[Silver_Is_Money]

This is the source where I found the ~1.43 g/mL data.  It does not appear to be "Brewers Corn Syrup", so I have amended my post above to remove the word "Brewers".

https://www.cargill.com/doc/1432077435425/clearsweet-43-43-corn-syrup.pdf

Per this data source there are 322 calories in 100 grams of corn syrup, and at ~1.43 g/mL 100 grams of syrup would be ~70 mL on a volume basis.

For comparison, granulated table sugar has 387 calories per 100 grams.

If 1/2 TSP of granulated table sugar is used to carbonate 12 Oz. of beer, and 1/2 TSP weighs 2.3 grams, then:

2.3/100 x 387 = 8.901 calories of granulated table sugar to prime 12 Oz. of beer.

8.901 calories x 70 mL/322 calories = 1.935 mL of corn syrup

So on a caloric basis 1.935 mL of "this" corn syrup and 1/2 TSP of table sugar are about equivalent.  Can caloric equivalence be used to determine carbonation equivalence?

[Robert]

Seems mighty overcomplicated.   If you just want fermentable sugar for priming, why not just make a good old priming solution with dextrose or table sugar on the stovetop, and know exactly what you've got?

[EHall]

funny how corn syrup is brought up while in the midst of a lawsuit (millercoors suing AB). and the funny thing about that is they do use corn syrup! and even funnier is they claim its a 'fermentation aid'. 'we're feeding the yeast!, we swear! they don't really like barley!'

you should know that 90+% of all corn grown in the US is GMO and more than likely the corn syrup you found is GMO. Same would go for flaked maize and flaked rice. just saying...

[Visor]

   One could make the argument that all the corn or maize, and for that matter any grain crop consumed throughout history has been a GMO, the modifying just took place at an out of doors lab using selective breeding, rather than a modern indoors lab with gene splicing.

[Robert]

If really worried about GMO corn, you could just brew with teosinte grass.  Best of luck. 

[hopfenundmalz]

   One could make the argument that all the corn or maize, and for that matter any grain crop consumed throughout history has been a GMO, the modifying just took place at an out of doors lab using selective breeding, rather than a modern indoors lab with gene splicing.

By that logic all humans are GMO. 

[Silver_Is_Money]

It turns out that any corn syrup that is liquid at room temperature is only fractionally (ballpark 40% to 50% at most) derived from corn sugar.  Pure corn sugar based corn syrup needs to be stored at 130-140 degrees F.  The link below points to the real thing.

https://www.cargill.com/doc/1432077520763/clearsweet-99-refined.pdf

The recommended storage temperature range for Clearsweet ®
99% Refined Liquid Dextrose Corn Syrup is 130 - 140°F. Syrups
stored for extended periods (over 6 months) should be
evaluated periodically for fitness of use.

[Silver_Is_Money]

Yeah, Karo has stuff other than corn syrup in it, avoid that.  You can get brewers corn syrup.  My LHBS has it (also in 5 gal pails!) Here:  https://www.grapeandgranary.com/corn-syrup-25-lb-jar.html

The Canadian company which produced this links corn syrup (as can be seen on the label of the 5 gal. pail size) closed its doors about a year ago, and the building is being turned into apartments.  Since this corn syrup is liquid at room temperature it likely is only ballpark 40-50% derived from corn sugar.  By 60% it starts crystallizing at room temperature, and storage at 90 degrees F. is advised.

I'm over the corn syrup thing.  Who knows what the other 50%-60% of it is...

[Robert]

Brewers corn syrup is made only from corn, hydrolyzed either by acid or enzymes or both.  All syrups used in brewing are about 80% solids, including invert cane syrup, and all are liquid at room temperature.  The same goes for honey, for that matter.  The only thing that will make sugars containing moisture less fluid at room temperature is heating during processing above the "soft ball" temperature of ~240°F.  But of course they will flow more readily at, say, 140°F than at room temperature, as with molasses and honey.  Big brewers therefore may have them delivered warm from the producer on a daily basis to ensure ease of handling, but warming will do for the homebrewer.  Long term storage will not render syrup unfit for use.  Like honey and molasses, the moisture content is far too low to allow for any spoilage by microorganisms.  The only risk is of some crystallization, and warming will render the syrup sufficiently fluid again for use in brewing in this case.

