| Author |
Message |
    
Michael Boyd
Intermediate Member
Username: Mlboyd
Post Number: 414
Registered: 02-2003
Posted From: 74.93.21.110
| | Posted on Thursday, January 12, 2012 - 10:55 pm: | 
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My wife's foray into baking left us with several pounds of powdered sugar. I make bitters and milds and often use table sugar. I'm planing on using the powdered sugar and was wondering if there was anything I should know first.
Thanks |
mikel
Intermediate Member
Username: Mikel
Post Number: 420
Registered: 02-2001
Posted From: 166.181.3.110
| | Posted on Friday, January 13, 2012 - 02:00 am: |
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Some type of anti-caking agent in powdered sugar. |
Paul Hayslett
Senior Member
Username: Paulhayslett
Post Number: 2989
Registered: 02-2002
Posted From: 24.2.134.193
| | Posted on Friday, January 13, 2012 - 02:02 am: |
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If it is just "superfine sugar", then it is okay. Nothing in there but sugar ground up smaller than usual.
If it is "confectioner's sugar", be careful. That has a small amount of an anti-caking agent that doesn't dissolve well in water. You can see it clumping up and floating on the surface. It might not matter -- it might get carried away in the krausen later on. But I'd be cautious.
Check the package. It should say if there is anything in it but sugar. |
Dan Listermann
Senior Member
Username: Listermann
Post Number: 7902
Registered: 03-2004
Posted From: 72.49.60.83
| | Posted on Friday, January 13, 2012 - 02:17 am: |
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Isn't it starch? |
Bill Pierce
Moderator
Username: Billpierce
Post Number: 13507
Registered: 01-2002
Posted From: 24.150.9.127
| | Posted on Friday, January 13, 2012 - 02:56 am: |
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From Wikipedia: "Powdered sugar is generally mixed with cornstarch, wheat flour, or calcium phosphate to improve its flowing ability, and thus it is not generally used to sweeten beverages." |
Graham Cox
Senior Member
Username: T2driver
Post Number: 2839
Registered: 11-2004
Posted From: 72.15.96.196
| | Posted on Friday, January 13, 2012 - 05:49 am: |
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Michael, if you're brewing all-grain and you want to use the powdered sugar in the kettle, add it during your lauter and let it rest at that temperature for a few minutes before adding any heat. There should be enough alpha-amylase activity remaining to degrade any starch that might be present to some extent. I would think the percentage of starch, if it is even there, would be extremely small. The rest is simply sucrose that, as Paul indicated, is milled very finely. |
Michael Boyd
Intermediate Member
Username: Mlboyd
Post Number: 415
Registered: 02-2003
Posted From: 74.93.21.110
| | Posted on Wednesday, February 01, 2012 - 10:21 pm: |
|
Thanks, I usually add adjunts late in the boil to make the SG lower for the hops, but If I use the ps I'll put it in early in the lauter. |
Brews and Views Archive 2012 
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