Re: Alternate Sweetners? Brown Rice Syrup?

[Guest guest]

When I discussed KT with a brewer a few years ago, he explained that yeasts

prefer pure sugar because it's easier for them to get at the food. That's

why some folks don't like eating crab - too much work to get at the goodies.

If you don't want the sugar in the brew, just let it turn to vinegar. Then

drink it diluted; it doesn't have much of a taste. All cultures have used

raw, unfiltered vinegars as medicine since the beginning of time.

As for rice syrup, I'm diabetic, and there isn't much difference between

rice syrup and sugar from what I can see. They both make me ill. People who

have Syndrome X or diabetes are kidding themselves if they say there is a

difference.

Hope that helps,

Alternate Sweetners? Brown Rice Syrup?

>

> Has anyone here used Brown Rice Syrup in your KT?

>

> I have some organic brewing grade syrup available - its used in very

> light beer styles like Corona because it is very fermentable and

> leaves next to no taste. I definately don't like the aftertaste of

> honey and I'm trying to remove refined white sugar from my diet. So I

> was thinking of trying the rice syrup on my next batch, but I figured

> I'd ask here first just in case there's something better.

>

> Thanks!

>

> -Lana

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

Thanks ,

I have been diluting it a bit to compensate for the sweetness, but that

makes sense to just let it all convert and than dilute. About how many days

does it take to completely convert to vinegar?

Also, I find the longer I leave the KT, the more white sediment it

develops... I am not referring to the organge/brown acetobacter strands,

this is completely different. It almost looks like someone dumped dry milk

into my KT. It tends to settle to the bottom. It has a kind of old-shoe

taste to it. Any ideas what it could be?

Thanks!

-Lana

>

> When I discussed KT with a brewer a few years ago, he explained that

> yeasts

> prefer pure sugar because it's easier for them to get at the food. That's

> why some folks don't like eating crab - too much work to get at the

> goodies.

>

> If you don't want the sugar in the brew, just let it turn to vinegar. Then

>

> drink it diluted; it doesn't have much of a taste. All cultures have used

> raw, unfiltered vinegars as medicine since the beginning of time.

>

> As for rice syrup, I'm diabetic, and there isn't much difference between

> rice syrup and sugar from what I can see. They both make me ill. People

> who

> have Syndrome X or diabetes are kidding themselves if they say there is a

> difference.

>

> Hope that helps,

>

>

[Guest guest]

Hi Lana,

It is normal to have what folks on this list call " squigglies " or

strands of yeast in your brew and sometimes clinging to the Kombucha

colony. Depending on the tea you use, they are usually brown but could

appear orange with some teas I suppose.

However, there should not be anything like powdered milk in your

kombucha. Usually mold forms on the top of the Kombucha colony and is

fuzzy, it looks like the mold you see on bread or fruit and can be

different colors, including white.

You need to figure out what is causing the " white powder " in your

brew. If you cannot determine why that is happening you may have to

toss the whole thing, clean everything very well and start with a new

Kombucha Colony and starter KT. However, if the white powder is from

undissolved sugar, or tea bags, or was in the tea itself etc. then you

may not have a problem.

When it doubt - throw it out....don't drink it.

Let us know what you discover about it please.

Peace, Love and Harmony,

Bev

-- In original_kombucha , " Lana Gibbons "

wrote:

>

> Thanks ,

>

> I have been diluting it a bit to compensate for the sweetness, but that

> makes sense to just let it all convert and than dilute. About how

many days

> does it take to completely convert to vinegar?

>

> Also, I find the longer I leave the KT, the more white sediment it

> develops... I am not referring to the organge/brown acetobacter

strands,

> this is completely different. It almost looks like someone dumped

dry milk

> into my KT. It tends to settle to the bottom. It has a kind of

old-shoe

> taste to it. Any ideas what it could be?

>

> Thanks!

>

> -Lana

>

>

> >

> > When I discussed KT with a brewer a few years ago, he explained that

> > yeasts

> > prefer pure sugar because it's easier for them to get at the food.

That's

> > why some folks don't like eating crab - too much work to get at the

> > goodies.