[Silver_Is_Money]

Ah, indeed I was mistaken in presuming that room temperature liquid corn syrup was likely 60% something other than corn derived.  Further research proves that it is indeed it is 100% corn derived, but here's the catch:  It's DE (Dextrose Equivalent) valuation is only ~40%.  So whereas powdered corn sugar has a DE of 100%, and is therefore 100% dextrose (glucose), a room temperature liquid corn syrup with a 40% DE is roughly 19% glucose, 14% maltose, 12% maltotriose, and 55% Higher Saccharides (with all of these analytical valuations being measured on a "dry basis") as can be seen within the attached link below. In the end ballpark 40% DE corn syrup is indeed about 81% corn derived "sugars" (of varying types) and 19% water, but it is nowhere close to being the liquid syrup equivalent of powdered corn sugar (unless its DE is 99+% and it must be kept at 130-140 degrees F. to keep it from crystallizing).

https://www.cargill.com/doc/1432077435425/clearsweet-43-43-corn-syrup.pdf

The scariest part for me is room temperature liquid corn syrups high percentage of maltotriose. Some yeasts can't convert this form of sugar into alcohol, and others struggle with it to varying degrees.

[Robert]

And in fact the sugar composition, as I mentioned earlier, can be varied any way the manufacturer and customer like.  Analyses of brewers syrups I have in an old manual show DE ranging from 36 to 71 (but nowhere near 100.)  Brewers select a particular product to produce a wort composition matching what they would achieve with mash tun adjuncts, but with the convenience of a kettle adjunct.   Generally, their corn syrup is a substitute for grits, not for sugar:  when brewers want a fully fermentable sugar adjunct, that is specified as a different product (dextrose, invert, etc.)  This, as I suggested, presents a problem if we homebrewers find homebrew  retailer selling "brewers corn syrup:"  unlike the professional who orders a specific product, we may have now way of knowing the fermentability of the syrup being sold to us.  I mentioned my working on a Schlitz clone (based on some 1975 brewing records shared by Denny.)  The brewers used both grits and a syrup designated "low ferm," obviously a high-dextrine product.  I've decided that the surest way for me to get the desired result would be to use only grain adjunct, and control fermentability via mash program.  The Schlitz brewers no doubt would have preferred to do the same, but in their high gravity brewing process must have maxed out the mash tun and had to supplement with a kettle adjunct.  Homebrewers are unlikely to ever be in this position brewing the sort of beer that would require corn adjuncts, that is, light lagers, as we just brew to "sales gravity."


(From The Practical Brewer, MBAA, 1977:)

[Silver_Is_Money]

.....  This, as I suggested, presents a problem if we homebrewers find a homebrew  retailer selling "brewers corn syrup".  Unlike the professional who orders a specific product, we may have no way of knowing the fermentability of the syrup being sold to us.

The unknown overall % fermentability part (in conjunction with unknown % maltotriose) is (are) why corn syrup should never (in my newly informed and changed opinion) be utilized as a natural carbonation priming sugar.

And to think that as little as only two days ago I had presumed that corn syrup was merely a somewhat watered down corn sugar.  Intuitive presumption, and intuition in general can often lead to very wrong conclusions, and can also make for very poor science.  I should have known better.

I now believe that the priming calculators offering corn syrup as a choice should remove it as a choice.  Unless your corn syrup is analytically the mirror image of the calculators corn syrup you might wind up with bottle bombs.

[EHall]

#sugarbeetslivesmatter

[Robert]

#sugarbeetslivesmatter

#canetoo

[EHall]

agave that one to you!