dextrose? What's wrong with cane or beet sugar?

@Eric Huser is correct. Yeast have an easier time fermenting dextrose (AKA glucose) than they do fructose. See https://www.lallemandwine.com/wp-co...rmentation-of-Fructose-in-winemaking-2013.pdf

Sorru @Kellcin , I have no idea about the wood chips!

 

[Wayne Freeman]

When I first started making wine in 2014, the shop I bought my supplies from suggested I use dextrose. He said it made a big difference in flavor, specifically a twang. He said if he tastes a wine he an tell right off if someone used regular cane sugar. So I used it with my first Muscadine. Each year after that I used regular cane sugar off the shelf because it is easier to get. No doubt though, and although I follow the exact recipe carefully, barring the dextrose, my 2014 wine was absolutely the best. So this year I am going with dextrose to see if it truly makes the difference. It was certainly easier to dissolve, so if nothing else the process was a little easier.

I can't speak about cane sugar vs dextrose in wine (I don't make sweet wines) but I started making beer many years ago before dextrose was widely available so I used cane sugar. The beer I made in those days using cane sugar had a distinct apple cider-y flavor, even when only used for CO2 charging. My first batch made using dextrose was a revelation.

 

[Kellcin]

Revisiting this post and my 2020 muscadine came out perfect. So just to confirm my post above, I will never use regular cane sugar again for making wine. I just started my 2021 muscadine and muscadine peach and used dextrose in both. The are cooking just fine and I can't wait to sample them.

 

[JustJoe]

I thought making a simple syrup from sucrose converted the sucrose to fructose and glucose? Did I make that up myself or is that true?

 

[CDrew]

I thought making a simple syrup from sucrose converted the sucrose to fructose and glucose? Did I make that up myself or is that true?

Sort of. If you heat sucrose (table sugar) syrup it will convert the sucrose to glucose + fructose solution.

 

[Kellcin]

It's just the flavor difference. Regular cane sugar has a certain taste and corn sugar doesn't seem to add a taste to the wine.

 

[Rice_Guy]

interesting, , ,
dextrose is a manufactured product made from corn starch which has contaminants as protein at the 0.01% level and practically speaking contains an assortment of higher molecular weight non-reacted dextrins.

It's just the flavor difference. Regular cane sugar has a certain taste and corn sugar doesn't seem to add a taste to the wine.