> >

> > If you don't want the sugar in the brew, just let it turn to

vinegar. Then

> >

> > drink it diluted; it doesn't have much of a taste. All cultures

have used

> > raw, unfiltered vinegars as medicine since the beginning of time.

> >

> > As for rice syrup, I'm diabetic, and there isn't much difference

between

> > rice syrup and sugar from what I can see. They both make me ill.

People

> > who

> > have Syndrome X or diabetes are kidding themselves if they say

there is a

> > difference.

> >

> > Hope that helps,

> >

> >

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

She said that it was white " sediment " , to me that just sounds like spent

yeast... Though yeast sediment is generally more of an off-white to yellow

brown color.

As far as the old shoe taste, that kind of goes along with autolysing

yeast. If you let any brewed beverage sit on the sediment or " lees "

for longer than about two weeks, the yeast start to decompose and/or consume

each other if their food sources are exausted (all the sugar has been

fermented) and this can definitely produce off flavors..

If you are saving kombucha, it will store better if you transfer the tea

into another container and leave the sediment behind..

Beau

>

> Hi Lana,

>

> It is normal to have what folks on this list call " squigglies " or

> strands of yeast in your brew and sometimes clinging to the Kombucha

> colony. Depending on the tea you use, they are usually brown but could

> appear orange with some teas I suppose.

>

> However, there should not be anything like powdered milk in your

> kombucha. Usually mold forms on the top of the Kombucha colony and is

> fuzzy, it looks like the mold you see on bread or fruit and can be

> different colors, including white.

>

> You need to figure out what is causing the " white powder " in your

> brew. If you cannot determine why that is happening you may have to

> toss the whole thing, clean everything very well and start with a new

> Kombucha Colony and starter KT. However, if the white powder is from

> undissolved sugar, or tea bags, or was in the tea itself etc. then you

> may not have a problem.

>

> When it doubt - throw it out....don't drink it.

>

> Let us know what you discover about it please.

>

> Peace, Love and Harmony,

> Bev

>

> -- In original_kombucha , " Lana Gibbons "

> wrote:

> >

> > Thanks ,

> >

> > I have been diluting it a bit to compensate for the sweetness, but that

> > makes sense to just let it all convert and than dilute. About how

> many days

> > does it take to completely convert to vinegar?

> >

> > Also, I find the longer I leave the KT, the more white sediment it

> > develops... I am not referring to the organge/brown acetobacter

> strands,

> > this is completely different. It almost looks like someone dumped

> dry milk

> > into my KT. It tends to settle to the bottom. It has a kind of

> old-shoe

> > taste to it. Any ideas what it could be?

> >

> > Thanks!

> >

> > -Lana

> >

>

[Guest guest]

I've been brewing with agave syrup for the last year (as long as I've been

brewing). I was initially informed by Len that he didn't think my brew

would be as bacterially rich because of the reduced glucose content of the

syrup compared to cane sugar. I did some research and the maker of my

agave syrup says that it is 25% glucose/75% fructose, as compared to cane

sugar which is 50%/50%. I decided to keep using the agave syrup.

I looked up the chemistry of barley malt syrup, and it is 100%

fructose. So I decided that was not an option unless I also used part cane

sugar. I have not been able to find the chemistry of rice syrup so I don't

know what it works out to. My neighbor only uses honey because of severe

allergies, and her brews are great. It's really a personal preference

where some of these alternative sweeteners are concerned.

When I first started drinking KT, I was buying the GT's stuff. I don't

have a sugar reaction to it. It states on the label that it is " delicately

brewed for 30 days " , yet it doesn't taste like vinegar-- so whatever they

are doing, it is taking the sugar out without becoming vinegar. When I

started brewing my own KT, I had sugar reactions, even whrn I brewed it a

long time. Plus, I don't like it be vinegary and require sweetening, even

stevia. I like the bubbly fresh brew. So I started using the agave syrup,

which is a sweetener I can use. I've had great improvement since beginning

KT, so I think that the brews are healthful.

When I say " sugar reaction " what I mean by that is that I'm hypoglycemic

and have been since I was a teen. If I eat cane sugar/corn syrup/maple

syrup, I experience suicidal feelings. At some point I learned that I

could avoid suicidal feelings if I just didn't eat sweeteners that make me

feel bad. What I found for myself is that some sweeteners metabolize more

quickly than others, and grain sweeteners and agave metabolize slowly

enough, or in different channels, that I can enjoy them without negative

effects.

This personal experience has now been vindicated through the research and

concept of the glycemic index.

So, it may be the case for some people that they don't experience a

difference beetween cane sugar and rice syrup. I do, and my experience is

very clear cut. Eat a little cane, get a little suicidal; eat a lot, get a

lot suicidal. It's so clearly absolutely cause and effect. I'm not

diabetic so I can't say what's true for diabetics, but it's not true that

there's no difference.

In fact, diabetics are recommended to use zylitol now for sweetener because

it is low glycemic (as well as agave). Zylitol is made from birch trees

and some fruits and vegetables. It is a sugar alcohol, and I recently

learned that our bodies actually make zylitol in a metabolic process, so we

know it is natural to the body (and it inhibits tooth decay). We've always

said on the list that of course one can't make KT using zylitol, because it

is a sugar alcohol and not a proper sugar. But I recently did an

experiment and made a quart-jar sized batch with zylitol as the only

sweetener. It did ferment and tastes like KT. I will probably do some

further experimentation just for myself, I am *DEFINITELY* not

recommending anyone use zylitol for KT. I haven't mentioned it because I

don't want anyone thinking that's recommended because it IS NOT.

--V

~~~ There is no way to peace; peace is the way ~~~~

--A.J. Muste

[Guest guest]

Hi ,

Not sure where you read that because Barley malt has a complex sugar

makeup, that is mostly Maltose, with varying amounts of unfermentable

dextrins. I have a book with the rest of the sugars in Malt syrup, I can

post them if you like..

Beau

" I looked up the chemistry of barley malt syrup, and it is 100%

> fructose. "

[Guest guest]

Beau, I found it on a website. I realize now that's not even logical

because barley malt is malt(ose), duh! Yes, I'd love to see the rest of

the sugars are. Thank you

--V

> Not sure where you read that because Barley malt has a complex sugar

>makeup, that is mostly Maltose, with varying amounts of unfermentable

>dextrins. I have a book with the rest of the sugars in Malt syrup, I can

>post them if you like..

>Beau

~~~ There is no way to peace; peace is the way ~~~~

--A.J. Muste

[Guest guest]

Beau, I found it on a website. I realize now that's not even logical

because barley malt is malt(ose), duh! Yes, I'd love to see the rest of

the sugars are. Thank you

--V

> Not sure where you read that because Barley malt has a complex sugar

>makeup, that is mostly Maltose, with varying amounts of unfermentable

>dextrins. I have a book with the rest of the sugars in Malt syrup, I can

>post them if you like..

>Beau

~~~ There is no way to peace; peace is the way ~~~~

--A.J. Muste

[Guest guest]

Hi ,

Barley malt syrup is made from, malted barley, that's the maltsters word for

" sprouted and dried barley " .

Enzymes are produced by most sprouting grains, barley just happens to have a

particularly high enzymatic content.

This " malted " barley is gently crushed and mixed with more crushed un-malted

barley and water, then heated to temps around 150F the enzymes become very

active and break down the long chains of starches in both the un-malted and

malted grains converting them to sugars.

The liquid is drained and water evaporated until it becomes a syrup. This

liquid is often spray dried to make dry malt extract powder as well.

The resulting content that once was long chains of starch is now chains of

one (glucose), two (maltose) or three (maltotriose) glucose molecules, and

some un-fermentable dextrins.

So approx. 75% Fermentable glucose,maltose and/or maltotriose and 25%

un-fermentable dextrins. (BTW there can be a small percentage of sucrose,

but it's negligable)

Dextrins largely what give body to beer..

There's your brewers lesson for today.

Beau

>

>

> Beau, I found it on a website. I realize now that's not even logical

> because barley malt is malt(ose), duh! Yes, I'd love to see the rest of

> the sugars are. Thank you

>

>

[Guest guest]

Excellent, Beau, thank you so much. I'll be trying a barley malt KT brew

asap. Can't wait!!! I love deep rich flavors, even bitters.

--V

~~~ There is no way to peace; peace is the way ~~~~

--A.J. Muste